Blessed Giustina Bezzoli Francucci

detail of an antique Italian holy card of Blessed Giustina Bezzoli Francucci, date, artist and publisher unknown; swiped from Santi e Beati Memorial

12 March

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Born to the nobility, Giustina grew up in a wealthy household. As a child, she frequently fasted on her own, and had a habit of hiding away to pray. She was drawn to the religious life, but her parents strongly opposed it, not wishing to lose their only daughter to the cloister. However, her father fell seriously ill, and during his recovery time he meditated on what was and was not important in life. This led him to give his blessing to Giustina becoming a nun. She began her Benedictine novitiate at the monastery of San Marco at age 12; legend says that a dove landed on her as she walk into the convent, and all took this as a sign of blessing from the Holy Spirit on her choice. Feeling the need for more solitude, with her bishop‘s permission she became a hermitess and anchoress. She lived in isolation for 35 years; legend says that when wolves would gather around her hermitage, an angel would drive them off. In later years, her health began to fail, she became blindess, and she was forced to return to live in the convent. When the convent became unsafe due to civil unrest, she returned to her family home in 1315, and spent her remaining years there. Subject to ecstasies and received visions.