ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN JANUARY
Saints celebrated on the 30th of January
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| A page of one of Fortunatus Hueber's Saints' books, "Stammenbuch..." (1693) |
This saintly prioress at the monastery at Catharinenthal in Switzerland was called Anna Maria Josepha von Rottenberg in the world and was born in 1676 in Würzburg. Her father died a few weeks after she saw the light of day. The mother married for the second time in Freiburg in Breisgau: her husband was the Austrian chancellor Adam Wolfgang von Rottenberg,
Anna Maria received an upbringing in line with her parents' social standing, but always maintained a humble and godly disposition, from which arose a desire for greater perfection. Once, when she went up to holy communion, an evil thought suddenly crossed her mind against her will. Although she immediately and deliberately turned away from this idea, she believed that only by entering a strict convent could she attain full peace of mind.
So, with her stepfather's permission and on the advice of her confessor, she arrived at the Catharinenthal monastery, where she received admission on August 22, 1694 and took her vows two years later.
As she surpassed all her fellow sisters in monastic virtues, she was elected prioress by them. As such, she earned indescribable merits for the discipline in the monastery and for its prosperity externally. On April 16, 1715, the foundation for the new building of the monastery and the church was laid, while she was busy creating a new building within as well, by introducing a strict cloister, renewal of religious discipline, prayer, exhortation and example.
To this end she composed - prompted by a vision in which Saint Thomas Aquinas handed her a writer's quill - several spiritual books, by which she also brought many blessings to those outside of her monastery.
Anna Maria also had the gift of discerning the human heart, and an admirable insight into the future, so that she was regarded as a prophetess.
Due to the success at her own institute, she was also called upon to reform other monasteries.
But in doing these things she did not forget what she owed her own soul. She fasted strictly, performed many penances, slept little, and often prayed several hours at night alone in church. Her love of purity was so great that she allowed even bloodletting only for obedience's sake. She died happily on January 30, 1738, with a clear indication of her sanctity, and was buried at the monastery church at the foot of the high altar. (Burg. II. 13–16).
(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, Volume 4, Augsburg, 1875, p. 194)
Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints - Sources and Abbreviations
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