Saint Blaesilla
Saint Blaesilla (born c. 364 AD in Rome, Italy; died January 22, 383 AD in Rome, Italy) was a Roman aristocratic widow who, under the spiritual direction of Saint Jerome, embraced a life of extreme asceticism following the death of her husband, and died at the age of twenty after only four months of fasting and severe mortification. Jerome's grief at her death—and the hostile reaction of the Roman aristocracy who blamed him for her death—is documented in his famous letter to her mother Saint Paula. Her feast day is January 22.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Blaesilla
| Saint Blaesilla | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | January 22 |
| Profession | Roman aristocratic widow; penitent ascetic |
| Rel. Affiliation | Early Roman Church |
| Attributes | Widow's veil; books (Jerome's circle); lily (purity) |
| Birthplace | Rome, Italy |
| Death Place | Rome, Italy |
| Cause of Death | Exhaustion from extreme fasting and asceticism |
| Liturgical Class | Not included (universal calendar) |
| Historic Class | Not included |
Biography
Blaesilla was the eldest daughter of Saint Paula and granddaughter of a Roman patrician family. She married young but was widowed after only seven months of marriage. Shortly after her husband's death, she fell seriously ill; during her convalescence she came into contact with Saint Jerome, who was then in Rome as secretary to Pope Damasus I and who had formed a circle of devout Roman noblewomen around Paula.
Under Jerome's direction, Blaesilla converted her grief into extraordinary ascetic fervor: she renounced cosmetics and elaborate dress, gave up the social life of the Roman aristocracy, fasted severely, and devoted herself to prayer and the study of scripture (she rapidly learned Hebrew, Jerome reports, in order to read it in the original). The conversion was sudden and total—from a young Roman widow of the upper class to an ascetic of near-heroic severity within a matter of weeks.
She died on January 22, 383 AD, after only four months of this life, from the effects of her fasting and penances. She was approximately twenty years old. Her mother Paula was devastated; Jerome wrote his famous letter to Paula (Epistle 39) consoling her and defending the propriety of Blaesilla's conversion against critics in Rome who blamed Jerome for causing her death through excessive spiritual direction.
Jerome's letter is the primary source for knowledge of Blaesilla's life and character. In it he paints her as a woman of remarkable intellectual gifts and genuine holiness, and defends her extreme penances as voluntary and wholehearted. The Roman aristocracy's hostility to Jerome for his role in her death contributed to his departure from Rome later in 384 AD.
Significant events
- Born c. 364 in Rome; daughter of Saint Paula.
- Married young; widowed after seven months; fell gravely ill.
- Converted to intense ascetical life under Saint Jerome's direction; c. 382 AD.
- Died January 22, 383 AD, age c. 20, from effects of extreme fasting.
- Jerome's Epistle 39 to Paula commemorates her life and defends her asceticism.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Rome, Italy
Death location: Rome, Italy
Notable location: City of her life, conversion, and death; daughter of Saint Paula (Rome, Italy)
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Feast day
January 22
Veneration
Saint Blaesilla is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church with a feast day on January 22.
Prayers
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