Bl. Miriam Teresa Demjanovich
America's "Little Flower" - Memorial: May 8th
For this month, this ministry highlights the life of Bl. Miriam Teresa Demjanovich. Being a proud American, this author is pleased to share her life as she is one of just a few exemplary holy souls from the USA to have successfully reached the glory of the altar.
Born on March 26, 1901 in Bayonne, New Jersey, Teresa Demjanovich was the youngest of seven children of a family that immigrated from Slovakia. Her deeply religious parents were members of the local Byzantine Rite Catholic Church of St. John the Baptist who admirably raised their youngsters in a home steeped with Christian traditions. Not surprisingly, the Demjanovich children developed piety early on in their lives. In particular, Teresa and one of her brothers named Charles both felt called to consecrated life beginning in their teen years.
After graduating high school in 1917, Teresa was initially attracted to Carmel but she put off pursuing a vocation when her mother fell seriously ill. Being that her older siblings were either moved away or employed to support the large family, Teresa took it upon herself to care for her ailing mother and to help run the household. In between her obligations at home, she exercised her faith through active participation in parish life: she was a member of the choir and of the Sodality of Mary, as well as, the National Council of Catholic Women in which she served as Secretary. The Blessed also exhibited a marked devotion to the Eucharist and the Rosary.
"And even in the world I felt very
intensely that if people only sought God
in all earnestness they would find Him.
And if all would only make use of the
ordinary duties and trials of their state
in the way God intended, they would
all become Saints."
- Words of Bl. Miriam Teresa
After her mother's death in November 1918, Teresa enrolled at Saint Elizabeth's College in Convent Station, New Jersey. Having a knack for writing, she majored in Literature and was an excellent student who earned high grades. Furthermore, her apparent devotion and jovial demeanor impressed her peers who often sought her advice. Teresa was frequently found in the college chapel absorbed in Eucharistic Adoration or praying her Rosary beads. She graduated in June 1923 with top honors.
Despite her earlier success at St. Elizabeth’s and being subsequently hired as a teacher at the Academy of St. Aloysius in New Jersey, the desire to give herself completely to God never left her. In truth, during her college years she began having mystical experiences, starting with an apparition of the Blessed Virgin while in prayer on the campus. After making a novena to Our Lady for guidance, she changed her mind about becoming a Carmelite and instead requested admission with her former teachers - the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth in Convent Station.
Being that she already had a reputation for intelligence and virtue from her college years, Teresa was readily accepted by the Sisters of Charity. She officially entered the convent on February 11, 1925, just twelve days after her father's unexpected passing; in honor of the Blessed Virgin, she added "Miriam" to her name becoming Sr. Miriam Teresa from henceforth (or simply Sr. Miriam).
"The imitation of Christ in the lives of
Saints is always possible and compatible
with every state of life. The Saints did
but one thing - the will of God. But they
did it with all their might. We have only
to do the same thing; and according
to the degree of intensity with which we
labor shall our sanctification progress."
As a new nun, her literary training was immediately put to good use. At first her superiors tasked her with writing plays for the postulants and teachers to perform, but her skill was later employed for a much higher purpose ...
Mystical graces had followed Sr. Miriam into the convent: locutions and private apparitions of Jesus, Our Lady, and even St. Therese the Little Flower whose "little way" she imitated. She wisely sought guidance and discernment with a Fr. Benedict Bradley, who eventually became her spiritual director. Impressed by her sincerity and humility, the priest believed her to be a chosen soul. He commissioned the nun to write the text for the routine conferences he gave to the community and with her consent, Fr. Bradley presented the talks as though written by himself ... and they were enthusiastically received by the other Sisters, who found them edifying, practical, and dripping with spiritual wisdom; in summary, they emphasized the Love of God and holiness being attainable for ALL members of the Body of Christ. Sr. Miriam sat in during these presentations, but never gave any indication to her companions that she was the true author of the talks they were raving about.
In November 1926, Sr. Miriam was hospitalized with a case of tonsillitis, which took her nearly a month to recover from. From then on her health mysteriously deteriorated to such a critical extent, her brother Charles - now a Catholic Priest - was summoned by Fr. Bradley. Fr. Charles intervened to have his sister be allowed to profess final perpetual vows, given the gravity of her situation. The novice did so on April 2, 1927.
"Every single soul God ever created,
or will create is His own precious jewel.
His treasure!"
Not long after, in early May 1927, the Beata was again hospitalized - she was suffering from a heart inflammation and appendicitis and, this time around, there was no hope of recovery. To the shock of her community, Sr. Miriam died on May 8, 1927 at the young age of 26.
Upon hearing word of her untimely passing, Fr. Bradley issued a memorandum to the Sisters of Charity, which simply said: "The conferences I gave to the Sisters were written by Sister Miriam Teresa." The community was bewildered and astonished; none of them had any clue it was her ... and, adding to their confusion was the matter of the unusual swelling around the Beata's head, discovered by the nuns while her body was prepared for burial. About this peculiarity, Fr. Bradley revealed that they were the effects of invisible Stigmata - a mystical crown of thorns that Sr. Miriam heroically endured for the sake of sinners!
The life of this mystic did not fade into obscurity after her death. This was likely due to her inspirational conferences being providentially made available to the general public. All 26 documents composed by Sr. Miriam were compiled in 1928 and published as a book called "Greater Perfection"; the beautiful writings were acclaimed in religious circles and the book is now considered a modern spiritual classic.
Greater Perfection prompted mounting interest in Sr. Miriam Teresa's life so a biography was published in 1936, which then caused the development of a grassroots devotion to the deceased nun; signal graces were subsequently reported by pilgrims who prayed at her grave.
"We think holiness is only for special people,
but all of us can find Christ in our lives."
The Cause for Canonization of Sr. Miriam Teresa Demjanovich was initiated in 1980 and, after the inexplicable cure of a blind boy (through the agency of a hair relic of the nun) was officially recognized by the Church, this previously little-known American nun was declared a Blessed in the Newark Cathedral on October 4, 2014.
A relic from a blouse worn by Bl. Miriam
Teresa in this ministry's custody.
May our good Lord speedily grant the Church the second miracle required for the Canonization of Sr. Miriam.
Bl. Miriam Teresa,
Little Flower of America,
pray for us!
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