St Elisha – June 14 – Carmelite Saints

Summary: Giuseppina Catanea was born in Naples on February 18, 1894. She entered the Carmelite community of Santa Maria Ponti Rossi and made her solemn profession on August 6, 1933. In 1945, she was elected prioress, an office she held until her death. She endured the painful trials of illness and persecution by abandoning herself to the will of God. All who sought her help were inspired by her deep spirituality, humility, and simplicity, as she inspired hope and faith in God and in the Blessed Virgin Mary. She died in Naples on March 14, 1948. History: Giuseppina Catanea, born in Naples on February 18, 1896, was a member of the noble Marquises Grimaldi family. She was the third child of Francesco Catanea, a railway employee in Benevento, and Concetta dei Marchesi Grimaldi. Baptized four days after her birth, she grew up with a frail build. Despite her physical weakness, "Pinella," as her family called her, enjoyed a typical childhood. Her sister, Maria, became her first playmate; soon, she had many friends in elementary school. The testimony of faith Giuseppina received from her family, especially from her maternal grandmother, Antonietta, and her mother, profoundly shaped her. As a young child, she demonstrated great affection for the poor and most needy, offering them money and care. She also assisted two elderly women who lived alone. Devoted to Mary and the Eucharist, Giuseppina eagerly sought chances to pray the rosary. Even at an early age, she was convinced that Jesus was calling her to Carmel. On May 30, 1904, she received the Sacrament of Confirmation, having celebrated her First Communion a few years earlier. In 1906, Giuseppina attended the Regina Margherita commercial school. Although recurring health issues often kept her from classes, she excelled academically. She also took time to assist classmates struggling with their studies. On September 5, 1908, Antonietta, her other sister, entered the Carmelite monastery of Saints John and Teresa. As Giuseppina accompanied her, she felt drawn to the cloistered life in Carmel. Yet, her great affection for her mother led her to set that idea aside. Soon after, she began to contemplate marriage and starting a family, only to realize she was called to something else. Meanwhile, Antonietta returned home for health reasons. Her spiritual director, the Discalced Carmelite Fr. Romualdo, then chose Antonietta to found a new Carmel in Naples. Beginning August 15, 1910, she started her new life in two small rooms rented from the Bethlehem Sisters in Santa Maria dei Monti, on the Ponti Rossi hill. On October 22, she received the Carmelite habit and the new name of Sr. Maria Teresa. Giuseppina, who went to the service, felt her desire for consecration return, but she still worried about leaving her mother. Her health was also a concern. In 1912, she was diagnosed with angina, a heart condition, which was later followed by spinal tuberculosis. As her illnesses continued, Giuseppina stayed firm in her faith and prayed for strength. Gradually, her condition worsened, confining her to a wheelchair. After finishing her studies, Giuseppina sought employment but found no opportunities. Instead, she tutored girls preparing for remedial exams. In helping them academically, she also guided them back to God. Meanwhile, the Carmelite community continued to grow as it awaited the completion of a new monastery, which was finished on April 2, 1913. After much prayer and discussion with the nuns, Giuseppina realized she must join them. "I can no longer keep Him who calls me waiting," she told her mother, sister, and aunts, who were opposed to it. For the time being, she joined the Third Order of Carmelites and received the scapular. On March 10, 1918, Giuseppina entered the Carmelite Community at St. Maria ai Ponti Rossi. As a young religious, she learned to love Christ through suffering, offering herself as a victim for the good of all priests. She accepted great physical pain as God's will for her. On Christmas Day 1918, Giuseppina, after spending a long time in the chapel, emerged staggering and shivering. On December 28, the community doctor diagnosed her with double pneumonia. The Sacraments of the dying were then brought to her. Her condition worsened, but she tried to endure it, thinking of the imminent foundation of the new Carmel. In June, she was struck by tuberculosis of the spine, which completely paralyzed her. Even in that condition, Giuseppina tried to do God's will, but her fellow nuns constantly hoped for her recovery. During this time, she experienced two visions of Saint Francis Xavier. When she saw before her a saintly figure, a voice revealed: "St. Francis has cured you of your illness." At first, she did not know who the saint was. A week later, Fr. Romualdo brought her a holy card of St. Francis Xavier, along with the "Novena of Grace," a special prayer for his intercession. Giuseppina immediately recognized him from her dream and began the novena. She later learned that the relic of Saint Francis Xavier's arm