Virginia Centurione Bracelli

Virginia Centurione Bracelli ( Virginia Centurione Bracelli ) (born the April 2nd 1587 with Genoa, Ligurie - died the December 15th 1651 in the same city) was a layman Italy 17th century, founder of two religious congregations - the Sœurs of Notre-Dame of the Refuge on the Mount Martyrdom and the Sœurs Girls of Notre-Dame to the Mount Martyrdom - which devoted its life “to serve God through his poor” while taking an active part in charity works. Béatifiée by the pope Jean-Paul II in 1985, it was later canonized by this one eighteen years, the May 18th 2003.

Biography

Virginia Centurione Bracelli resulted from a noble family génoise and was piously high, by his/her mother, Lelia Spinola, at the point to consider, as of childhood, to devote its life to the religion. His/her father, Giorgio Centurione, was Doge of the République of Genoa during the years 1621 - 1622. He obliged his daughter, in spite of the burning desire of this one to become nun, to marry, in 1602, at the fifteen years age, Gaspare Grimaldi Bracelli, a young good-for-nothing, resulting him also from a famous family, but which carried out a life extremely dissolue. They had two girls, Lelia and Isabella.

Become widowed very early - after only five years of marriage, the June 13rd 1607, whereas it was hardly twenty years old - it made vow of chastity, refusing remarier, and carried out a life withdrawn in her mother-in-law with her two daughters. Starting from 1610, it decided to devote its life to relieve misery and was dedicated to the abandoned children, to the old men, to the patients and to all left for account. After the death of her mother-in-law, in 1625, once its two married daughters, it founds the Hundred ladies of the Mercy protective of the poor of Jesus-Christ ( Cento Signore della Misericordia Protettrici dei Poveri di Gesù Cristo ), an institution the purpose of which was to note, at the time of visits in residence, the needs for the most stripped and to come to them to assistance.

During the war between the Republic of Genoa and the duke of Savoy, during the winter 1624 - 1625, it accommodated at it about fifteen young orphans, then of many poor women to the needs of which it provided. During the Plague and the famine of 1629 - 1630, it opened its house with the needy one again. In 1631, it settled with its protected in the empty convent from Montecalvario, which it had rented. After three years, work counted already three houses and accommodated approximately 300 boarders. She asked the recognition of the Senate of the Republic, which to him was granted in December 1635. She bought two houses then and made build a church devoted to Notre-Dame of the Refuge, which became the head office of its work, whose rule was written between 1644 and 1650.

Virginia Centurione Bracelli died the December 15th 1651 at the 64 years age.

She was béatifiée the September 22nd 1985 by the Pape Jean-Paul II, at the time of the apostolic voyage that this one made with Genoa, and canonized eighteen years later, with Rome, the May 18th 2003, at the same time as three other happy: Józef Sebastian Pelczar, Urszula Ledóchowska and Maria De Mattias. In the Homélie which he pronounced on this occasion, the pope stressed that “holy Virginia Centurione Bracelli leaves with the Église the testimony of a simple and fertile holiness. Its example of courageous evangelic fidelity continues to also exert a deep fascination on the people of our time. It was accustomed to saying: “when one has God alone for objective, all the oppositions are levelled, all the difficulties are surmounted. ” (Positio, N. 86). ”

Celebrates of Virginia Centurione Bracelli: the December 15th.

Virginia (first name)

External bonds

Biography of Virginia Centurione Bracelli on the site of the Congregation of the Sisters of Notre-Dame of the Refuge on the Mount Martyrdom

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