A short time line of the Servant of God Dora Visser
1812
Bernadus Visser, brother of Dora Visser, dies at age three weeks.
28 september 1819, at approximately four o’clock (from the official register of persons)
Dorothea is born in Gendringen, the fifth of nine children, at Achterkerspel 87, also called “The Klep”. The family lives in poverty and she rarely attends school. Dorothea is a very quiet girl and is never in the lime-light. Before her eighth year, she is bountifully provided for in her spiritual nourishment: her mother has taught her to pray and she has learned songs from her grandmother.
1821
Reports of the medical examinations for compulsory military service indicate that 60% of those called up cannot read and 70% cannot write.
1821
Hendrika Visser, sister of Dora Visser, dies at age nine years five months.
1822
Hendrina Visser, sister of Dora Visser, dies at age fourteen days.
29 May 1825
- Kerkhof is born in Sandvoort near Baarn.
1826-1829
In this period Derk Visser and Anna Hamerslag, their four children, the widow Wilhlemina Dierking (or Diercking), Anna’s mother and a certain Derk Harterink live at No. 111. Berend Sellen lives at No. 86. Berend Kolenbrander lives at No. 88. The Vissers and the van der Veldens live together and are all Roman Catholic. The Sellens and the Kolenbranders are Reformed. Widow Bussink (Roman Catholic) lives with the Kolenbrander family. Derk Visser and Derk van der Velden are both labourers. The neighbour, Mr Sellen, is a weaver and clog maker. With him live his son and brother-in-law, who are also both weavers.
1828
At age eight, Dora already fasts for forty days.
1829
Dora is repeatedly harassed by a certain person, which encourages her even more to pursue the virtue of purity.
1829
The Governor of Gelderland complains that the poor and unemployed are not sent to the colonies, such as Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe.
1829
Since this time, the orphan Hendrik Heusken (or Heuisken) lives with the Visser family.
1830
Shortly before Dora’s First Holy Communion, a huge fire reduces most of Gendringen to ashes. Within 45 minutes the fire razes 32 houses, ten sheds and the Reformed Church. The “Klep” is spared.
Around this time, Dora attends the public school on the Grotestraat (main street).
1829/1830
A very severe winter.
1832
Dora receives her First Holy Communion, a moment she has long and ardently looked forward to. She starts working at a farm, where a cow inflicts an injury on her right thigh that the doctor says is incurable.
1836
The only treatment to prevent further harm to Dora’s thigh is to cauterise it every four to five weeks.
1838
Dora can no longer pass urine. The doctor visits twice daily to artificially relieve her. This condition is also considered to be incurable.
15 August 1843
Father Herfkens (the curate), H.J. Nijkamp and Dr J.B. te Welscher are present as Dora bleeds.
1 December 1843
From this day onwards the stigmata begin to form. Almost without exception, Dora bleeds every Friday from her head, chest, hands and feet.
9 February 1844
Father A. Herfkens, Dora’s confessor, specifically notes a premonition of his penitent. Dora has predicted, according to Herfkens, that she will not need the help of the doctor for a while.
16 February 1844
Dora no longer requires the help of Dr te Welscher.
23 February 1844, at 3 pm.
Dora bleeds from all her wounds every Friday for five weeks, and she passes water naturally.
11 March 1844
Father Nijkamp, the local Dean, reports about Dora Visser to the head priest of Gelderland, Father M. Terwindt in Zeddam.
15 March 1844
Dora passes water by use of an instrument.
21 March 1844
In a state of ecstasy, Dora declares that if she would pray certain prayers and perform certain good works, she would forever be freed from needing to use this unpleasant instrument.
27 March 1844
Dr. Bruenninghausen reports, in the Prussian border newspaper, about “the lies and fraud of Dora Visser, and her so-called stigmata”.
April 1844
Dr te Welscher experiments with binding and sealing Dora’s right arm and hand.
3 April 1844
Passing urine occurs from this day on in a natural way, just as Dora had predicted.
1844
Dr te Welcher publishes his experiment with Dora Visser.
Summer / autumn 1845
It is probably during this period that Dora makes acquaintance with Blessed Franziska Schervier.
7 October 1859
Dora predicts the healing of her leg wound.
11 November 1859
Dora predicts that the bleeding (but not the pain) of the stigmata would cease to occur on the ordinary Fridays, and that from now on would only occur on Good Friday and the feast days of the Finding of the Cross (3 May) and the Exaltation of the Cross (14 September).
22 December 1859
Between 9 and 12 o’clock, Dora’s leg wound is healed.
1860
From this year till the year of her death, the bleedings occur as she predicted in 1859.
1864
Dorothea goes with her younger sister Johanna to Kloosterburen to be the housekeeper for Father Kerkhof, her former pastor and the author of her biography.
1872
Dorothea and her sister go with Father Kerkhof when he is transferred to Olburgen.
Feast of the Finding of the Cross, 3 May 1876
The last bleeding, soaked into a cap.
11 July 1876
Dorothea Visser dies at Olburgen at midnight.
12 July 1876
Dora’s death is recorded in Steenderen.
4 May 1877
Between the cover and the binding is a closely written letter: “To the finder of these notes … ”
1900
The law for compulsory education takes effect.
13 December 1908
Teus Kerkhof dies (not 23 December)
Late 1964
Bert Kerkhoffs makes his first contact with Olburgen through councillor Gebbing from Steenderen.
Saturday 9 January 1965
Bert Kerkhoffs first comes into contact with Dora Visser’s preserved items.
Late January 1965
Bert Kerhoffs starts writing about Dora Visser.
4, 5, 6 February 1965
In the whole edition! The story of Dora Visser falls on 100,000 doormats in Gelderland and East Brabant.
1990
Totally renewed grave of Dora Visser, with a kneeler.
1990
Founding of the “Friends of Dora Visser” Trust
Prayer for the living and the deceased filled a great deal of Dora’s life. Her own miraculous healing, and also that of others, shows the power of prayer.