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Saturday, June 8, 2013

Blessed Diana, Cecilia, and Amata

According to the Order of Preachers Calendar, today is the memorial of Bl. Diana and Cecilia.  I don't know why Amata isn't included, because she's Blessed, too.  In fact, the three of them are buried together.  That's why I've included all three.

Diana is the one we know about.  Cecilia, less so.  Amata we know virtually nothing.  Diana and Cecilia have noble families.  Diana's family opposed her entering the convent.  St. Dominic, himself, gave Diana her habit.  It took a few years before Diana's family finally gave into her entering religious life.

Mostly, we know about Diana because of her correspondence with the second Master of the Order, Jordan of Saxony.  She kept all his letters.  He wrote to her because of St. Dominic's concern for her, personally, but also to support her in her leadership as the Mother Superior of her convent.

Let us honor these blessed virgins by loving one another with mutual affection, as they taught us.

Blessing of the Houses

It is the custom that those chapters and individual people, who identify with the Sisters of Bethany, pray for each other.  We call this ...