Saint of the Month - August 2024: Blessed Maria Pilar Izquierdo Albero

Bl. Maria Pilar Izquierdo Albero

Submissive to the Way of the Cross

Memorial: August 27th

This August I feature another little-known mystic named María Pilar Izquierdo Albero – she was a founder of a religious congregation who suffered much to fulfill a mission for the poor tasked upon her by God.  Although she experienced one setback after another, she managed to turn the many “lemons” thrown her way into a large batch of the sweetest lemonade for Jesus!

Maria Pilar (or simply “Pilar”, as she was called) was born in 1906 into a large family from Zaragoza, Spain.  Raised under impoverished but devout circumstances, she grew up unschooled but with a highly pious and generous disposition.  At 12, she contracted a mysterious illness that often left her debilitated.  When she recovered sufficiently after four years of intermittent poor health and hospital stays, she worked in a shoe factory until a fall at 20-years-old resulted in a broken pelvis, which lead to her becoming partially paralyzed a year later.  This paralysis soon spread throughout Pilar’s body, leaving her bedridden and barely able to speak.  To make matters worse, she developed skin ulcers (likely bedsores); went completely blind; and became hearing impaired, too!  Due to these circumstances, her entire family also suffered and was forced to move to a small attic, while sometimes relying on charity to get by.

In 1929, the poor patient's state of decline was so bad, after a bout of severe chest pains, she lapsed into a coma.  Doctors pronounced her case hopeless and her priest administered the last rites.  All expected her to die, but the Lord had other plans for her ... and she woke up six months later.

Bl. Maria Pilar in her bed of suffering

Despite the onslaught of illnesses and misfortunes, Pilar displayed admirable faith and calm.  Rather than wallowing in misery and self-pity, or falling into despondency, she instead resigned herself to God's will; embracing her physical and moral suffering as a way of attaining closer union with Christ.  In fact, the Beata began experiencing mystical encounters with our Lord, who invited her to become a “victim soul” for sinners - especially Priests and Seminarians - to which she generously consented.  Not surprisingly, other spiritual charisms followed:

• the Sacred Stigmata, which she suffered interiorly without external wounds

• frequent Ecstasies during which she had visits from Jesus, the Blessed Virgin, and Saints

• Reading of Souls and Prophetic Insight

• Bilocation

For the next ten years, Pilar patiently suffered and her reputation for sanctity became widespread throughout the region, attracting pilgrims to her humble sickroom.  During the Spanish Civil War that raged between 1936 to 1939, she was inundated by visitors seeking her prayers and clamoring to get divine insight about loved ones fighting in the war.  

On December 8, 1939 – the Feast of the Immaculate Conception – Pilar was totally healed.  Months earlier Jesus had actually expressed his desire for a charitable work to be established in Spain to uplift the people from the misery left behind by the recently ended war ... and he foretold to the invalid her imminent healing since he apparently wanted her to be the person to accomplish it.  So upon her miraculous recovery, Pilar immediately set about the task of establishing a new congregation "to reproduce the active life of the Lord on earth through works of mercy".

Bl. Maria Pilar after her miraculous cure

Pilar moved to Madrid with a group of collaborators and there started the Missionaries of Jesus and Mary, which the local bishop approved as a Pious Union.  Things were going well, at first, until the following year when calumnies surfaced accusing her of vile things such as being mentally ill; diabolically possessed; or even an outright fraudster aiming to gain personal wealth to escape poverty.  As a result of the negative press, her bishop withdrew his approval and ordered that the Missionaries be dissolved.  Pilar again submitted to God’s will.

In spite of this setback, Pilar and her companions continued their ministry as laywomen serving the poor in the slums of Madrid and their work thrived.

The Beata (center) with her original

companions in ministry

A second review in 1942 of the Beata's work resulted in the approval of a revamped association - the Pious Union of the Missionaries of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph - but in 1944, the foundress was forced out of her own community after new slanders were spread against her.  Pilar left with nine loyal spiritual daughters, offering her humiliations and sufferings to God for the survival of her mission.  They moved to San Sebastiano to start all over again and there Pilar was diagnosed with stomach cancer.  Almost simultaneously with the diagnosis, the Beata suffered a broken leg from another accident leaving her bedridden again!  She succumbed to her maladies on August 27, 1945 being only 39-years-old.

