Saint of the Month - June 2022: Venerable Teresa Veronesi

Ven. Teresa Veronesi

Mystic, Religious, & Teacher

Born on September 28, 1870 in San Ruffillo (Bologna), Italy, this Servant of God was baptized Teresa Veronesi.  A biography described her as an intelligent child with a lively and pleasant disposition.  Athletic and competitive in her early youth, she was skilled at horseback riding and swimming (she once rescued a drowning boy!).  What wasn't obvious to others was that she had a hidden mystical side, which began from age 8 when she witnessed a statue of Christ mysteriously illuminate after her first Holy Communion, and heard the Lord inviting her to totally consecrate herself to him; she generously said "yes" to Jesus and, from henceforth, she spent a great deal of her free time heavily involved with various Catholic social service groups and in deep contemplative prayer in the evenings.

At 17, a close acquaintance happened to speak to Teresa of the rumored sanctity of a certain deceased local woman - Clelia Barbieri (now a Saint) - who had recently founded a new congregation in nearby Le Budrie called the Suore Minime dell' Addolorata.  Intrigued, the pious teenager visited the sisters to experience their charism firsthand - it goes without saying that she was immediately impressed by their mode of life and resolved to join them, as soon as possible.

Teresa's parents were at first opposed to her vocation, but after realizing they could not break her determination, they reluctantly acceded to her desire to join the Suore Minime.  She was welcomed with open arms at Le Budrie in July 1887 and professed vows in April 1888.  Teresa became a teacher and catechist for the convent's elementary school and, remarkably, elected the group's superior in 1889.

In her personal spiritual journey, Teresa was expertly guided by Don Gaetano Guidi, who was also the confessor/advisor of St. Clelia Barbieri.  He was of great help to the nun being that her mystical experiences were now escalating.  Unknown to most people, she was having frequent ecstasies sometimes accompanied by visits from our Lord, often as the suffering and crucified Savior.  He spoke to Teresa about the dire state of the world due to its sins and it was during one of these private apparitions he bestowed on her the Crown of Thorns, visibly manifested as bleeding stigmatic wounds around her head.  In her humility, she kept the stigmata a secret by wrapping her head with bandages, which she then successfully hid under the veil she wore... and if these mystical sufferings weren't enough, she was at times subjected to physical attacks by demons in retaliation for her fidelity to her Divine Spouse, which she bravely battled with prayer and voluntary penances.

Sr. Teresa was visited many times by Christ

Crucified and shared in his Passion.

Despite the intensity of her mystical life, Teresa was a practical and productive religious.  Seeing a need in her hometown, she opened a convent-school of the Suore Minime in San Ruffillo in 1907.  The following year, she established another foundation in Sant' Agata Bolognese where she spent the rest of her life as both a respected superior and much-loved elementary school teacher.  Furthermore, gossip of Teresa's holiness and mystical gifts led to many visitors coming to the convent to seek her prayers and counsel since she was reputed to be a healer; a prophetess who foresaw future events; and a miracle worker.

After 60+ years of service to the Church in Bologna, Sr. Teresa Veronesi died peacefully on May 16, 1950.  Her enduring legacy of faith, education, charitable service, and heroic virtue prompted the opening of her Cause for Canonization in Bologna on February 19, 2000.  The diocesan process successfully closed in April 2003 and, after a diligent review, Rome declared her Venerable in December 2022.  Two verified miracles are required for her to be proclaimed an official Saint.

Please join this ministry in praying for the speedy Canonization of this hidden gem of a soul - Sr. Teresa Veronesi, pray for us!