April 20th - St. Agnes of Montepulciano, Visionary
Born in Gracchiano-Vecchio, Tuscany, Italy, in 1268; died at
Montepulciano,
Tuscany, on April 20, 1317; canonized by Benedict XIII in 1726.
Agnes was not a child martyr like her Roman patroness but she exhibited
the
same simplicity, and some of her best-known legends concern her childhood.
Her birth into the wealthy de Segni family was announced by great lights
surrounding the house where she was born. From her infancy she was
especially marked for dedication to God: she would spend hours reciting
Pater Nosters and Ave Marias on her knees in the corner of some room.
By the time Agnes was six, she was already urging her parents to let her
enter the convent. When they assured her that she was much too young, she
begged them to move to nearby Montepulciano, so she could make frequent
visits to the convent. Because of the local political instability, her
father was unwilling to move from his safe haven but did allow his little
girl to visit with the sisters occasionally.
On one of these visits an event occurred that all the chroniclers record
as
being prophetic. Little Agnes was traveling in Montepulciano with her
mother
and the women of the household, and, as they passed a hill on which stood
a
bordello, a flock of crows swooped down and attacked the girl. Screaming
and
plunging, they managed to scratch and frighten her badly before the women
drove them away. Upset by the incident, but devoutly sure of themselves,
the
women said that the birds must have been devils, and that they resented
the
purity and goodness of little Agnes, who would one day drive them from
that
hilltop. Agnes did, in fact, build a convent there in later years.
When she was nine, Agnes insisted that the time had come to enter the
convent del Sacco. She was allowed to go to a group of Franciscans in
Montepulciano, whose dress was the ultimate in primitive simplicity: they
were known, from the cut of the garment, as the Sacchine or 'sisters of
the
sack.' The high-born daughter of the Segni was not at all appalled at the
crude simplicity with which they followed their Father Francis; she
rejoiced
in it. Her religious formation was entrusted to an experienced older
sister
named Margaret, and Agnes soon edified the whole house by her exceptional
progress. For five years she enjoyed the only complete peace she would
ever
have; she was appointed bursar at the age of 14, and she never again was
without some responsibility to others.
During this time Agnes reached a high degree of contemplative prayer and
was
favored with many visions. One of the loveliest is the one for which her
legend is best known: the occasion of a visit from the Blessed Virgin. Our
Lady came with the Holy Infant in her arms, and allowed Agnes to hold Him
and caress Him. Unwilling to let Him go, Agnes hung on when Our Lady
reached
to take Him back. When she awakened from the ecstasy, Our Lady and her
Holy
Child were gone, but Agnes was still clutching tightly the little gold
cross
He had worn on a chain about His neck. She kept it as a precious treasure.
Another time, Our Lady gave her three small stones and told her that she
should use them to build a convent some day. Agnes was not at the moment
even thinking about going elsewhere, and said so, but Our Lady told her to
keep the stones-three, in honor of the Blessed Trinity-and one day she
would
need them.
Some time after this, a new Franciscan convent opened in Procena, near
Orvieto, and the sisters there asked the ones of Montepulciano to send
them
a mother superior. Sister Margaret was selected, but stipulated that Agnes
must be allowed to come to help her in the foundation of the new
community.
There Agnes served as housekeeper-a highly responsible position for a
14-year-old! Soon many other girls joined the convent at Procena simply
because they knew that Agnes was there.
To the distress of young Agnes, she was elected abbess. Since she was only
15, a special dispensation was needed-and provided by Pope Nicholas IV-to
allow her to take the office. On the day when she was consecrated abbess,
great showers of tiny white crosses fluttered down on the chapel and the
people in it. It seemed to show the favor of heaven on this somewhat
extraordinary situation.
For 20 years, Agnes lived in Procena, happy in her retreat and privileged
to
penetrate the secrets of God in her prayer. She was a careful superior, as
well as a mystic; several times she worked miracles to increase the house
food supply when it was low. The nun's self-discipline was legendary. She
lived on bread and water for fifteen years. She slept on the floor with a
stone for a pillow. It is said that in her visions angels gave her Holy
Communion.