Pilar’s many, many sacrifices eventually proved to not be in vain, as her small group of spiritual daughters persevered.  While the pious union floundered, the women who remained with her managed to reestablish themselves in May 1948 as the Missionary Work of Jesus and Mary; it was officially recognized as a new congregation of the Church in 1961.  Thus, their founder's legacy lived on and today flourishes through 24 houses scattered throughout Spain, Colombia, Ecuador, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Mozambique, and Venezuela.

For her holy example of faith; charitable service to the poor and needy; humility and patience in suffering; and submission to God’s divine will, Maria Pilar Izquierdo Albero was Beatified in November 2001.  One more miracle is still needed to raise her to Sainthood.  Please join this ministry in praying for its realization.

Bl. Maria Pilar, pray for us!

Hawaii's Eucharistic Revival!

In conjunction with the Eucharistic Congress held this past weekend in Indiana, our Honolulu Diocese - through its Diocesan Evangelization Task Force - organized its own "mini-revival" at two of our parishes.  This author/ministry had the honor and joy of participating in these local events by giving a presentation called "Our Saints: Witnesses of the True Presence".

The presentation focused on the deep devotion and intimate relationship the Saints achieved with our Lord through the Eucharist ... as well as, highlighted the Eucharistic Miracles (e.g. Miraculous Communions, Levitations, Perpetual Fasting) experienced by several credible Mystic-Souls to further reinforce the truth of the Blessed Sacrament's supernatural character.  Of course, with this ministry being invited, relics were featured at the revival!

Rare relics of the following holy, Eucharistic souls were presented to help emphasize the amazing miracles I shared about them: St. Angelo of Acri; Servant of God, Anne Louise Lateau; Bl. Benedetta Bianchi Porro; soon-to-be canonized, Bl. Carlo Acutis; St. Charbel Makhlouf; St. Juliana Falconieri; St. Paul of the Cross; and St. Padre Pio.

After my talks, our special guest - Joe Melendrez, a Catholic Musician & Lay-Evangelist from California - took the reins and uplifted the crowd with his exhilarating musical performances, mixed in with Gospel teachings on Faith and Evangelization.  The man had us up on our feet, in no time, singing and dancing in praise and celebration of our Lord!

'Come, let us sing for joy to

the LORD; let us shout aloud to

the Rock of our Salvation.'

- Psalm 95:1

Both nights ended beautifully with very moving Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction, which were the icing on the cake for Hawaii's contribution to the National Eucharistic Revival!

Below are several photos of the highlights from Hawaii's Eucharistic Revival ... All Thanks and Praises be to the Lord!

7/20/2024: ST. PIUS X CHURCH, MANOA

Joe Melendrez performing and praising

our Lord Almighty!

     

'I will declare Your name

to my brothers and sisters;

in the assembly I will sing

Your praises.'

- Hebrews 2:12

The presence of our Saints -

Witnesses of the True Presence!

Adoring our Lord at St. Pius X Church

After Adoration, participants paying their

respects to our inspiring Faith Heroes

7/21/2024: ST. GEORGE CHURCH, WAIMANALO

Joe Melendrez in action ... again!

'My lips will shout for joy

when I sing praise to You - I whom

You have delivered.'

- Psalm 71:23

Showing Jesus our Love through Adoration

Participants praying with our Saints; making

personal connections through their relics

Me and Fr. Ray hangin' with Joe

(click here to learn more about Joe

Melendrez, his ministry, & his really

cool God Swagg merch!)

