Almost a decade ago, my sister and I had the opportunity to interview Jake Finkbonner, whose healing at 5 years old was attributed to then Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha (the final miracle needed for her canonization 2012).
While the healing alone from a flesh-eating bacteria was a truly miraculous event, perhaps even more miraculous was Jake’s visit to Heaven, which he remembered and shared with his parents after waking up from his medically induced coma.
Yes, Jake had the opportunity that very few people have during their lifetime —to see Heaven and then return back to earth to continue living their lives.
Since the healing and visit to Heaven took place when he was just 5 years old, Jake has continued to live life as a typical boy (though he did have a lot of bishops visit him during the canonization process…). He was in middle school when we interviewed him several years later, once his healing was officially approved by the Vatican and the canonization of St. Kateri was underway.
In honor of St. Kateri’s feast day, we wanted to share part of the transcript from our interview with Jake where he describes what it was like to visit Heaven—in the words of a young boy.
You can listen to the complete interview at the end of Glory Story Volume 5.
The Holy Heroes Interview with Jake Finkbonner
CLARA: Did you feel like to left your body and went up to heaven? What do you remember about that; I mean what was it like?
JAKE: Um well I remember when I first experienced it, I felt my body getting really light like I was only a few pounds. So I started to rise up, and at the time I was very curious as to know what was going on. And I figured out I was in heaven because of all the beautiful music, the never-ending light, and especially all my relatives – well, a few haven’t met – but I somehow knew who they were. Like my mom’s grandma, I somehow recalled her even though I’ve never met her. Um, I saw my Uncle Tom who had died a few weeks before my accident. And, I saw Jesus.
CLARA: How did you know it was Jesus?
JAKE: Um well I’ve seen pictures of him in things in like a bible. And at my church – there’s a big image of him on the front of the church. And so he looked a little bit like what I saw there except his hands were empty. And he had a red sash across his side and he had a white, he was wearing a white, a white robe. He looked like about- not all about- not all about – normal human size around six feet tall, no more, no less.
CLARA: Did you see God and Jesus? Did you feel like there were two different people or – like God the Father and then God the Son? Or were they just the same?
JAKE: They were all one.
CLARA: They were all one. And did you, did you see any angels?
JAKE: Mmhmm.
CLARA: Did they, like how did you know they were angels?
JAKE: Um, like I said I kind of recognized them from images and things like that. They were, some were doing things that probably God had asked them to do or doing their normal daily life things, whatever that was.
MARGARET: So they were, were they what you expected them to be like or were they totally different?
JAKE: Um, they were a little bit. Um, none of my relatives that I saw had wings kind of like a younger child would imagine.
CLARA: Did you talk to any of your relatives that you saw, you know did you go up to them and talk to them, or you know, did they say anything to you?
JAKE: Yeah I talked to my, I talked to my Uncle Tom, like I said, who died a few weeks before my accident. And he was also my, uh, Godparent.
CLARA: What did he say to you?
Jake: Umm, well I told him that I loved him and missed him and I talked to him about everybody else here on earth who missed him, and also all of his family and relatives.
CLARA: Did you think you had died and were in heaven, or did you just think you were going to be there for a short time?
JAKE: Umm, I don’t really know much about that except when I asked Jesus if I could stay with him in heaven he said no cause he said my family needed me on earth. So then that was when he sent me back down.
CLARA: Did he say anything else to you, did you guys talk about anything else?
JAKE: Not really. He gave me a hug and then he told me that he loved me and it felt like I had two beating hearts at the same time.
MARGARET: Did it feel like you had been there for a long time when you left heaven?
JAKE: I guess, I guess you could say it was kind of like a dream, like how you dream it seems like it was only a quick short few seconds and then, but this seems like a few minutes.
The complete interview with Jake can be heard at the end of Glory Story Volume 5. You can even get the MP3 version so you can get instant access today!
Thousands of families have shared with us how this interview and Jake’s descriptions of Heaven have greatly impacted the faith of their children. Consider getting Glory Story Volume 5 so your kids can also hear this beautiful interview with Jake!
St. Kateri Tekakwitha, pray for us!
is the Brand Manager for Holy Heroes after handling many other roles over the years. Make sure you sign up for our emails to receive more of Clara’s writing!
