St juliana falconieri biography of abraham

Born in 1270; died 12 June, 1341. Juliana belonged to the noble Florentine family of Falconieri. Her uncle, St. Alexis Falconieri, was one of the seven founders of the Servite Order (q.v.). Through his influence she also consecrated herself from her earliest youth to the religious life and the practices of Christian perfection. After her father's death she received about A.D. 1385 from St. Philip Benitius, then General of the Servites, the habit of the Third Order, of which she became the foundress. Until her mother's death she remained in her parents' house, where she followed the rule given her by St. Philip Benitius, practicing perfect chastity, strict mortification, severe penance, zealous prayer, and works of Christian charity. After her mother's death she and several companions moved into a house of their own in 1305, which thus became the first convent of the Sisters of the Third Order of Servites, Juliana remaining the superior until the end of her life. Their dress consisted of a black gown, secured by a leathern girdle, and a white veil. As the gown had short sleeves to facilitate work, people called the sisters of the new order "Mantellate". They devoted themselves especially to the care of the sick and other works of mercy, and the superioress, through her heroic deeds of charity, set a noble example to all. For thirty-five years Juliana directed the community of Servite Tertiaries. An extraordinary occurrence, mentioned in the oratio of her feast day, took place at her death. Being unable to receive Holy Communion because of constant vomiting, she requested the priest to spread a corporal upon her breast and lay the Host on it. Shortly afterwards the Host disappeared and Juliana expired, and the image of a cross, such as had been on the Host, was found on her breast. Immediately after her death she was honoured as a saint. The Order of Servite Tertiaries was sanctioned by Martin V in 1420. Benedict XIII granted the Servites

SAINT JULIANA FALCONIERI

In 1270 Saint Juliana Falconieri was born a late birth an answer to a prayer of the noble Falconieri family of Florence. Her parents, Chiarissimo and Riguirdata Falconieri, paid for the construction of the church of the Annunziata. Although her father died when she was still fairly
young she was never given to the diversions of other girls her age. Upon hearing of her mother’s plan to marry her, professed a wish to join the religious life when she was then 15.

Juliana was instructed by her uncle, Saint Alexis, one of the Seven Holy founders of the Servite Order. A year later she was made a tertiary. Her mother had been initially opposed to her vocation. Her mother considering the death of Juliana’s father put Juliana under the Saint’s
direction.

In 1304, her mother passed away and she went to a community of Servite nuns where she eventually was pressed into service as Superior. She drew up a set of regulations and was so influential she is known as the Foundress of the Servite nuns.

The bodily mortifications Juliana put to herself greatly weakened her health and late in life she was given to chronic gastric ailments. This eventually took the life of Saint Juliana Falonieri at the age of 71 in 1341.

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THE ILLUSTRIOUS family of Falconieri in Italy received great honour from the sanctity of this holy virgin. Her father, Charissimus Falconieri, and his pious lady, Reguardata, were both advanced in years, and seemed to have lost all hopes of issue, when in 1270 they were wonderfully blessed with the birth of our saint. Devoting themselves afterwards solely to the exercises of religion, they built and founded at their own expense the stately church of the Annunciation of our Lady in Florence, which for riches and the elegance of the structure, may at this day be ranked among the wonders of the world. B. Alexius Falconieri, the only brother of Charissimus, and uncle of our saint, was with St. Philip Beniti, one of the seven first propagators and pillars of the Order of Servites, or persons devoted to the service of God under the special patronage of the Virgin Mary. Juliana in her infancy seemed almost to anticipate the ordinary course

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