Gianna Talone

Gianna Talone Sullivan (March 12, 1957 -) is a clinical pharmacist by profession, but is best known as the author of a series of books called "I am your Jesus of Mercy" that report visions of Jesus and Mary.

She was born in Phoenix, Arizona to Italian American parents and as a child had a brief show business career in the 1970s, appearing in an episode of "The Flying Nun" television series, before attending the Arizona State University. She later obtained her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Southern California and started a career in corporate pharmacy.

In September 1988 she began reporting religious visions and messages that resulted in a multi-volume book series.

The prayer group

In October 1987, along with a group of parishioners from St. Maria Goretti parish in Scottsdale, Arizona she visited Međugorje. As of December 1987 the group began a Thursday night prayer session for the Holy Rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. In July 1988, the pastor of St. Maria Goretti parish, Father Jack Spaulding, reported that the group was receiving messages from the Virgin Mary through one of the young adults. In December 1988 Father Spaulding reported that Jesus had started to speak through him as he delivered the homily portion of the mass. Father Spaulding reported the matter to Bishop Thomas O'Brien of Phoenix who started a formal investigation.

As of September 1988, the young adult, who was later identified as Talone, also reported messages from Jesus and in August 1989 Father Spaulding stated that the messages needed to be made public, in print. The reported messages from Jesus continued until November 1995. In these messages she reported that Jesus provided her with lessons about His love and mercy and preached humility. As of 2007, she still reports messages from the Virgin Mary.

The messages

The 250 messages she handwrote between 1988 and 1995 usually have an instructive tone and often refer to her as My child. For instance, on January 26, 1989 she wrote that Jesus taught her the difference between envy and jealousy, in that jealousy is pure hatred and that envy is the path that leads to jealousy. She also wrote that by focusing on Jesus one can be filled with love and that is how envy can be destroyed.

The message she wrote on December 13, 1989 has a similar tone and teaches faithfulness. It states that fidelity is the strongest bond between mankind and the Holy Trinity through faithfulness. It teaches that only through dedicated faith in God the Father can one be deemed righteous.

The notions of self-abandonment to God and trust in Jesus repeat throughout the messages. For instance, on August 19, 1992 she wrote a message that she attributed to Jesus: "I am truly guiding you if you trust that I am. This is self-abandonment to the Providence of God." The phrase "I am" appears frequently in the messages and is part of the title of the book series.

She also reported messages from Saint Mary, e.g. on December 30, 1989 she wrote that the Blessed Virgin invited everyone to follow Jesus by praying with their hearts. The message also emphasized the power of human prayers when they are united with the prayers of Saint Mary. The message of July 3 1997 attributed to the Virgin Mary is not a pure lesson, but also directs everyone to pray for the Catholic Church and the Pope for they are in need of prayer.

Her later messages that continue into 2007 are attributed to Our Lady of Emmitsburg and at times have the form of prophecies. The prophecies do not declare an end to the world, but warn of turbulent times ahead and refer to four stages of Trials and Tribulations, Eucharistic Reign, Illumination and Purification.

The view from the archdiocese

On September 8th 2000, officials from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore met with Talone and issued a statement that they found no basis to support her messages as having an extraordinary source. The statement from the archdiocese does not point out items contrary to faith or morals in the earlier messages that have the form of lessons, but states that their decision was significantly influenced by the "predictions for the future and visions of an apocalyptic nature" in her later messages and video. The officials directed that the prayer service with the messages at St. Joseph's Church in Emmitsburg, Maryland be discontinued.

To date, the Holy See has let the matter rest at the local level of the archdiocese in Baltimore, Maryland and has not commented on her messages.

Publication

From September 1988 to November 1995 she wrote 250 messages, as lessons that she attributed to Jesus. She handwrote these messages and they were gathered and printed as the first five volumes of the books I am your Jesus of Mercy. The 6th volume includes messages attributed to the Virgin Mary and ends with a message on January 7, 1999. The messages were originally published by the Riehle Foundation, and were later published by Queenship Publishing. They are distributed worldwide.

Backlash at Emmitsburg

In June 2008, a group of Emmitsburg residents started a campaign against Talone, accused her of running a cult and started a "Cult Watch" program to monitor her and her followers. They also accused her of plagarism. [Emmitsburg website [http://www.emmitsburg.net] ]

ources

*Gianna Talone: "I am your Jesus of Mercy." Several volumes: ISBN 1877678082 ... ISBN 1882972740 ISBN 157918121X

*Gianna Talone at IMDB: [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2127394]

*Catholic Culture Library: [http://www.catholicculture.org/library/view.cfm?recnum=3109]

Notes

External links

*Our Lady of Emmitsburg Cult Watch [http://www.emmitsburg.com]

*Center for the Immaculate Heart [http://www.centeroftheimmaculateheart.org/index.asp]

*Our Lady of Emmitsburg [http://www.prourladyofemmitsburg.org]

*Queenship Publishing [http://www.queenship.org]