Stigmata

Jesus on the Cross, by Fra Angelico

When Jesus was nailed to the cross, the nails made holes in His hands and feet. These holes are called the "stigmata" (stig-MA-ta), which is the Latin word for "marks".

This is St. Francis receiving
the stigmata from an angel.

In the later Middle Ages in Europe, very holy Christian people sometimes got these marks on their own hands and feet. People thought this was a sign that God really loved them a lot, and that they were especially holy people. Many people who had these marks became saints after they died.

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