Once her visions of Christ, the Blessed Virgin, and angels had become
known,
the citizens of Montepulciano called her back for a short stay. She went
willingly enough, though she hated leaving the peace of her cloister for
the
confusion of travelling. She had just settled down, on her return, with
the
hope that she had made her last move and could now stay where she was,
when
obedience again called her back to Montepulciano-this time to build a new
convent. A revelation had told her that she was to leave the Franciscans,
among whom she had been very happy, and that she and her future sisters
should become Dominicans.
In 1306, Agnes returned to Montepulciano to put the Lord's request into
action: she was to build a convent on the former site of the brothels. All
she had for the building of the convent were the three little stones given
her by the Blessed Virgin, and Agnes-who had been bursar and knew
something
about money-realized that she was going to have to rely heavily on the
sup****t of heaven in her building project.
After a long quarrel with the inhabitants of the hilltop she wanted for
her
foundation, the land was finally secured, and the Servite prior laid the
first stone, leaving her to worry about from where the rest of the stones
would come. Agnes saw the project to its completion. The church and
convent
of Santa Maria Novella were ready for dedication in record time, and a
growing collection of aspirants pleaded for admittance to the new convent.
Agnes had become convinced that the community must be anchored in an
established Rule in order to attain permanence. She explained that the
rule
was to be Dominican, not Franciscan. All the necessary arrangements were
made, she was established as prioress, the Dominicans agreed to provide
chaplains and direction, and the new community settled down. They had
barely
established the regular life when one of the walls of the new building
collapsed. It was discovered that the builders had cheated, and that the
whole convent was in danger of falling on top of them. Agnes met the new
problem with poise. She had many friends in Montepulciano by this time,
and
they rallied to rebuild the house.
When the convent was once again completed, and had become, as hoped, a
dynamo of prayer and penance, Agnes decided to go to Rome on pilgrimage.
It
is interesting to note that Second Order convents of the 14th century were
so flexible in the matter of enclosure. She made the trip to Rome and
visited the shrines of the martyrs. The pope was at Avignon, so she did
not
have the happiness of talking to him. But she returned to Montepulciano
full
of happiness for having seen the holy places of Rome.
At the age of 49, Agnes's health began to fail rapidly. She was taken for
treatment to the baths at Chianciano-accompanied, as it says in the rule,
by
'two or three sisters'-but the baths did her no good. She did perform a
miracle while there, restoring to life a child who had fallen into the
baths
and drowned.
Agnes returned to Montepulciano to die in the night. When she knew she was
dying after a long and painful illness, Agnes told her grieving nuns that
they should rejoice, for, she said, "You will discover that I have not
abandoned you. You will possess me for ever." The children of the city
wakened and cried out, "Holy Sister Agnes is dead!" She was buried in
Montepulciano, where her tomb soon became a place of pilgrimage.
One of the most famous pilgrims to visit her tomb was Saint Catherine of
Siena, who went to venerate the saint and also, probably, to visit her
niece, Eugenia, who was a nun in the convent there. As she bent over the
body of Saint Agnes to kiss the foot, she was amazed to see Agnes raise
her
foot so that Catherine did not have to stoop so far!
In 1435, her incorrupt body was translated to the Dominican church at
Orvieto, where it remains today. Clement VIII approved her office for the
use of the order of St. Dominic, and inserted her name in the Roman
Martyrology (Attwater, Benedictines, Bentley, Dorcy, Encyclopedia, Farmer,
Husenbeth, Walsh).
<><><><>
Saint Quote:
''Ah, who would not be touched? .... A God who weeps with so many tears
at the loss of one soul and Who cries unceasingly: My friend, my friend,
why
proceedest thou thus to lose thy soul and thy God? Stop! Stop! Ah! Look at
My tears, My Blood which flows yet. Must I die a second time to save
thee?"
-St. John Vianney, Patron Saint of Parish Priests, 1786-1859
Bible Quote:
The compassion of man is toward his neighbour: but the
mercy of God is upon all flesh - . Ecclesiasticus 18:12
<><><><>
Prayer to St. Dymphna - Justice
Admirable St. Dymphna, how just you were to all whom you
encountered, and how careful you were to give every person
his due, and more than he might desire or expect. By your
power with God please come to assist us to be just to all we
meet, and even to be generous in giving everyone more than
strict justice requires. Amen.
|
