Veronica Giuliani, Saint

VERONICA GIULIANI, SANTA. - Capuchin Poor Clare and mystical writer, b. 27 Dec. 1660 at Mercatello, d. 9 July 1727 in the monastery of the Capuchine of Città di Castello, where she had entered on 17 July 1677.

The phenomena of her mystical spirituality were scrutinized with a long and severe examination by the ecclesiastical authorities. Her love for the mystery of the Cross earned her the Stigmata (1697), and the autopsy confirmed the living impression of the elements of the Passion in her heart. From 1695 to 27 Feb. 1727 V. G. had to describe in detail, out of obedience, in a Diary the phases and experiences of her interior life. From this came fully 44 volumes, written without any artifice, which she had to hand over to her confessor without rereading them; from them there emerges vividly her mystical personality of a lived experience. The autographs are preserved in the monastery of Città di Castello. F. B. Dausse prepared a partial edition in Italian and in French: Scritti di s. V. G. cappuccina dal 1677 al 1727 (vol. I, part 2, Città di Castello 1883 and Paris 1883); the canon Annibale di Francia then printed: Un tesoro nascosto, ovvero scritti inediti di s. V. G. (Messina 1891); finally Fr. L. Pizzicaria published 8 volumes, soon translated into Spanish: Un tesoro nascosto, ossia Diario di s. V. G. (Prato 1895-1905, Barcelona 1905-1909; vols. IX and X published on the second centenary of the Saint's death, Città di Castello 1928). Other partial editions appeared later. V. G. was beatified on 12 Sept. 1802 and canonized on 26 May 1839; her feast is on 9 July.

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