Conscious Immolation

Conscious Immolation is the term Pope Paul VI, used to describe St. Gianna Beretta. Gianna Beretta is the next saint I want to post about in my collection of saints in good married life. Actually, it's Fr. Thomas Keven Kraft, OP, who's complying lives of saints and holy people, who are well married. He means they were happily married; as opposed to their endurance in marriages from hell. That alone would be reason for sainthood. No, our interest is those in average life, not celibates.

Gianna Francesca Beretta was born in Magenta, Italy, in 1922. She was born into a large family; she was the the tenth of thirteen children. Eventually, five siblings died. Her family was very devout--daily communicants. Three of her siblings became religious; Virginia became a Canossian sister, Giuseppe became a diocesan priest, and Enrico became a Capuchin missionary. While Gianna also considered a religious vocation, she discerned that she was called to married life and motherhood.

Always a good girl, she was an excellent student, and went on to become a doctor. She was dedicated to service of the poor and earned a reputation for being a good, kind, person, and also a kind, and good physician. She married Pietro Molla in 1955. He was a good Catholic, also.

Her first child was Pierluigi. Then came Maria Zita. Family was very important to Gianna. Her own immediate family and professional duties, did not isolate Gianna. She kept as close as contact as possible, with her own siblings. As you can imagine, she was extremely busy. Gianna almost lost her third baby in pregnancy, but in 1959, Laura Enrica Maria was born. There was a fourth pregnancy. This one turned out to be problematic. During Gianna's third month of pregnancy, she was diagnosed with a large ovarian cyst. The doctors recommended an abortion, or a hysterectomy, or a risky operation to remove the fibroma (which could kill both mother and child).

Which would you choose? (1) Abortion -- murder the baby (2) Hysterectomy -- murder the baby and negate all possibility of having more children (3) Only remove the fibroma -- however this may endanger the mother's life.

Looking at it this way, I can see where insurance companies would pressure doctors and hospital to take the easy way out. (1) is the Insurance Company's choice -- and unfortunately the choice made most often, in the USA, anyway. We are insurance driven.

But Gianna was not a company. She was a doctor who served people--human beings. Insurance companies be damned.

She chose humanity over business. As a doctor herself, she was very much aware of the risks (3) would entail, yet she prayed and was operated on to extract the fibroma. Some complications continued, yet a fourth child, Gianna Emanuela, was delivered by Caesarian section. It was this choice that Pope Paul VI was referring to, when he used the term "conscious immolation." Gianna consciously chose to risk her life, for the life of another. Jesus taught her that.

Her cause for beatification began in 1970. The miracle that was accepted for her beatification was the cure of a young mother giving birth in 1977. She had a septicemic infection. BTW, this hospital was in Brazil, and the very hospital that Gianna's brother, Fr. Alberto OFM Cap., was promoter of.

The miracle recognized for canonization involved a mother, who when she was only 16 weeks pregnant, sustained a tear in her placenta that drained her womb of amniotic fluid. There is no way a baby in the womb, can survive without amniotic fluid. Through praying for Gianna Molla's intercession, a healthy baby was delivered in normal time.

Gianna was canonized by Pope John Paul II, on May 16, 2004. Her last child, Gianna Emanuela was present, along with her father, Pietro. Gianna Emanuela, herself, is also a physician.

h/t Father Thomas Kevin Kraft, O.P. Research on the Lives of Well married Saints and Holy People and the Vatican News Service http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints/ns_lit_doc_20040516_beretta-molla_en.html

Another Married Saint

I am awed and humbled by martyrs. I whiffle between praying "O God, don't ever let that happen to me;" to "You'd better give me a lot of grace to do THAT;" to "I trust in You;" to "Whatever is Your will, My Love."

Good Lord! What a weak, miserable creature I am!

I'm nothing like Blessed Paul Nishihori and his wife Magdalene Shikibu. They were Christians in Japan in the seventeenth century: Paul and Magdalene. Paul was a Samurai warrior. During Advent of 1628, The Japanese government commanded that all Catholics be put to death. Samurai officers were noble, courageous, and honorable men. Paul could not deny Christ. Being an honorable man, Paul went to the governor and turned in his sword and other accouterments of his position. Magdalene's family was able to obtain a pardon for her, but not Paul. Everyone was impressed by the manner in which Paul had handled his fate. The governor, to whom, he turned in his Samurai sword, was so deeply moved by Paul's noble gesture, that the night of Paul's execution he sent him wine and saki, and a declaration that he wish he had the power to cassate the decree.