Saints of the Month - July 2024: The Blessed Carmelite Martyrs of Guadalajara

The Carmelite Martyrs

of Guadalajara

Memorial - July 24th

On July 24th, 1936, three nuns from the Carmel de San Jose in Guadalajara, Spain, died for the Catholic Faith.  Theirs’ were cruel and brutal deaths, but heroic, as they offered their lives for the end of the Spanish Civil War/Communist Revolution, and its bloody persecution of the Faithful.  Their names were, as follows:

Sr. Maria Pilar of St. Francis Borgia

Born in 1877, she initially didn’t intend to be a nun but experienced a strong conversion after attending the Carmelite profession of her older sister.  She ended up entering Carmel, herself, at age 20 and was distinguished for her strong love for the Eucharist and her habitual silence.  Being the oldest of the trio of Martyrs, Sr. Maria Pilar was 58 when she was killed.

Sr. Maria Angeles of St. Joseph

This nun was 31 when she suffered martyrdom.  Born in 1905, she entered Carmel at age 24 although she felt herself called to consecrated life from early childhood.  As a nun she was noted for her admirable adherence to the Rule and was said to have never infringed upon it.  Her virtues were so apparent, the prioress referred to her as a “little angel”.

Sr. Teresa of the Child Jesus and of St. John of the Cross

This sister was the youngest of the three Guadalajara Martyrs, having died at the age of 27.  She entered Carmel at 16 after having been inspired by reading the autobiography of St. Therese the Little Flower.  Like her holy role model, she was strong-willed, but was making great strides in her spiritual journey.  She loved our Eucharistic Lord and greatly enjoyed Adoration.

With the onset of the civil war, the Carmelites of Guadalajara, along with other Catholic religious began experiencing increasing hostility from the general public as the Communistic, anti-Christian mentality took hold of many of their countrymen.  Sensing the grave impact the revolution would have upon the local Church, Sr. Maria Angeles and Sr. Teresa of the Child Jesus were both inspired to offer their lives as sacrifices for the quick end to the war and persecution.  Sr. Maria Pilar, likewise, made a similar offering on July 22, 1936, while in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament - she beseeched the Lord to allow her to die as a victim-soul and to spare her companion nuns.  All three Carmelites had made their oblations consciously and deliberately after obtaining permission from their superior.

When the revolutionaries entered Guadalajara on July 22nd (the same day Sr. Maria Pilar made her self-offering), the tension in the city had reached such a critical level, the prioress felt it prudent to disperse the community to avoid the convent being targeted.  The plan was for the nuns to ride out the war while temporarily sheltering with their respective family and friends.  So, on the following evening, under cover of the night, the sisters discretely left in pairs, disguised in secular clothing.

When twelve of the nuns just so happened to end up at the same boarding house, the landlady became anxious and insisted that the majority of the sisters find other places to stay; she was only willing to shelter three.  Consequently, on the fateful day of July 24th, 1936, Sr. Teresa, Sr. Maria Pilar, and Sr. Maria Angeles left to go to the home of another woman they knew.  On their way to the alternate hiding place, the trio was somehow recognized by a female soldier who cried out, “Look - they are nuns!  Shoot them!”  The sisters then ran for cover in a nearby doorway as the militia opened fire at them - Sr. Maria Angeles was immediately killed when a bullet struck her heart, while Sr. Maria Pilar was badly wounded.

What followed next was simply diabolic – a couple of the men set upon the fallen nun with daggers, savagely slashing at Sr. Maria Pilar multiple times before leaving her to die.  Shocked bystanders transported her to a Red Cross clinic where nothing could be done for her.  Sympathetic medics later testified that she prayed constantly in her agony and her last words were: “Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing.”

Sr. Teresa, on the other hand, somehow managed to dodge the bullets and ran into an alley where she was found by some of the same soldiers.  They pretended to be remorseful and offered to help the traumatized nun find safety.  Instead, they led her to the cemetery where they demanded that she give in to the Communist propaganda and their lewd suggestions, whereupon Sr. Teresa rebuked them before again fleeing from her captors.  She was mercilessly gunned down as she ran with arms spread open in a cruciform gesture shouting "Viva Cristo Rey!".

Bone relics from all three Carmelite

Martyrs gifted to this ministry by their

convent in Guadalajara, Spain.

After careful investigation of the facts, the Church deemed these three Carmelite nuns Martyrs of the Faith, and Beatified them on March 29, 1987.  Of the hundreds of faithful victims of the Spanish Civil War, they were among the earliest to be officially recognized as such, and declared Blesseds.  May their collective spirit of courage and self-sacrifice inspire us in our own present time of growing hostility towards Christianity.

