Tuesday 25 March 2014

The Life of Saint Lucy Filippini

Lucy Filippini (Corneto, Italy, 16th January 1672 - Montefiascone, Italy, 25th March 1732)


Lucy Filippini


A holy lady visits us in the salon today. From orphan to educator and latterly saint, it is a pleasure to share the story of Lucy Filippini.

Long before her canonisation, Filippini's life was far from perfect. When the little girl was still a babe in arms her mother passed away, followed by her father when Filippini was just six years old. With nobody left at home to care for her, the little girl was sent to live with her aunt and uncle, an aristocratic couple who arranged for their young, already devoutly religious, charge to be educated in Santa Lucia by Benedictine nuns.

Under the tutelage of the nuns Filippini's intelligence was clear and she proved herself to be a thoughtful and pleasant child, with her sights set early on a life of faith. Filippini eventually joined the Sisters both in their holy orders and their educational mission, passing on her learning to the children who followed her into the school. 

Under the patronage of Cardinal Marcantonio Barbarigo she was entrusted her with the task of establishing schools for young women from poor families. By the time Filippini was twenty years old she had founded the Pious Matrons and was already recruiting and training teachers who would tutor the girls in the domestic arts.

Eventually the schools numbered more than 50 and Filippini was personally invited to replicate her success in Rome by Pope Clement XI in 1707 and here she founded more schools, as well as devoting much of her time to ministering to the poor and sick.

Lucy Filippini died of breast cancer in her sixtieth year; just under two centuries later, she was canonised in recognition of her works.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

These stories are truly inspiring. I imagine it was hard at this time to make any kind of impression on the nuns who were educating you so I'm sure that this lady definitely deserved to be a saint!

Catherine Curzon said...

She certainly made an impact; her schools still exist today!

Unknown said...

It was Cardinal Marcantonio Barbarigo who was St. Lucy's patron and who started the schools.

Catherine said...

Much obliged!