| |
Angela
of Foligno
Also
known as Mistress of Theologians
Memorial 4 January
Profile
Born a wealthy non-Christian. Married young, and had
several children. Lived wild, adulterously, and
sacrilegiously for a while. Following a vision in 1285,
she had a conversion. After the death of her mother,
husband, and children, she turned to God and penance.
Franciscan tertiary, and led a group of other tertiaries.
Noted for her charity, patience and humility. Visionary,
mystic, and mystical writer.
Born 1248 at Foligno, Umbria, Italy
Died 4 January 1309 at Foligno, Italy of natural causes;
buried in the Church of Saint Francis in Foligno, Italy
Beatified 1693 (cult confirmed) by Pope Innocent XII
Patronage
death of children, people ridiculed for their piety,
sexual temptation, temptations, widows.
The
life of Blessed Angela
Umbrian
penitent and mystical writer. She was born at Foligno in
Umbria, in 1248, of a rich family; died 4 January, 1309.
Married at an early age, she loved the world and its
pleasures and, worse still, forgetful of her dignity and
duties as wife and mother, fell into sin and led a
disorderly life. But God, having in His mercy inspired
her with a deep sorrow for her sins, led her little by
little to the height of perfection and to the
understanding of the deepest mysteries. Angela has
herself recorded the history of her conversion in her
admirable "Book of Visions and Instructions", which
contains seventy chapters, and which was written from
Angela's dictation by her Franciscan confessor, Father
Arnold of Foligno. Some time after her conversion Angela
had placed herself under the direction of Father Arnold
and taken the habit of the Third Order of St. Francis.
In the course of time the fame of her sanctity gathered
around her a number of Tertiaries, men and women, who
strove under her direction to advance in holiness. Later
she established at Foligno a community of sisters, who
to the Rule of the Third Order added the three vows of
religion, without, however, binding themselves to
enclosure, so that they might devote their time to works
of charity. Angela at last passed away, surrounded by
her spiritual children. Her remains repose in the church
of St. Francis at Foligno. Numerous miracles were worked
at her tomb, and Innocent XII approved the immemorial
veneration paid to her. Her feast is kept in the Order
on the 30th of March. Bl. Angela's high authority as a
spiritual teacher may be gathered from the fact that
Bollandus, among other testimonials, quotes Maximilian
Sandaeus, of the Society of Jesus, who calls her the "Mistress
of Theologians", whose whole doctrine has been drawn out
of the Book of Life, Jesus Christ, Our Lord.
The life of Blessed Angela has been written by Mariano
of Florence and Marx of Lisbon in their chronicles; also
by Jacobilll, Vite de' Santi e Beati dell' Umbria, and
Wadding, Annales Minorum. These writers have principally
derived their information from her Book of Visions and
Instructions. The editio princeps of this book, known as
the Theology of the Cross (Paris, 1598) remains the
chief source for her life and teaching. B. Angelæ de
Fulgineo Visionum et Instructionum Liber (reprinted
Cologne, 1601) was reedited by Bollandus, Acta Sanctorum,
I, Jan., 186-234; by Lammertz with German tr. (Cologne,
1851); and Faloci Pulignani (Foligno, 1899); the English
translation by Cruikshank (Derby, 1872) has been lately
re-issued (New York, 1903). See also Lives of the Saints
and Blessed of the Three Orders of St. Francis (Taunton,
1887), I, 536-554.
Francis
Assisi
St.
Felician
home page
English version is
under construction.
For free informations about Foligno
please insert your e-mail end send
History of Umbria
Umbria Vacation |
|
