BENINCASA, ORSOLA, Venerable. – Foundress of the Congregation of the Theatines. Born in Naples on 20 Oct. 1547, died there on 20 Oct. 1618. From her earliest years she was animated by singular religious fervour, living in a quasi-cloistered manner when she could not obtain the habit of the Cappuccinelle at the monastery of S. Maria in Gerusalemme. She then withdrew into solitude on Monte S. Elmo, regarded by all Naples as a saint.
In 1582 she went to Rome to present herself to Pope Gregory XIII, who entrusted Cardinal S. Severina, G. A. Santori, with the task of assembling a congregation of learned men, among whom was also St Philip Neri, to examine her virtues, which were universally acknowledged. Returning to Naples, she founded in the same house on Monte S. Elmo the Congregation of the Most Holy Conception of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, later called the Theatines because of the similarity of its rules and habit to those of the Theatines and because the new foundation was placed under the governance of the same fathers.
The Theatines, whose rules were approved by Gregory XV on 23 June 1623, are distinguished into the two branches of the Congregation and the Hermitage. Pius VI approved the heroic virtues of the venerable with a decree of 7 Aug. 1793.