On the morning of January 12, 1629, Paul put on his finest clothes and went to the place of his execution in a small procession led by a youth carrying a picture of Mary. Magdalene wanted to suffer martyrdom along with her husband, but was held back. Just prior to his execution, Paul venerated the bodies of the martyrs who had died immediately before him.

Lux perpetua luceat ei, Domine. Requiescat in pace.

Thy Will be done.

h/t Magnificat, Jan 2012, Vo. 13, No. 11, p. 179.

Bl. Franz and Franziska Jagerstatter

Franz and Franziska are another example of well married saints and holy people.  Franz is a martyr who refused to participate in evil.  He was a conscientious objector in Austria, when Hitler ruled.  He is an example of Christian resistance.  When Hitler conquered Austria, Franz and Franziska hoped the was would end before he was conscripted into duty.  Franz was the father of three daughters, at that time.  His wife, Franziska was very loving and maybe while not agreeing wholeheartedly, did understand and support him.  Both knew the consequences of resisting the Third Reich.

There is a good biography written by Dr. Erna Putz.  Franz is a martyr, of that there is no doubt.  But I also think Franziska should be considered a saint, also.  Would Franz be what he was, without her?  Her life after his death was hard, due to people.  Yes, she was shunned and even ridiculed.  You would expect disapproval from the government, but her neighbors turned their backs on her.  Some blamed her for husband death because she was perceived as encouraging him in his "nonsense."  She could receive no privileges from the government because of the way Franz died.  No one helped her.  Even after the war, officials penalized many of those who opposed Hitler.  During rationing, Franziska received no coupons for even her children.  For many years she was denied the pension allocated to veterans' widows.  In many ways, she was a pariah.

After the war Franz' ashes were brought home and buried beneath a  crucifix by the church.  Eventually, his grave became a place of pilgrimage.  He was beatified Oct. 26, 2007.

h/t Fr. Thomas Kevin Kraft, O.P. research on married saints

Another Married Saint

Usually, I read about saints who knew from an early age that they were destined to be a priest, or a nun.  But Conchita knew from an early age that she wanted to married.  And she wanted to marry to have a lot of children.  Why?  She figured that with many children there would be all the more to pray and love God.

Ven. Conchita Cabrera de Armida loved the Blessed Sacrament.  As a child she often prayed in front of the Blessed Sacrament, and often felt incapable of loving God how He deserved to be loved.  Hence her desire to be more people--to love Him move.  This was behind her childish wish to have a lot a lot of children.

Conchita picked out her future husband at age 13, Pancho Armida.  She considered herself engaged to him and never considered anyone else.  She married at age 22 and went on to have nine children.  She attended Mass every day and prayed constantly.  She is considered a mystic and her writings reflect that.  See, Conchita, A Mother's Spiritual Diary, by Fr. Marie-Michel Philipon, OP.

There's a Face Book Page dedicated for her cause (with lots of pictures).  She is a venerable now, on the way to beatification.  Her writings were widely read and inspired the establishment of the "Works of the Cross," in Mexico, "the Apostolate of the Cross," the "Congregation of Sisters of the Cross of the Sacred Heart of Jesus," the "Covenant of Love with the Heart of Jesus," the Priestly Fraternity," and the "Congregation of Missionaries of the Holy Spirit."

Pancho died when she was 39.  Her youngest was two, and it was during the Mexican Civil War.  Her prayers allowed her and her family to get through the turmoil.  She said that God told her that she was to suffer and write.  That was her charism.  She never claimed visions, but often spoke as if Jesus had conversed with her.

There's a nice video on You Tube dedicated to her.  Conchita lived to age 75, dying in 1937.  She was a woman, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a mystic, a writer, a religious activist, and a servant of God.

*  h/t to Fr. Kevin Kraft, OP, and his research on married saints



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Saintly Spouses

There's hope for married churchgoers, who go it alone.  I'm talking about a husband or wife, who pray by themselves.  Their spouses don't go to church, aren't very religious, or are even atheists.  This was exactly the case of Elisabeth and Felix Leseur.