would pass through Naples. When the relic was brought to the monastery on June 26, 1922, and placed next to Giuseppina, a strange wind, felt by those present, pushed her, who was completely paralyzed, to her feet. Gradually, she sat up in bed, opened her mouth again, and finally stood up, while her fellow nuns cried out that it was a miracle. Although she would have been glad to live in solitude, news of her miraculous recovery spread quickly. Priests, seminarians, and people of every social class began coming to Ponti Rossi to seek counsel and consolation from her. This made her realize she wanted to be a victim of humanity's suffering. Filled with a new sensitivity, she was filled with a new sensitivity, a gift of the Holy Spirit. In 1932, Pope Pius XI officially recognized the house at Ponti Rossi as a convent of the Discalced Carmelites, named "the Carmel of Sts Teresa and Joseph at Ponti Rossi,” placing it under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Naples. Giuseppina received the Carmelite habit and took the name Sr. Maria Giuseppina of Jesus Crucified. On August 6, 1932, she made her Solemn Profession. On the day she took the habit, she said that she wished to offer herself to the Crucified Jesus so that she could be crucified with Him. She suffered silently but joyfully and abandoned herself to the will of God, who favored her with mystical experiences. In 1934, Cardinal Alessio Ascalesi, the Archbishop of Naples, appointed Sr. Maria Giuseppina the Sub-prioress of the Carmel. In obedience and at the advice of her spiritual director, Fr. Romualdo, she wrote her "Autobiography" (1894-1932) and her "Diary" (1925-45). She also left exhortations for the nuns and letters to priests and other faithful. Her spirituality, loving docility, humility, and simplicity shone especially during World War II. Amidst the turmoil, she prayed constantly, driven by a deep trust in God. Those who came to Ponti Rossi found encouragement and hope in her words, enabling them to overcome life's trials. From 1943, Sister Maria Giuseppina endured ear trouble, numbness, pain from multiple sclerosis, and loss of vision, among other health issues. She considered her illnesses to be "a magnificent gift" that allowed her to better conform to the Crucified Christ. Maintaining a cheerful spirit, she offered her body as a sacrifice for souls. By 1944, at the age of 50, she was forced to use a wheelchair. In 1945, she became the Vicar. That same year, on September 29, the Ponti Rossi Carmel held its first General Chapter, electing Sr. Maria Giuseppina as Prioress, a position she held until her death. She accepted the role only out of obedience to the archbishop. Toward her fellow nuns, she expressed a truly maternal attitude, offering encouragement both in her words and by example. Between the end of January and the beginning of February 1948, Mother Maria Giuseppina suffered a physical collapse. The doctors gave her little hope, so much so that she wondered, "What is this disease called?" She immediately found the answer: "It is the infirmity of God's will." Fr. Romualdo then administered the Sacraments of the Dying. Despite these health challenges, Giuseppina remained steadfast in her commitment to her religious life and to serving others. Her spiritual journey and unwavering perseverance inspired those around her. Bl. Maria Giuseppina of Jesus Crucified passed away on March 14, 1948, in Naples, Italy. In recognition of her saintly virtues, Giuseppina was venerated on January 3, 1987, by Pope St. John Paul II, who declared that she had lived a life of heroic virtue. An investigation into a miracle was conducted in Naples from November 5, 2004, to May 9, 2005, in the case of Francesco Natale, born on April 21, 1999, to Rosario Natale and Anna Di Francesco. On June 19 of that year, he was rushed to Santobono Hospital in Naples, where he was diagnosed with a severe form of encephalitis, caused by a virus, which had caused convulsions and shock. As Francesco got worse, his parents, friends, and the Carmelite nuns prayed for Mother Maria Giuseppina's intercession. On June 30, Francesco was moved to the Neonatal Unit and left the hospital on July 5, with no trace of the illness. Pope Benedict XVI approved the healing as a legitimate miracle on December 17, 2007, a move that would allow her beatification. The beatification ceremony took place on June 1, 2008, in the Cathedral of Naples, Italy, at which the Archbishop of Naples, Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, presided. Her feast day is celebrated on March 14. Her memorial for the Diocese of Naples and the Discalced Carmelites is celebrated on June 26, the anniversary of the day Bl. Maria Giuseppina was healed of paralysis and began her new life. Prayer: Almighty and eternal God, who willed to conform to Christ crucified the virgin Blessed Maria Giuseppina, as a victim for sinners, grant that we, through her intercession and example, may always embrace our own cross and humbly fulfil your will. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.

