Origins
Francisca is the daughter of a Christian couple who, in the Catholic faith, raised the child. And who would have thought that that little girl would have one of the most charitable hearts the Eternal City has ever seen? From an early age, Francisca expressed her love for the things of God to her parents and the community. She imitated her mother in practices of piety and devotion.
Obedience above desire
She made a vow of virginity to God, aspiring to become a nun. However, in obedience to her confessor and her father, the young woman is promised in marriage to Lourenço Ponziani. The young man comes from a noble family, good character and great fortune.
Serving the Kingdom of God as a wife
From Francisca’s marriage to Lourenço, João Batista, João Evangelista and Inês were born. Being from the nobility of Rome, Francisca had the obligation to present herself in society wearing beautiful jewelry and dazzling outfits. However, her piety was not suffocated by these rich dresses, taking advantage of any free time she had to dedicate herself to prayer. She did not forget the practices of piety that she had learned from her mother in childhood.
Saint Francisca Romana: the “angel of peace”
Peace sign
Her own family considered her an angel of peace, as she did not omit the burning desire she had to be with God. She loved the Lord with all her heart, and that is why she dedicated herself completely to the education of her children, consciously assuming the marital vocation that God allowed her to live.
Lawyer of the Eternal City
The scenario that Rome finds itself in is miserable and devastating. Hunger, disease and war leave their marks on homes, families and the streets of the city. Charity blossoms even more in Francisca’s heart. Through her works, she manifests her faith through generous donations. She helped those most in need, distributing food among them. When her father-in-law prohibited her from this practice, she was not ashamed to go out on the streets of Rome asking for alms for those who lived in poverty. Truly, Francisca attracted with her the manifestation of God’s glory.
Fight against hunger and poverty
One day, in the company of a friend, searching for grains of wheat in an empty barn, with great effort, they collected a few kilos to donate to the poor. After she left, her husband Lourenço entered the place and was surprised with 40 bags of wheat, each weighing 100 kilos. The miracles began to leave traces wherever the Lawyer of the city of Rome passed. Lorenzo, touched by his wife’s faith, allowed her to work to defend the Roman people from hunger and misery.
Saint Francisca Romana went through great trials
The palace of the sick
The Roman Saint faced great trials: her husband was seriously injured in the Colonna’s first invasion of Rome. The family palace was ransacked and all assets confiscated. To Francisca’s greatest pain, her husband Lourenço and her son João Batista went into exile. With the scourge of plague devastating the city, Francisca turned her palace into a true hospital, welcoming the sick and caring with maternal love for the victims who knocked on her door. His two remaining sons were struck by the plague and died. Not even she escaped the illness, but, by God’s grace and miracle, she was cured, continuing her tireless charity.
Extraordinary gifts
Francisca Romana received many visions from God: hell and even heaven. God consoled her and gave her the grace to see her guardian angel, having him as a faithful companion and advisor on her mission. In the light of this Archangel, she could see the innermost thoughts of hearts. She was given the gift of discernment of spirits and counsel, which she used to convert sinners.
Faith without works is dead
Francisca is happy to welcome her husband Lourenço and her son Batista, who returned from exile, into her home. Her mother was happy with her son’s marriage and with the loyal and understanding presence of her husband, who kindly allowed the saint to found an association of secular nuns: the Society of Oblates of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Francisca lived the evangelical councils in her home, as did the other consecrated women of the order. Committed as she was by marriage, it was only after her husband’s death in 1436 that Francisca finally became a nun. She entered the congregation she founded as a postulant. But she was forced — by the community chapter and the spiritual director — to accept the responsibilities of superior and founder.
Mirror of holiness for all people
Easter
Saint Francisca Romana, after three years in the convent, due to maternal force, was forced to return to the palace to take care of her son. Right there she was struck by pleurisy and realized that her Easter day was approaching. Amidst the sufferings of the disease, she advised her spiritual daughters, departing this world on March 9th after Vespers prayer. When raising her to the honors of the altars, in May 1608, Pope Paul V qualified her as “the most Roman of all saints”. And Cardinal Saint Robert Bellarmine, who contributed decisively with his vote to the canonization, declared in the Consistory: “The proclamation of Francisca’s sanctity will be of admirable benefit to very different classes of people: virgins, married women, widows and religious women.”
My prayer
“Virgin Mary, our dear Saint Francisca Romana, followed Her example of extreme charity. We ask for her intercession so that the women and men of our time may live charity above all else.”
Saint Francisca Romana, pray for us!
Other blesseds and saints that the Church commemorates on March 9:
- Santos forty Cappadocian soldiers, who suffer cruel torments in prisons; Their legs were broken and thus they consummated their glorious martyrdom, in ancient Armenia, today Turkey
- They are Pacianobishop, who, in preaching the faith, stated: “Christian is my name and Catholic is my surname”, in Barcelona
- They are Vital de Castronuovomonk, in Lucania, currently in Basilicata, region of Italy
- They are Bruno, bishop of Querfurt and martyr, who, while accompanying Emperor Otto III in Italy, fascinated by the charisma of Saint Romuald, embraced the monastic life and received the name Boniface. He was murdered by idolaters with eighteen companions, in Eastern Moravia, today in Germany
- Santa Catherinevirgin of the Order of Saint Clare, who, being illustrious in the liberal arts, but even more illustrious for her mystical gifts and the virtues of penance and humility, was teacher of consecrated virgins, in Bologna, in Emilia-Romagna, region of Italy
- They are Domingos Saviowho, endowed with an affable and jovial spirit since childhood, as a teenager quickly traveled the path of Christian perfection
- Holy martyrs Pedro Ch’oe Hyong It is João Baptista Chon Chang-unfamily men, who, for having administered Baptism and publishing Christian books, were condemned to various tortures and remained so constant in the faith that they caused admiration to their persecutors, in Nei-Ko-Ri, Korea
Sources:
- vaticannews.va
- Roman Martyrology
- Liturgy of the Hours
- padrepauloricardo.org
- Book “A saint for every day” – Mário Sgarbossa – Luigi Giovannini
- Book “Daily Saints” – José Leite, SJ
Search: Joanderson Medeiros – Candidate for Holy Orders – Community
Production and editing: Fernando Fantini – Comunidade