March 23, 2014

Angela Margarita Prat



Angela Margarita Prat , also known as Margarita Angela Serafina or Seraphina Angela Prat ( Manresa , October 26 of 1543 - Barcelona , December 24 of 1608 ) religious, mystical , Proto monastery founder of Capuchin Poor Clares of Santa Margarita in Barcelona .

Childhood 

Born into a humble family of Manresa , being the eldest of six brothers. His parents MatΓ­as Prat and Coloma gave it the name Angela Margarita.

The death of the mother towards 1557 , the father's second marriage with another woman named Eufrasina and children born of this marriage, older siblings forced to leave the family environment in search of work. Angela Margarita over host Barcelona at home merchant Salvador Molins, who first had as a maid, but upon discovering his ability and skills, especially with the gold chain, went to entrust also trades on trade.

Marriage 

But soon Angela Margarita began in the vocation to consecrated life , the Molins husbands objected strongly and, in agreement with father and step-mother, promised in marriage to Francisco SerafΓ­, tailor Barcelona . The wedding took place on May 15th of 1575 . Since then the know with the name Angela Serafina, according to the Catalan custom of the time to change the name of the woman by the husband.

Married life became a torment. Francisco was SerafΓ­ player and womanizer, which sunk in misery the young couple. Angela also had to suffer the physical and psychological abuse.
In 1576 they had two twins, Peter and Barbara, were male died two months. After a serious illness in 1580 , wanting to change his life and get away from creditors, SerafΓ­ moved the household to Villafranca del Penedes . Angela born there, the third daughter in 1581 , who survived nearly two years.

In Villafranca del Penedes SerafΓ­ continued his bad life, and at 10 months had to move again. Went to Barcelona and then to Manresa , where the September 15th of 1582 will end up dying.


Widowhood 

Angela Serafina was widowed with a young daughter to care without financial resources. However, without SerafΓ­, could pursue their religious ideals more quietly, and working to survive, given what his skill was not difficult.

Thus began visiting churches, especially that of the Capuchins ; spend long times in prayer; visiting the sick and poor, and ended up organizing a work of education with a small group of young people.

The intense days of prayer began to manifest mystical phenomena , especially ecstasy , which unaccountably notoriety among the population. It was denounced as fraud to the Inquisition , which opened process, but in the middle of interrogation fell into ecstasy and was eventually acquitted.

His interest in the Capuchin Order grew. Got the Provincial Father who will impose the habit of the Order in 1586 . The news of the existence of the female branch of nasturtiums did you conceive the idea of founding a monastery.

Towards the foundation 

To prepare the foundation first thing I did was learn to read and write. He moved to Barcelona and founded a small house where educating young people, from which came the first members for the foundation, including his confidante Astorch Isabel .

His daughter Barbara became a nun in the convent of Santa Isabel in 1591 . Angela Serafina, taking another step, entered the Third Order of St. Francis , professing December 26 of 1593 .
Taking advantage of the passage of Felipe III by Barcelona after marrying in Valencia with Margaret of Austria, Styria , Angela Serafina managed to talk to Magdalena de San JerΓ³nimo, cut pious lady who had wanted to know. This was commissioned to interest some nobles and kings in founding. The kings themselves would ask to meet Angela Serafina.

On May 28 of 1599 , the nuncio Camilo Gaetani authorized the foundation. On July 6 the new monastery was inaugurated whose owner was Santa Margarita , in thanksgiving to Queen Margaret of Austria, Styria .

From here you will have to deal with numerous canonical and government issues, changes in jurisdiction and other legal events that concluded on 7 April of 1602 when Angela Serafina issued the profession according to the shape of the Capuchin Poor Clares , and was invested by the bishop as abbess of the monastery.

The next hurdle to overcome, the Constitutions, which are the statutes for which the foundation is governed addition to the Rule of St. Clare . The text proposed was an adaptation of the Constitutions of St. Colette of Corbie .

Recent years 

Angela Serafina served as abbess until her death. The foundation admitted more and more young, growing in number and having to enlarge the monastery. For this, the community moved to an abandoned Augustinian while works were carried convent. Among the novices was the Blessed Mary Angela Astorch .

The influx of young people also made ​​possible the expansion of the Order in Spain, founding monasteries subsidiaries in Manresa and Gerona , and projecting foundations of Valencia and Zaragoza .

To avoid any possible misunderstanding or dispute canonical dying, managed to get the 21 of December of 1604 a brief of Pope Clement VIII confirmed that the monastery where pertencecΓ­a the Order of Poor Clares . Not being satisfied with this document, sent his confessor Martin Garcia to Roma , which won another of Paul V where expressly Pope "healed" canonical defects that had been in the foundation.


Death and reputation for holiness 

Angela Serafina died on December 24 of 1608 . People that santa had flocked to his funeral, which was to be delayed three days by the steady stream of personnel. Passing the first year the body was disinterred for recognition, proving then that remained uncorrupted . In 1615 Bishop Luis Sans CΓ³dol he built a tomb carved in thanks to a miracle which had made ​​and attributed to Mother Serafina. This tomb and the remains of Angela Serafina, along with those of Isabel Astorch confidante, who also died with a reputation for holiness, and the convent file, were burnt down during the week Tragida in 1909 .

Attempts to start the beatification process was slowed by the decree of Urban VIII in 1625 which prohibited the cause before starting any of the 50 years since the death of the Servant of God. There was therefore to wait until 1659 to start the diocesan information process. The slowness in the amount of material and the War of Succession stopped work.

In 1900 the records were rediscovered in the episcopal archive, and in 1910 concluded the diocesan process that began in 1902 . The translation of many Italian materials provided another arrest process, which was not presented in Rome until 1933 . Currently the case is filed.


Related Post