Saint Veronica Giuliani
Saint Veronica Giuliani
Orsola Giuliani was born in Mercatello sul Metauro, in the Marche region of Italy, on December 27, 1660. The youngest of five daughters, she entered the Capuchin Monastery in Città di Castello on October 28, 1677, having chosen it specifically as the place best suited to dedicate herself to the search for God through seclusion, poverty, austerity, and penance. She received the name Veronica.
From a young age, the divine presence manifested in her through a series of profound mystical experiences and extraordinary physical phenomena. These began at the age of 21 with the gift of the crown of thorns and culminated on Good Friday in 1697 with the impression of the stigmata.
The Community entrusted her with the role of novice mistress, a position she held for thirty years, and later as abbess, a role she served during the last eleven years of her life. In 1693, she was ordered to write a diary in which she was to faithfully record all that she experienced in her intimate relationship with God. She continued writing until just a few months before her death, mostly at night, by candlelight, in her cell. She left behind a remarkable legacy: 22,000 handwritten pages, perfectly preserved in the Monastery’s archive.
She died on July 9, 1727, at the age of 67. She was beatified by Pope Pius VII in 1804 and canonized by Pope Gregory XVI in 1839. Her final words were: “I have found Love, Love has let itself be found. Tell everyone!”
In her, we encounter a woman in love—one who allowed herself to be shaped solely by her Spouse, the Risen Crucified One. Veronica offers a message that is both essential and timeless: to rediscover the centrality of God, and of a God who comes to us intimately in the person of Jesus Christ.
The Monastery
Today, the mission of Saint Veronica Giuliani continues through the Capuchin Community residing in the Monastery, a destination for numerous pilgrims from Italy and around the world.
In the church, beneath the main altar, lies the body of Saint Veronica Giuliani. In a side altar rest the mortal remains of Blessed Florida Cèvoli, Saint Veronica’s confidant and companion, who was beatified by Pope John Paul II on May 16, 1993.
Within the cloister, visitors can explore the museum that houses the most important relics and personal mementos of Saint Veronica Giuliani.
For more information, please visit the Monastery’s website: www.santaveronicagiuliani.it
