Rome’s Female Saints

Nihil Obstat Father Pablo M. Migone Chancellor & Vocation Director Diocese of Savannah Imprimatur Most Reverend Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv. Bishop of Savannah

Saints were remarkable because no one saw them coming.

~ Rev. Jerome Santamaria, Rome, 2016

There is no hidden poet in me, just a little piece of God that might grow into poetry.

~ Etty Hillesum, An Interrupted Life

This book includes an entry for each female saint; each entry offers the reader several gems: a brief biographical snapshot of the woman of God, the research site in Rome or Vatican City associated with the saint, and original poetry that celebrates the saint. Also, you will find the Word(s) God gave me while in prayer at the particular research site; this Word from the Lord can be found in the poem dedicated to the saint.

The types of saints explored in this book include Red Crown Martyrs, Doctors of the Church, Forerunners, and Foundresses. Red Crown martyrs are those women whose blood was shed because of their Christian beliefs. Some examples include Agatha, Cecilia, and Prisca. Doctors of the Church are women such as Catherine of Siena whose work represents remarkable theological wisdom and insight. Forerunners embody women who helped to usher in Jesus Christ and His ministry, including Mary Mother and Mary Magdalene. Foundresses represent those women who founded religious orders, giving their lives to evangelize Christ. Women in this category include women such as Frances and Teresa of Calcutta.

Teresa of Avila

Feast Day, October 15

Also known as Saint Teresa of Jesus (1515-1582) this Spanish mystic and Doctor of the Church would remain physically ill yet spiritually strong most of her life. A Sister of the Carmelite Convent of the Incarnation at Avila, she would be graced with supernatural visions and other mystical experiences. Some of her most profound works include her Autobiography and The Interior Castle; each demonstrates an exquisite example of the personal life of a mystic intimately connected with God, one that knows mystical ecstasy well. Teresa would go on to found the Discalced Carmelites.

Notable is that Teresa is an incorruptible saint. Her post-mortem body was found incorruptible, her heart still displaying the transverberation marks.

† “Doctor and Physician” was inspired while praying at La

Farmacia di Santa Maria della Scala (The Apothecary of Holy Mary of the Staircase), where I saw Saint Teresa’s encased foot. If you see Father Rudolf, tell him I said hello—this priest is one of the most intelligent, delightful, helpful men of God I met while in Rome! The Holy Spirit gifted me with the words iconic and healing.

Doctor and Physician

for Padre Rudolf

I keep your secrets,

your words

wholly breathing, wise

inside my

mind

my castle holds

your remedy of riches, your tunnel

deepens the rivers running through

my ventricles,

theological sutures

remain, move, speaking softly

under my skin

my fragile feet find

hard ground,

rock rises from the sinking sand

your holy corpus

incorrupts my body

my iconic prayer is exposed

everywhere:

I have no shame

in the kitchen,

at the dinner table,

during a meeting

in prayer

my painful ache

my ecstasy

will ignite Bernini’s flame

healing hearts of

all who gaze upon

my white

marble flesh