Summary: Barbe Avrillot, also known as Madame Acarie, was born in Paris in 1566. At the age of sixteen, she married Pierre Acarie, by whom she had seven children. In spite of her household duties and many hardships, she attained the heights of the mystical life. Under the influence of St. Teresa’s writings, and after mystical contact with the Saint herself, she spared no effort in introducing the Discalced Carmelite nuns into France. After her husband’s death, she asked to be admitted among them as a lay sister, taking the name of Mary of the Incarnation; she was professed at the Carmel of Amiens in 1615. She was esteemed by some of the greatest men of her time, including St. Francis de Sales; and she was distinguished by her spirit of prayer and her zeal for the propagation of the Catholic faith. She died at Pontoise on April 18th, 1618. History: Mary of the Incarnation, born Barbe Avrillot on February 1, 1566, in Paris, was the daughter of Nicholas Avrillot, lord of Champlâtreux and the accountant general in the Chamber of Paris, as well as chancellor of Queen Marguerite of Navarre. Her mother was Mary L'Huillier, a descendant of Etienne Marcel. Before she was born, her parents had several other children, but all died in infancy. While her mother awaited this child, she vowed her to the Blessed Virgin and Saint Claude. She promised to clothe her in white until age seven and to offer her in a church of the Blessed Virgin. She was born healthy and baptized as Barbe, the day after the Purification of Our Lady. Her parents instilled piety in her from childhood. As a young girl, she was entrusted to the care of the Little Sisters of the Humility of Our Lady at Longchamp, where she had a maternal aunt. There, she was educated. The girls were taught to read and sing and joined the nuns in the Divine Office. She advanced in virtue and developed a distaste for worldly things. She was drawn to heavenly things with great ardor. There, she formed a vocation for the cloister, which was not altered by later life in the world. At fourteen, she returned to her father's house. She expressed her wish to enter a religious Order in Paris to care for the sick, but her parents opposed this plan. Her mother told her that she would never permit her to become a nun. The young girl believed God spoke to her through her mother and chose to obey. She agreed to the marriage her father proposed because she feared opposing him might resist the divine will. In 1582, when she was 16, she obeyed her parents’ wishes and married Pierre Acarie, the Viscount of Villemoran. He was a wealthy young man of high standing, a fervent Catholic, and a Government Treasury Official. Six children were born to them. Their pious mother raised them with great care. She taught them never to complain of circumstances or persons. She inspired horror of lying in them and strove to make them recognize any sentiments of vainglory. Her three daughters became Carmelites. Her three sons entered, in turn, the magistracy, the priesthood, and the military. After her second child was born, Barbe read some words of St. Augustine that made a great impression on her: ‘He is indeed a miser to whom God is not enough.’ After this, she began to have mystical experiences. These worried her at first, but gradually she gained more control. She could be at rest in God while still caring for her family and other works. She sought only to correspond with God's graces by perfectly fulfilling her duties toward her husband, her six children, and her dependents, whose devoted affection she won. Throughout thirty years of marriage, she demonstrated how Christian spouses could achieve sanctity. She bore herself so well in married life that St. Francis de Sales testified she was a perfect example of Christian virtue. Although she longed for prayer and practices of piety, she more than fulfilled every duty as wife and mother. She respected her husband, was watchful in teaching her children, and cared for her household. She was mild in handling servants and housemaids, whom she encouraged in virtue by word and example. In 1589, after the death of Henry III, political turmoil entered France as many opposed the succession of Henry of Navarre to the French throne. Henry was baptized a Catholic but raised as a Huguenot by his mother, Queen Jeanne III of Navarre. Barbe’s husband, Pierre, was one of the staunchest members of the Catholic League, which opposed the Huguenots. He was one of the sixteen who organized the resistance in Paris, which led to a famine caused by the siege of Paris in 1590. The cruel famine gave Barbe an occasion to display her charity. She was so wise in her almsgiving that, during the famine, the wealthy who desired to help the poor entrusted