Born at Brusthem, Belgium, Christina had a seizure at age 21 that was thought to have killed her. At the Mass being said for her, she suddenly flew to the top of the church, later saying she had been to hell, purgatory and heaven, and was allowed to return to earth to pray for suffering souls. This was one of the incredible events attributed to this poor, likely schizophrenic mystic, called “Christina Mirabilis,” who reportedly flew to treetops and rooftops to avoid smelling other people. She spent her last years in St. Catherine Convent in Saint-Trond, and is a patron saint of psychiatrists, psychologists and those suffering mental illness.