Elisabeth Leseur learned soon after she married Felix, that he was an atheist.  Why didn't he tell her before?  Knowing how much her religion meant to her, she probably would have broken off the relationship.  Felix probably was so sure of himself, that he figured he'd convince her of the foolishness of religion soon enough.  But the opposite happened.  Because Elisabeth had to defend the faith, she studied apologetics and stood her ground.  She had a personal library that rivaled her husbands'.  Only her library was filled with theology, whereas his was secular and atheistic.  She held her own.

    By the serenity and strength that I mean to acquire I will prove that the Christian life is great and
    beautiful and full of joy.  By cultivating all the best faculties of my mind I will proclaim that God is 
    the highest Intelligence and that those who serve Him can draw without end that blessed source
    of intellectual and moral light.            From Elisabeth Leseur's first journal 1899-1906

Besides knowing her stuff, she wasn't an "in your face" apologist.    She dressed attractively--on purpose.  She wanted to attract people.  She wanted people to come to her and if it took fashion and makeup, so be it. After the dress, people were attracted to her joyful and happy spirit.  This she attributed to her "interior secret."  She was in love with Jesus and He loved her.  She hoped she radiated this love and joy.  And for all reports, she certainly did.

She was sickly.  She suffered from intestinal problems and eventually cancer took her life, at age 48.  But she said that her physical sufferings were nothing to the spiritual suffering she felt because the person that was closest to her, Felix--her husband, wasn't beside her praying, going to church, and sharing their spirituality.  She actually lived the life of a Lay Dominican--without knowing it; she adopted a regular program of prayer, meditation, study, and sacramental participation.  Her prayers for her husband are poignant.

     O Lord, once more I implore thee to come to him, to come to them, and let them live,
     let them live the interior life deeply, and also an outer life renewed by Christianity.  The
     harvest is plentiful; my God, let them be blessed laborers in it; let their life and mine be a 
     work of beauty and love, and let us labor together for the coming of Thy Kingdom in 
     the world and in souls.          From the first journal

    My God, wilt Thou give me one day the joy of this solitude for two, united in the same prayer
    the same faith, and the same love?   From the first journal

It wasn't until after Elisabeth died, that her husband converted.  But she knew this.  In fact, she offered her sufferings up for his conversion.  Felix read this.

    ...I threw myself into reading of them; I read and re-read them, and a revolution took place
    in my whole moral being.  I understood the celestial beauty of her soul and that she had
    accepted all her suffering and offered it -- and even offered her very self in sacrifice --
    chiefly for my conversion...


Felix was blessed with grace.  Like St. Monica, Elisabeth's prayers had touched the hard heart of their loved one.  Felix turned into a prayerful, pious Catholic.  He read not only Elizabeth's journals, but also the books in her library.  He ended up becoming, not only a priest, but a Dominican friar.

And that's not the end of the story.  In 1924, Fulton J. Sheen, who would later become an archbishop and popular American television and radio figure, made a retreat under the direction of Fr. Leseur.  During many hours of spiritual direction, Sheen learned of the life of Elisabeth and the conversion of Fr. Felix.  Sheen subsequently repeated this conversion story in many of his presentations, in particular in regard to the role that spouses play in the sanctification of each other.

One last note, Felix found, after her death, was meant for him to find.  "In 1905, I asked almighty God to send me sufficient sufferings to purchase your soul.  On the day that I die, the price will have been paid.  Greater love than this no woman has, than she who lay down her life for her husband."

BTW, Bishop Fulton J. Sheen became a Lay Dominican.

More Married Saints

Image via Wikipedia

Zelie Guerin Martin

Image via Wikipedia

St. Therese of Lisieux

Image via Wikipedia

Louis Martin

Talk about fairy tale lives.  But it's not a fairy tale.  This couple did live and they're both saints.  Louis Martin and Zelie Guerin lived in the 19th century.  They weren't necessarily looking to get married.  They had both tried the religious life, and for one reason or another, that didn't work out.  He had a steady job as a watchmaker.  She had a cottage industry, employing others, with her embroidery.  When they met Louis was 34 and Zelie was 26. They married after a 3 month courtship.

At first, they dedicated themselves to each others sanctification and did not engage in sexual relations, thinking that this would please God.    But after some spiritual direction, their thinking reversed.  They looked at marital relations as a gift from God and children as blessings.  They went on to have nine children!

And they set out to make them all religious.  The boys would be priests and the girls, nuns. Unfortunately, the two boys in the family died, and two of the daughters.