their alms to her, and she was widely respected. When Henry became King in 1594, Pierre was exiled from Paris, and the Acarie estates were seized, as were those of many others in the League, even though he never joined in the violent activities of some members. Barbe had to remain behind in Paris while Pierre went to Bourgfontaine. Driven from her house and stripped of her wealth, she also had to contend with creditors and irate businessmen. Pierre’s zeal for his faith had outstripped his prudence, and he recklessly lent money to other League members. Barbe faced sudden debts and had to give up most remaining possessions to pay them off. Her once-prosperous state became so dire that she barely had enough money for bread for herself and her children. Many people began to treat her with contempt. When she went to seek help for her husband, servants sometimes refused to let her in. She sent her four oldest children away to school and the two youngest to live with relatives. Barbe herself stayed with her cousin. Barbe never criticized her husband for his reckless ways, and her love for him never faltered despite the hardship. She traveled 45 miles to Bourgfontaine to see him. There, he was captured by bandits. She raised the ransom to free him and arranged his transfer to the Chateau at Luzarches, which was closer to Paris. There, she saw him more often. On returning from one visit, her horse stumbled, and Barbe broke her hip. Medical treatment only made things worse, leaving her an invalid for the rest of her life. Nevertheless, she put all her trust in God and did not yield to despair. She worked hard to provide for her children and restore her husband’s liberty. She defended Pierre in court by drafting memoirs, writing letters, and furnishing proof of his innocence. She won, and he was acquitted and able to return after three years. The family also reclaimed part of their property and fortune. She accepted these circumstances without becoming troubled. She endured want, insults, and pain. And yet afterwards, she often said that this had been a happy time. It was sweeter to her than any other. After four years, the family reunited and regained their home and holdings. Barbe regained popular esteem, including that of the royal family. She devoted herself to expanding the worship of God and became well known in Paris for her charity to the sick and poor. She also opened a refuge for prostitutes who wanted a new start and made vestments for missionaries. By the early seventeenth century, the Acarie home became a gathering place for clergy and devout laity. Many came to ask Barbe’s advice. She accommodated clergy who wanted to stay during convalescence. Many distinguished and devout people came to her home. Her cousin, Cardinal Pierre Bérulle, was a frequent visitor. Others included Madame Jourdain, Madame de Bréauté, the Chancellor de Merillac, Père Coton, St. Vincent de Paul, and St. Francis de Sales, who was Barbara’s spiritual director for six months. It has been said that Barbe provided the first definite impulse towards the interior growth of St. Francis de Sales, making him a fit guide for the soul of St. Jane Frances de Chantal. In 1601, Abbé de Brétigny’s translation of Ribera’s life of St. Teresa was published. After Barbe began reading it, St. Teresa appeared to her and told her that God had chosen her to found Carmels in France. Barbe consulted her friends and advisers, but they felt the time was not right. They advised her to abandon the idea or put it aside. She tried to set it aside. Eight months later, St. Teresa appeared again and assured her that the difficulties would be overcome. Barbe approached the Duchess of Longueville to serve as the foundress. This meant financing the project and securing letters patent from the king. She convinced the Duchess, and Barbe persuaded her friends and advisers to support her. Barbara’s good works later won the admiration and support of King Henry, who assisted in bringing the reformed Carmelites of St Teresa to France. St. Francis de Sales wrote to Pope Clement VIII to obtain his permission to found monasteries of Discalced Carmelite nuns in France under the jurisdiction of secular clergy, as there were no Carmelite Friars in France at that time.  