 Father Andrew Kiernan (Gabriel Byrne), a researcher of miracles on behalf of the Vatican, must discover the truth behind hairdresser Frankie Paige (Patricia Arquette), who exhibits the Stigmata, the physical wounds Christ received from his crucifixion. His investigation is riddled with questions as he is torn between helping Frankie and revealing the discovery of a long-lost Gospel that would spell disaster for the future of the Catholic church.