BL. EUSTOCHIUM, ABBESS OF MONTE VERGINE

BL. EUSTOCHIUM, ABBESS OF MONTE VERGINE - 20 JANUARY

BLESSED EUSTOCHIUM, ABBESS OF MONTE VERGINE

Blessed Eustochium (Smaragda) was born in A.D. 1430 at Messina in eastern Sicily. Her father was of the noble family of Calafato, and her mother a

neé Colonna. She excelled in virtue and beauty, therefore several rich and noble Sicilians asked her hand in marriage, but in vain, because Eustochium had made up her mind to remain in the virgin state for love of Jesus, whom she had chosen as her bridegroom.

After she had withstood the demands of her parents for some time, unswervingly but but with childlike modesty, and even endured mistreatment from them (in their attempt to make her change her mind) with wonderful patience, she eventually received permission to enter the monastery of Saint Clara in Bassincano.

Here she soon became a model for all her sisters in religion. Later she received permission from Pope Calixtus III to found a new nunnery in which the holy Rule would be observed in all its severity. Of the new religious house, called the "Jungfrauenberg" (Monte Vergine), Eustochium became the abbess.

She had the tenderest veneration towards the Blessed Sacrament and the Most Holy Virgin Mary. She died on January 20, 1484. Because of the miracles that had taken place at her grave, she soon enjoyed public veneration, which Pope Pius VI approved. Her festival is now also celebrated on February 27 or 28, says Butler* (X. 443). The Bollandists* call her "Smaragda" and, citing from an old source, state that her death occurred in the year 1491, adding that on August 22, according to a Sicilian martyrology, a public veneration of the intact body of the blessed had taken place. (Jan. II. 251. Aug. IV. 488)

(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, Volume 2, Augsburg, 1861, p. 134)

*A hagiography source used by the authors

Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints - Sources and Abbreviations

PRAYER:

Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that the venerable feast of the blessed Eustochium may increase our devotion and promote our salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Sources of these articles (in the original German): books.google.co.uk, de-academic.com, zeno.org, openlibrary.org

WELCOME

Please pick your saints: January - Saints by date 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 February - Saints by date 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 ...

FATIMA APPARITION - 13 AUGUST

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN AUGUST Saints celebrated on the 13th of August Marian Feast Days WELCOME! FATIMA APPARITION - AUGUST 13 The Fatima Children “BUT IN THE END MY IMMACULATE HEART WILL TRIUMPH.” But in the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me; it will be converted, and a certain period of peace will be granted to the world. THE AUGUST 13 EVENTS On August 13, the children were in jail at Ourem. The civil administrator threatened to boil them in oil if they did not tell the Lady’s secret. Though badly frightened, they could not think of disobeying our Lady. In disgust, the administrator finally freed them. A large number of people, not knowing that the children had been kidnapped, went to the Cova for the scheduled appearance of the Lady. At noon, there was a loud clap of thunder. Then, according to an eyewitness: “Right after the thunder came a flash, and immediately we all noticed a little cloud, very white, beautiful and bright,...

ST BERTHA OF AVENAY, ABBESS AND MARTYR - 1 MAY

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN MAY Saints celebrated on the 1st of May WELCOME! ST BERTHA OF AVENAY, ABBESS AND MARTYR The name Bertha (Berta) is derived from the Old German bercht, brecht, bert etc., meaning shiny, splendid. Saint Bertha, a martyr and abbess of Avenay (Aveniacum) in the diocese of Rheims, was descended from a noble family. Married to St Gumbert (April 29), she obtained her husband's consent to join the monastic life. She then built the aforementioned monastery of Avenay. Following an apparition of the Blessed Virgin, she received many nuns there. Once, when Bertha was silently praying for water for her monastery, St Peter appeared to her and showed her a place where there was a spring, which then began to flow into the monastery in a running stream (ex quo fonte mox rivus egressus secutus est eam ad coenobium remeantem). Finally, towards the end of the 7th century, she was killed by her stepsons - for what reason is not specified, perhaps in ...

SAINT FEAST DAY FOR EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR

Search This Blog