They all considered it essential to bring nuns from Spain who had known St. Teresa, so that the French Carmelites would be authentically Teresian. The Pope granted authorization for the new monastery in Paris, and Barbe gathered a group of future postulants. Abbé de Brétigny travelled to Spain to bring back Spanish Carmelites who had known St. Teresa, but he was initially refused, so he called on Barbe for advice. She sent her cousin, Cardinal Pierre Bérulle, to help him, and together with some ladies of the nobility, they returned with six of Teresa’s best nuns, including Bl. Anne of St. Bartholomew and Bl. Anne of Jesus. Two Spanish Carmelite friars accompanied them and gave the habit to the first French novices. The Spanish nuns all went to the newly built Paris Carmel in 1604, but more foundations followed, and Barbe was much involved in those at Pontoise in 1605, Dijon in 1605, and Amiens in 1606. By the time of her death, 12 years later, there were fourteen Carmels in France, which profoundly influenced the French religious and secular society of the day. Blessed Mary of the Incarnation also contributed to the works of the first Ursulines in Paris for the education of youth, and to the establishment of the Oratorians of Italy in France. Among the young women Barbe had gathered together to train as future Carmelites, she found that some clearly did not have a Carmelite vocation. Yet they were dedicated women sincerely seeking to serve God.  It occurred to Barbe that they would make excellent teaching sisters, so she set about founding the Ursulines in Paris, convinced that if girls were taught their faith well they could reform morality in the country, as most of these girls would go on to be mothers and would pass on the teaching to their children. She also urged Cardinal Bérulle to refuse the tutorship of Louis XIII, and on November 11, 1611, she, with St Vincent de Paul, assisted at the Mass of the installation of the Oratory of France. In 1613, her husband fell gravely ill, and she never left his bedside until, nine days later, she saw him die. The tears and the prayers of the blessed widow were comforted by the heavenly confirmation of the eternal salvation of her pious husband. Barbara settled her affairs and, now free from her duties towards her family, broke every bond with the world and decided to become a Carmelite as a lay sister. In 1614, she withdrew to the Monastery of Amiens, which she had founded. Her three daughters had preceded her into the cloister, and one of them, Margaret of the Blessed Sacrament,  was Sub-prioress at Amiens. She took the name Sr. Mary of the Incarnation and made her solemn profession on April 8, 1615, but her health had deteriorated significantly.   As a religious, Mary edified her fervent sisters by her attention to the humblest kitchen tasks, by her complete submission to all, by her practice of poverty, and by a unique finesse in charity, especially towards the sick. Although favored by God with exceptional gifts, she was extremely cautious and preferred the simple practice of the common, solid virtues. She was ever a shining example of poverty, obedience, and the practice of every rule. Her love of humility, in particular, was so great that despite being the parent and mistress of the rest, she chose the humble duties of a lay Sister. She could in no way be persuaded to accept the office of Prioress, although all of the nuns requested her to do so. She preferred to obey her own daughter, who held that place in the absence of the Superior. In 1616, at the request of her Superiors for health reasons, she went to the Carmelite Convent at Pontoise, which she had likewise founded. She spent a year there, patiently bearing a long and severe illness. Her health deteriorated further, and she received the last Sacraments and died on the Wednesday of Easter week, April 18, 1618, amid the prayers and tears of her companions. She was then fifty-three years old. She was heavily influenced by the piety exhibited in the death of St. Francis Xavier, and asserted a desire to die as he had died, namely, bereft of all physical recourse. St. Francis de Sales considered her death in spiritual poverty as laudable as that of St. Francis Xavier, who died in utter physical poverty. Mary’s prime glory is to have contributed more than all others to the introduction of the reform of St. Teresa of Jesus into France, so much so that she merits the title of mother and foundress of the Discalced Carmel in France. The process for beatification was opened in Rome in 1627. The successive decrees of Pope Urban VIII and other circumstances led to the cause's suspension, and it was not resumed until 1782. It was concluded with her beatification, proclaimed by Pope Pius VI on June 5, 1791. Her Feast Day is kept on April 18 in Paris and in the Carmelite order. Her body lies in the Chapel of the Carmelites of Pontoise. Prayer: Heavenly Father, You gave Blessed Mary of the Incarnation heroic strength in the face of the adversities she met along life’s road, and zeal for the extension of the Carmelite family. May we your children courageously endure every trial and persevere to the end in Your love. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.