Blessed Michelina
Blessed Michelina (born 1300 AD in Pesaro, Italy; died June 19, 1356 AD in Pesaro, Italy) was an Italian noblewoman, widow, and Franciscan tertiary, remembered for her dramatic conversion from a life of wealth and ease to one of poverty, penance, and heroic charity toward the poor and the sick. Also known as Michelina of Pesaro or Michelina Metelli, she is venerated as a Blessed of the Church. Her feast day is June 19.
Widowed young and then bereft of her only son, Michelina abandoned rank and possessions to serve the destitute and to care for lepers and the sick, becoming a member of the Third Order of Saint Francis. Her cultus was confirmed in the eighteenth century.
Stored in Cargo: Blessed Michelina
| Blessed Michelina | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | June 19 |
| Profession | Widow; Franciscan tertiary |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Third Order of Saint Francis |
| Patronage | The city of Pesaro; against mental illness; the sick poor |
| Attributes | Franciscan tertiary dress; caring for the sick |
| Birthplace | Pesaro, Italy |
| Death Place | Pesaro, Italy |
| Cause of Death | Natural death; Franciscan tertiary and widow; died at Pesaro |
| Primary Shrine | Pesaro, Italy |
Biography
Michelina was born in the year 1300 at Pesaro, on the Adriatic coast of Italy, into the noble Metelli family. Married young to a member of the ruling family of the city, she was widowed while still a young woman and was left with an only son, on whom she doted, living in the comfort and luxury of her rank.
Her conversion is traditionally attributed to the influence of a holy woman, a Franciscan tertiary, who opened her eyes to the emptiness of worldly things and to the love of Christ crucified. When her young son also died, Michelina's detachment from the world became complete: she gave away her possessions, embraced poverty, and joined the Third Order of Saint Francis. Her relatives, alarmed at so radical a change, are said for a time to have thought her mad and to have confined her, but she persevered.
For the rest of her life she devoted herself to the service of the poor and the sick, begging on their behalf, nursing lepers, and caring for the most abandoned, while living a life of intense prayer and penance. She died at Pesaro on June 19, 1356, and was at once venerated by the people. Her cultus was confirmed in 1737 by Pope Clement XII. Her feast is kept on June 19.
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Feast day
June 19
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