Saint Juliana Falconieri
The name Falconieri is famous in church annals. The uncle of St. Juliana, St. Alexis Falconieri, is one of the Seven Founders of the Servite Order. He was very instrumental in the upbringing of St. Juliana, her father having died when she was very young.
It was obvious to her mother and uncle that Juliana had a vocation from the time she was a very young child. She was not interested in material things, or grooming herself in order to find a husband. Her mother chided her about not taking her sewing spinning wheel lessons seriously. Juliana was not concerned. Finally at age 15, Juliana let it be known to all that she fully intended to give her life over to Our Lord in His service. Her mother Riguardata was not happy at all with this decision, but Juliana was extremely strong willed.
She was trained by her uncle Alexis, and invested into the Servite Order by St. Philip Benizi in the Church of Annunziata in Florence, for which her parents had paid to have built. Juliana founded the order of Servites nuns, and became the first superior. She never asked her ladies to mortify themselves more than Juliana. As a matter of fact, no one was able to keep up with her zeal, or mortification. She hindered her health greatly. Because of this, at the end of her life, her stomach was so weakened that, on her death bed at age 70, she was not able to receive Our Lord Jesus in the Eucharist.
THE MIRACLE
The Saint lay on her death bed. She grieved that she was not able to receive the Lord in the Eucharist. She was very loved by the community, and the priest in attendance at the end of her life. She still had a very strong will. She convinced the priest, Fr. James de Campo Reggio, to bring the Eucharist to her bedside, so that she could at least SEE Her Lord before she died. The priest gave in.
When he brought the Blessed Sacrament into the room, she was obsessed with the desire to touch Him somehow. She pleaded with the priest to allow her to at least kiss the Host. He refused. She waited a little longer. It was very obvious to all that she was nearing death. S
Open by Steve Bailey
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