* * AN INTERESTING ANECDOTE * *

These Martyrs have a special place in this author's heart because of a unique incident involving their precious relics guarded by this ministry: one afternoon I was awakened from a nap by an intense but delightful fragrance of roses.  Surprised and intrigued, I followed the scent trail from my bedroom to my living room shrine where I discovered the source of the aroma to be the relics of these three Blessed Carmelites!  I interpreted the occurrence as confirmation of their spiritual presence and heroic sanctity.

O, Carmelite Martyrs of Guadalajara,

pray for us!

Saint of the Month - June 2024: Blessed Maria Candida of the Eucharist

[The following biography was adapted from the Vatican's

website for the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints]

Bl. Maria Candida of the Eucharist

The "Apostle of Communion"

Memorial: June 12th

Maria Barba’s family home was in Palermo, Sicily.  However, Pietro Barba’s work as a Judge in the Appeal Court took the family briefly to Catanzaro in Italy and it was there that Maria was born on January 16, 1884.  The deeply-religious family returned to Palermo when she was two-years-old.

At 15, Maria felt called to Religious Life but her family strongly opposed this; she had to wait for twenty years before she could fulfill her calling.  During these years of waiting she suffered interiorly but showed a remarkable strength of spirit and fidelity to her calling, unusual in one so young.  Her trials were to last until she entered the Teresian Carmel in Ragusa on September 25, 1919.  During this time she was sustained by a special devotion to the Eucharist, in which she saw the mystery of the sacramental presence of God in the world, the concrete symbol of His infinite love of humanity, and the reason for our trust in His promises.

Her love for the Eucharist was evident from the very beginning.  "When I was still a child she testified, and before I was old enough to receive Jesus in Communion, I used to rush to the front door to greet my mother when she returned from Mass.  There I stood on tiptoe to reach up to her and cried, “I want God too!”.  My mother would bend down and softly breathe on my lips; I immediately left her, and placing my hands across my chest, full of joy and faith, jumping for joy I would keep repeating: “I have received God too!  I have received God too!”"  These are signs of a vocation, for one who is called by God’s free and gratuitous will as a gift for the Church.

From the age of 10, when she made her First Holy Communion, her great joy was to be able to receive Communion.  From then on, to be deprived of Holy Communion was for her "a great and painful cross".  In fact, after the death of her mother in 1914 , she could only rarely receive Communion, so as to not offend her brothers who would not allow her to go out on her own.

The tomb of Bl. Maria Candida in Ragusa 

When Maria finally entered the Ragusa Carmel at age 35 she took the name Maria Candida of the Eucharist, which in certain aspects was prophetic.  She said that she wanted "to keep Jesus company in the Eucharist for as long as possible."  The nun prolonged the time of her adoration, especially every Thursday, when from eleven to midnight she would be before the tabernacle.  The Eucharist dominated her entire spiritual life, not so much for the devotion, as for the fundamental effect it had on her spiritual relationship with God.  It was the Eucharist that gave her the strength to consecrate herself as a victim soul to God in November 1927.

Maria Candida fully developed what she herself was to describe as her "vocation for the Eucharist", helped by Carmelite spirituality, to which she was attracted after reading Story of a Soul by St. Therese the Little Flower.  The pages in which St Teresa of Avila describes her own particular devotion to the Eucharist are well known.  It was in the Eucharist that the saintly Foundress experienced the mystery of the humanity of Christ.

In 1924, Sr. Candida was elected Prioress, a position in which she was to remain, except for a brief period, until 1947.  She established in her community a profound love for the Rule of St. Teresa of Jesus.  She was directly responsible for the expansion of Carmel in Sicily, making a new foundation in Syracuse and helping to secure the return of the male branch of the Order.

On the Feast of Corpus Christi during the Holy Year of 1933, Mother Candida began to write what was to become her little masterpiece, entitled "The Eucharist, true jewel of Eucharistic Spirituality".  It is a long and profound meditation on the Eucharist, which had as its goal a record of her own personal experiences and her deepening theological reflections on those same experiences.

