Saints Who Saw Hell

By: Paul Thigpen

Terrifying visions of hell

Gnawing worms, unquenchable fire, utter darkness, weeping and gnashing of teeth. With these fearful words, Jesus warned that hell is real … and that we could end up there.

Since the Early Church, Catholic saints and other visionaries have reported horrific scenes of eternal punishment. Dozens of saints throughout history have described the terrors of hell, and relayed horror of being separated from God for eternity so that we may see for ourselves and repent.

In Saints Who Saw Hell, you’ll find …

• The scriptural witness to the reality of hell, including the warnings of Jesus, the prophets, and the Apostles;
• Scenes from the second-century Apocalypse of Peter, the oldest surviving Christian vision of hell;
• Ancient reports collected by Pope St. Gregory the Great;
• Medieval accounts from St. Bede, the voyage of St. Brendan, St. Hildegard of Bingen, St. Catherine of Siena, and St. Frances of Rome.
• Witnesses to hell from the time of the Catholic Reformation, such as St. Teresa of Ávila, Blessed Maria de Agreda, and Blessed Richard of St. Anne;
• Visions from later centuries, such as those of St. Veronica Giuliani, Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, St. John Bosco, the children of Fatima, and St. Faustina Kowalska;
• … and other accounts from those who insist they have witnessed the fate of the damned.

The scenes in these pages, varying in detail and source, all testify to one harrowing truth:

Hell is the final guarantee that what we do really matters.

For us here on earth, a peek at the grisly tortures of hell is sometimes what we really need to redouble our efforts at achieving the glorious sweetness of heaven.