The second was more personal: a rumor that John received the stigmata less frequently. The big question was whether his fans and critics would again witness the marks that always provoked wonder, fear and skepticism.

But the third interested Virginia the most. It was a tale of obsessive parenting. John the Apostle had a son. A ten-year-old, never publicly photographed, who rarely left the Passion Ministry’s compound.

She craved to know why.