She saw all the dimensions of Christian life summed up in the Eucharist:

• Firstly, Faith: "O my Beloved Sacrament, I see you, I believe in you! ... O Holy Faith.  Contemplate with ever greater faith our Dear Lord in the Sacrament: live with Him who comes to us every day".

• Secondly, Hope: "O, My Divine Eucharist, my dear Hope, all our hope is in You ... Ever since I was a baby my hope in the Holy Eucharist has been strong".

• Thirdly, Charity: "My Jesus, how I love You!  There is within my heart an enormous love for You, O Sacramental Love ... How great is the love of God made bread for our souls, who become a prisoner for me!"

As Prioress, Mother Candida, acquired from the Eucharist a deep understanding of the three religious vows which can be seen in a life that is intensely eucharistic.  Not only their full expression but also a concrete way of living, a kind of deep asceticism and a progressive conformity to the only model of every person's consecration, Jesus Christ who died and rose again for us.

A photo of the Beata's body taken during her

wake in the Carmel of Ragusa.

The model of a eucharistic life is, of course, the Virgin Mary, who carried the Son of God in her womb and who continues to give birth to him in the souls of his disciples. "I want to be like Mary" she wrote in one of the most intense and profound pages of The Eucharist, "to be Mary for Jesus, to take the place of His Mother. When I receive Jesus in Communion Mary is always present. I want to receive Jesus from her hands, she must make me one with Him. I cannot separate Mary from Jesus. Hail, O Body born of Mary. Hail Mary, dawn of the Eucharist!"

For Mother Maria Candida the Eucharist is a school, it is food and an encounter with God, a coming together of hearts, a school of virtue and wisdom.  "Heaven itself does not contain more.  God, that unique treasure is here!  Really, yes really: my God is my everything ... I ask my Jesus to be a guardian of all the tabernacles of the world, until the end of time".

After she endured months of painful suffering from liver cancer, the Lord called Mother Maria Candida to Himself on June 12, 1949.  It was the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity.  Hallelujah!

Bl. Maria Candida, pray for us!

Saint of the Month - May 2024: Blessed Miriam Teresa Demjanovich

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.

The youthful Teresa as a college student.

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!

Saint of the Month - March 2024: Blessed Giustina Bezzoli Francucci

Bl. Giustina Bezzoli Francucci

An Enemy of Demons

Memorial: March 12th

Our featured holy person for March 2024 is Bl. Giustina Bezzoli Francucci.  Born in Arezzo, Italy, circa 1237, she was a woman of noble birth who was apparently touched by the Holy Spirit from a very young age.  Biographers report that, as a child, she displayed pious and penitential tendencies that were exceptionally mature for her age.  For example, she preferred praying in solitude rather playing with other youngsters, and she often skipped meals in favor of giving her food to the poor.

At just 12-years-old, Giustina disclosed her desire to enter religious life to her family, but was met with intense opposition from both her father and paternal uncle.  A serious illness then struck her father, which caused him to reconsider, granting her leave to follow-through with her plan to become a nun.

Giustina chose the Benedictine Monastery of San Marco, where she entered at 13.  Upon crossing the threshold, a dove alighted on her head, indicating the special presence of the Holy Spirit upon her.  Once inside, she cast aside her fine clothing to wear the coarse habit of the sisters; the only personal belonging from the outside world that she kept was a crucifix, which she treasured all her life.  

As a young nun, by all accounts, she was a model religious who impressed her companions with her faithful adherence to the Benedictine Rule, her humility, and obedience to her superiors.

The incorrupt body of Bl. Giustina

enshrined in Florence, Italy.

Four years after Giustina’s entry, war forced the Sisters of San Marco to merge with the Benedictine community in the nearby Monastery of All Saints, where the Beata’s stay was short-lived.  At their new home, word came to her of a holy hermitess named Lucia, who had taken up a solitary life of contemplation amongst the ruins of a remote abandoned castle in Civitella.  Inspired, Giustina obtained necessary permission from her Bishop to become a recluse, herself, and was welcomed by Lucia.

