ST SPERANDEA, VIRGIN AND ABBESS - 11 SEPTEMBER

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN SEPTEMBER

Saints celebrated on the 11th of September

Prayer to the Angels and the Saints

Heavenly Father, in praising Your Angels and Saints we praise Your glory, for by honouring them we honour You, their Creator. Their splendour shows us Your greatness, which infinitely surpasses that of all creation.

In Your loving providence, You saw fit to send Your Angels to watch over us. Grant that we may always be under their protection and one day enjoy their company in heaven.

Heavenly Father, You are glorified in Your Saints, for their glory is the crowning of Your gifts. You provide an example for us by their lives on earth, You give us their friendship by our communion with them, You grant us strength and protection through their prayer for the Church, and You spur us on to victory over evil and the prize of eternal glory by this great company of witnesses.

Grant that we who aspire to take part in their joy may be filled with the Spirit that blessed their lives, so that, after sharing their faith on earth, we may also experience their peace in heaven. Amen.

ST SPERANDEA, VIRGIN AND ABBESS 

Saint Sperandea, holy virgin and abbess of Cingoli (in the Ancona region), was born in Gubbio in 1216, and was wonderfully led and guided by Christ himself from a young age. 

AT THE AGE OF 9 SHE CHOSE TO WEAR A HAIRSHIRT 

At the age of 9 she already wore a rough penitential hairshirt. The more she grew in age, the more she grew in insight and piety, and she steadily increased her works of mortification. 

Driven by grace, she fled from her parents' house and lived as a hermit in various caves, now here, now there, admonishing the people to repentance. 

IN 1265, SHE BUILT THE MONASTERY OF ST MICHAEL

In 1265, she built the monastery of St Michael at Cingoli and was installed there as abbess. 

She already worked miracles in life, but even more so after her death, which took place around 1276. 

HER BODY WAS FOUND INCORRUPT

Her body was found incorrupt in 1497. She is revered in the Ancona region. St Sperandea's name, however, is not mentioned in the Roman Martyrology. 

(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, 1858)