Blessed Julian of Norwich
Blessed Julian of Norwich (born c. 1342 AD in or near Norwich, England; died c. 1416 AD in Norwich, England) was an English anchoress, mystic, and spiritual writer, author of the *Revelations of Divine Love*—the earliest surviving book in the English language known to have been written by a woman. Renowned for her teaching on the love and mercy of God, she is widely venerated, though she has not been formally beatified or canonized by the Catholic Church. Her feast day is observed on May 13 (in some calendars May 8).
Living as an anchoress in a cell attached to the church of Saint Julian in Norwich, she received a series of visions of the Passion of Christ during a grave illness and spent the rest of her life reflecting on their meaning. Her sayings, including "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well," have made her one of the best-loved of the medieval mystics.
Stored in Cargo: Blessed Julian of Norwich
| Blessed Julian of Norwich | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | May 13 |
| Profession | Anchoress; mystic; spiritual writer |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; English mystical tradition |
| Patronage | Contemplatives; mystics; those who trust in God's mercy; the city of Norwich |
| Attributes | Anchoress's cell; book; hazelnut held in the hand; cat (her traditional companion) |
| Birthplace | Norwich, England |
| Death Place | Norwich, England |
| Cause of Death | Natural death; English anchoress and mystic, author of the Revelations of Divine Love; died at Norwich |
| Primary Shrine | Church of Saint Julian, Norwich, England |
Biography
Julian of Norwich was born about 1342 in or near Norwich, England, one of the greatest cities of medieval England. Her true name is not known; she is called "Julian" after the church of Saint Julian in Norwich, to which the anchorhold where she lived was attached. She lived through the age of the Black Death, which repeatedly struck Norwich, and of the social and religious upheavals of fourteenth-century England.
In May 1373, when she was about thirty years old and gravely ill, apparently near death, Julian received a series of sixteen "showings" or revelations—visions centered on the Passion of Christ and the love of God. She recovered, and she devoted the rest of her long life to prayer and to reflection on the meaning of what she had seen.
She became an anchoress, enclosed in a small cell built against the wall of the church of Saint Julian, where she lived a hidden life of prayer, receiving visitors who came to her window for spiritual counsel—among them the mystic Margery Kempe. From her cell she wrote down her reflections in the *Revelations of Divine Love* (also called *Showings*), which survive in a shorter and a longer version. It is the earliest surviving book in English known to be written by a woman.
Julian's theology is marked by a profound trust in the goodness, love, and mercy of God, whom she also contemplated under the image of motherhood. She is famous for the assurance she received that, despite sin and suffering, "all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well." She held the whole of creation to be as small and fragile as a hazelnut in the palm of the hand, yet preserved by the love of God.
Julian died about 1416 at Norwich. Although she has never been formally beatified or canonized by the Catholic Church, she has long been venerated by custom, and she is honored with a commemoration in the calendars of the Catholic Church in England and of the Anglican Communion. Her feast is kept on May 13, and in some places on May 8.
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Feast day
May 13
Books
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- *Revelations of Divine Love* (also called *Sixteen Revelations of Divine Love* or *Showings*), in a short text and a long text
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