In the woods, the two women quickly became solid friends and lived a spiritual regimen of poverty and austerity.  They lived off the land and spent their days in prayer and meditation; signal graces were granted by our Lord to the pair.  For example, packs of wolves roamed the area, but the protection of their angelic guardians kept the two anchorites free from their attacks.

After a few years of peaceful coexistence, Lucia fell ill and was lovingly cared for by her companion. She died after a year, leaving Giustina alone in their tiny hermitage … but the Beata persevered in her voluntary isolation, adding extreme mortifications to her spiritual exercises in her desire to conform closely to Christ Crucified: she wrapped an iron chain around her waist; wore a hair-shirt under her outer clothing; and regularly used a flagrum.  Ecstasies and visits from her Divine Spouse were sublime consolations that sustained her in her difficult mode of life.

Giustina remained 35 years in the castle ruins before her rigorous lifestyle took a toll on her health – her eyesight began failing, which prompted her to return to the Monastery of All Saints where the Benedictines welcomed her back with open arms, given her fame of sanctity.

A closer view of Bl. Giustina's face.

The Blessed lived her last 20 years completely blind but still in fruitful ministry.  Her charisms of effecting cures and working miracles became well-known in the region, attracting pilgrims to her monastery ... and it was also noted that to be in her presence was enough to cast out demons from the possessed!  Such was the great power of the Holy Spirit working through her.

By the time she died on March 12, 1319, Giustina was already revered as a local Saint.  Cures occurred at her grave, on which a lily sprouted after her burial ... and spontaneous exorcisms of possessed individuals continued to occur.  Her body, discovered incorrupt 10 years after her passing, was initially enshrined in the Arezzo monastery, but was later transferred in 1968 to the Benedictine Monastery of Santa Maria del Fiore in Lapo, Florence.  It remains there, today, in a simple glass-sided shrine for the public to venerate.

Bl. Giustina Bezzoli Francucci's cultus was recognized and approved in January 1891 by Pope Leo XIII, effectively Beatifying her.  Presently, a second "official" miracle is still needed for her Cause to advance to Sainthood.  Let us pray for it.

Bl. Giustina Bezzoli,

advocate against evil spirits,

pray for us!

Saint of the Month - February 2024: Blessed Sebastian de Aparicio

Bl. Sebastian de Aparicio

A humble son of St. Francis

Memorial: February 25th

This month's featured holy person - Bl. Sebastian de Aparicio - was born in Gudiña, Spain, on January 20, 1502, but died in Puebla de los Angeles (aka Puebla), Mexico; he was reported to be a miracle worker during the golden years of his life and this is his story.

Raised in a family of devout Spanish peasant farmers, as a child he fell victim to the black plague and was secretly isolated in a shack in the woods by his parents.  There, the sick boy was visited by a mysterious wolf that nipped at his swollen sore - the "bubo" - which then bled and drained.  Sebastian began improving right away and eventually fully recovered so he was able to resume work on his family's farm.  The cure left the youngster with a growing love for God, as well as, a great appreciation for all His creatures.  

At the age of 20, Sebastian left home to look for work so as to better assist his impoverished family and to raise dowries for his unwed sisters.  He worked as a servant in the home of a wealthy widow but left when she made unwanted advances towards him.  The youth next took a job on a farm, but was again the object of affection, this time by his employer's daughter; he again quit.  Apparently, Sebastian was said to be so handsome and strong, he attracted attention from the ladies wherever he went, which tried his personal virtue.  At 31, he decisively boarded a ship bound for the Americas, never to return.

Bl. Sebastian sometimes saw angels

who assisted him in his ministry. 

In 1533, Sebastian arrived in the port city of Veracruz, Mexico, where he made his way to the newly established town of Puebla.  Being illiterate, he at first worked odd jobs doing manual labor, but seeing how primitive the method of transport was in Mexico (people still carried things on their backs), he started both a wagon manufacturing business and a goods transport operation; thus, Sebastian has the unique distinction of having introduced the wheel to Mexico ... and since he needed better surfaces on which to run his wagons, he was also instrumental in constructing the first paved roads along his trade routes between Puebla and Veracruz ... then to Mexico City, where he later moved his business.  Sebastian's dealings quickly made him a very wealthy man.