Someone once said to Zelie, "It would have been much better if you had not given birth to those whom you lost so soon after their coming."  But Zelie knew better.  Zelie thought "I do not find that the pains and sufferings can at all compare with the eternal happiness of my little ones, eternal happiness which, of course, would never have been theirs, had they never been born.  Moreover, I have not lost them for always.  Life is short.  Soon I shall find my little ones in Heaven."

See why she's a saint.

Both Louis and Zelie attended daily Mass.  And this was a time when one couldn't receive daily Communion. They gathered the family together for daily prays.  Most of all, they gave all their children a respect for religious piety, devotions, and love of God.

It's no wonder that one of their daughters was to become a saint, and a doctor of the church--St. Therese of Lisieux.

h/t Fr. Thomas Kevin Kraft, O.P. research on married saints

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Married Saints Three

I'm still on my married saints kick.  First was St. Anna-Maria and Domenico Taigi, then, Venerable Pierre and Juliette Toussaint, now I'm looking at Bl. Frederic Antoine and Amelie Ozanam.

Frederic Ozanam is known as the founder of the St. Vincent de Paul Society.  Didn't you just assume that St. Vincent started that foundation?

He was born just after the reign of Napoleon.  In fact, his father served in Napoleon's army.  The year was 1813.  The Church had been in tough shape in France, still not recovered from being banned during the revolution. In fact, Frederic Ozanam toyed with the idea of joining Lacordaire in restoring Catholicism in France.  But he felt he was called to be married and have a family.

He was a lawyer, but it seemed he did that to please his father.  And when his father died, he continued because he needed to support his mother.  However, he was a gifted writer and wrote well enough to be awarded the Chair of Foreign Literature at  the Sorbonne.

All during his schooling and work, his hobby was religion.  When he was in college, he was appalled at the religious hostility he encountered at the university.  It seems from then on, his life's task was that of a Catholic apologist.    He was surrounded by materialism, rationalism, irreligion and anti-clericalism.  (What else is new?)

He found a few students who felt like himself.  They grouped together and formed a discussion group called a "Society of Good Studies" and formed it into a "Conference of History" which quickly became a forum for large and lively discussions.  Soon their attention turned to the social teachings of the Gospel.  At one of their meetings, someone expressed the thought that although at one time the Church was a source of good, it no longer was.  As a response, some of the group decided to go help the poor.

After this, the "Conference of History" became the "Conference of Charity" which eventually was named the "Conference of St. Vincent de Paul.  Now, instead of engaging in mere discussion and debate, they engaged in practical works of charity.  This small group grew exponentially to this day.

During this time, Frederic married Amelie Soulacroix.  They had one daughter, Marie.  It was a happy marriage and family life.  Together they lived the life of good Catholics and the beatitudes.  In 1851 Frederic contracted tuberculosis and died in 1853.

His entire life was an example of the lay apostolate in family, religion, social, and intellectual life.  It still is, which is why Pope John Paul II beatified Frederic Ozanam in 1997.

h/t Father Kevin Kraft, O.P.

Married Saints

Sometimes I joke with hubby about being married to him is my ticket to sainthood.  Then, sometimes, as an excuse for him not going to church, hubby will say that he doesn’t have to, “You pray enough for both of   us.”

Have you ever noticed, though, that there aren’t as many wives or husbands saints, as there are unmarried?  I don’t mean married saints, like Blessed Zelie and Louis Martin, the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux.  I mean one of the married couple is a saint, and the other not.  It seems it would be easier if the couple were on the same wave length, than one be the church goer, and one not. 

For example, let’s look at St. Anna-Maria Tiagi.  She lived with a demanding husband, (he was a church goer and pious in his own way,) and at times with her parents added to their household, and then her own widowed daughter and her six children.  She was that type of person.  Some people bring home lost kittens, Anna-Maria brought home lost people. 

She was of a spiritual bent and prayed often.  She was blessed with visions.  In one revelation, the Virgin Mary told her that it was her special vocation to show that holiness was available in every walk of life.  She became a Lay Trinitarian and followed their rule.

Anna Maria was known to be a pacifier.  She was able to calm her hot tempered husband.  She could defuse her mother.  In his witness statement for his wife’s canonization, Domenico often spoke of the peace she brought to a busy and crowded household.  She managed the family’s budget, but mostly just trusted in God’s Providence.  She taught her children, and everyone, for that matter, religion, and all about the corporal works of mercy.  Anna Maria brought her children with her to visit the sick.

What can I say?  She was a saint.

h/t   Father Thomas Kevin Craft, OP