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| Blessed Lucia of Verona, Pray for us ! |
⛪ Born :
• c.1514 in Verona, Italy
⛪ Died :
• 1574 in Verona, Italy of plague
In the ancient Fraternity of the Third Order of the Servants of Mary in Verona, a very young girl born in the same city around the year 1514 is enrolled, named is Lucia. She showed great charity and coherent faith even in her young age; dressed in the Tertiary habit she lives in her house as if she lived in a monastery, consecrating her virginity to God in the world. Deeply devoted to the Passion of Jesus and Compassionate Virgin, she always had great attention to those who suffer.
The word of Jesus strengthened her heart: "... I was sick and you visited me". No sick person remains a stranger to her charity, always available to visit, console them, take care of them, and every day she goes to the hospital of Mercy, where she would spent many hours among the sick, and mostly preferring the serious and reluctant.
She would also clean the sores, in soothing pain embracing the dying, she feels strongly united to the Crucified Bridegroom, so as to be like Mary Desolate continually present beside the crosses of her time.
A Faithful companion to her work was also her sister Barbara, a Tertiary Servite, and together they became throughout Verona a reference point for the sick, especially she who demonstrates a tireless heroism.
Most of this is shown in the serious contagion of the plague that hits Verona. She was never tired of taking everything to help and encourage, and all of Verona sees this humble woman dressed in the Servant of Mary robe among the many plague victims and, at the cost of her life, bringing charity and the comforting caress everywhere of God.
The Gospel says: "... whoever loses his life for my sake will find it again", with this word in the heart she becomes the mother of all those plague victims who are marginalized and abandoned by the world. As a Faithful disciple of Christ with love embraces her cross and like the innocent lamb she also becomes the companion of the same illness of her brothers. Struck by the plague he welcomes her as a royal crown and when she feels near death he recites the Litany of the Holy Virgin devoutly and finally meets the Divine Spouse, accompanied by Virgin Mary, our Lady and Queen. She died in the year 1574 and immediately her devotees experienced her powerful intercession in contagious diseases.
