Saint Veronica Giuliani, Saint of the day for July 10th

(December 27, 1660 - July 9, 1727)

The story of Santa Veronica Giuliani
Veronica's desire to be like Christ crucified was answered with stigmata.

Veronica was born in Mercatelli, in Italy. It is said that when his mother Benedetta was dying, he called his five daughters to his bedside and entrusted them to one of the five wounds of Jesus. Veronica was entrusted to the wound under the heart of Christ.

At the age of 17, Veronica joined the Poor Clares directed by the Capuchins. His father wanted him to get married, but she convinced him to let her become a nun. In his early years in the monastery, he worked in the kitchen, infirmary, sacristy and also worked as a portress. At the age of 34, she became a novice lover, a position she held for 22 years. When she was 37, Veronica received the stigmata. Life was never the same after that.

The authorities of the church in Rome wanted to test Veronica's authenticity and so they conducted an investigation. She temporarily lost her novice teacher's office and was not allowed to attend mass except on Sunday or holy days. During all this Veronica did not become bitter and the investigation eventually restored her as a novice lover.

Although she protested against her, at the age of 56 she was elected abbess, an office that remained for 11 years until her death. Veronica was very devoted to the Eucharist and the Sacred Heart. She offered her suffering for the missions, died in 1727 and was canonized in 1839. Her liturgical feast is on July 9th.

Reflection
Why did God grant the stigmata to Francis of Assisi and Veronica Giuliani? Only God knows the deepest reasons, but as Celano points out, the external sign of the cross is a confirmation of the commitment of these saints to the cross in their lives. The stigmata that appeared in Veronica's flesh had taken root in her heart many years earlier. It was an appropriate conclusion for his love of God and his charity towards his sisters