At the mature age of 50, Sebastian retired from the transport industry and went into farming and cattle ranching in Zacatecas, which was also lucrative for him.  Despite his wealth and prestige in Mexico, he retained his pious and humble  disposition, and practiced mortifications to keep his human weaknesses in check.  Sebastian treated his workers more like family than hired help, teaching them the European methods of farming and domesticating livestock; his less-fortunate neighbors were also beneficiaries of his exceeding kindness and charity.  It goes without saying that the Beato was highly respected, if not outright loved, by many for both his secular and charitable contributions to Mexican society.

Sebastian remained a bachelor until the age of 60.  A serious illness somehow made him more receptive to the idea of marriage so he entered into one with a much younger woman from Chapultepec, a poor friend's daughter who couldn't raise a dowry; the union was never consummated, and his wife died within a year of their wedding.

At 67, Sebastian married yet another young woman, but again, he and his new bride agreed to live in chastity - she, too, passed away after an accidental fall from a tree.  This tragedy caused further reflection about the purpose of his life and, upon the suggestion of his confessor, the widower sold his belongings and distributed the proceeds to his workers and the poor; his farm/ranch was donated to a struggling new Poor Clare convent where he volunteered for a time as a servant.  In June 1574, he entered the Franciscan Order in Mexico City, and was professed a Lay Brother a year later, but not before undergoing certain difficulties due to his illiteracy, and from retaliatory physical assaults from the devil that started in response to his religious vocation.

This author at the shrine of Bl. Sebastian

in the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, Puebla,

in April of 2023

The Beato, now 73-years-old, was first sent to the monastery of Santiago in Tecali where he served as porter, gardener, and cook, before being reassigned to Puebla, his former hometown.  There, Bro. Sebastian was primarily given the task of begging for food and necessities for the entire monastery so it became a common sight to see him out and about in Puebla.  Consequently, the townspeople and Sebastian's fellow Franciscans were witness to his many good deeds and the wonders that surrounded him during this latter period of his life - the Beato was graced with the following spiritual gifts ...

• Animals of all sorts understood and obeyed his commands:  Examples include times when the oxen he employed to pull the monastery's alms wagon would be let loose in open wilderness only to obediently return to him when he called to them; an unruly horse known for bucking riders would become docile only when the Blessed rode it; and ants that once harvested wheat intended for the monastery returned what they collected upon Sebastian's command.

• Private apparitions of Our Lady and Saints:  In the monastery of Cholula, it was once recorded that the Blessed Virgin appeared to Bro. Sebastian during his thanksgiving after Holy Communion; on another occasion, the holy friar was encouraged in his vocation and devotions by visits from St. Francis of Assisi and St. James the Apostle to whom he was greatly devoted.

• Angelic assistance: Bl. Sebastian was often helped by his personal guardian angel during difficult tasks.  For example, he once got his wagon stuck in thick mud and was unable to pull it free, even with the aid of his oxen.  A youth dressed in white appeared out of nowhere and single-handedly pulled the wagon out of the mud before vanishing.

In addition to the above, Sebastian sometimes predicted future events with uncanny accuracy.

After living religious life for 25 years, the "Angel of Mexico" peacefully died on February 25, 1600, from the effects of a strangulated hernia; he was 98-years-old and his final word was, "Jesus".  People flocked to his funeral and, almost immediately, miracles were reported as mourners touched his remains and took away pieces of his habit for relics. Furthermore, two exhumations conducted after his death revealed his corpse to be miraculously preserved.

The incorrupt body of Bl. Sebastian

Beatified in 1789, the incorrupt body of Bl. Sebastian is now enshrined in the Church of St. Francis of Assisi in Puebla.  This author had the blessed joy of venerating this major relic during a Mexico pilgrimage back in April 2023.  May God bless his Cause with a speedy Canonization.

A small replica of the Blessed's urn with a relic

from his habit in this ministry's custody.

Bl. Sebastian de Aparicio,

pray for us!