Saint of Suffering

Today's saint is considered a suffering soul.  I believe God gives us these special people to teach us compassion but also to endure our own hardships with joy and hope in God for our future.

St. Seraphina

Feast day: March 12
Birth 1238
Died:  1253
Italy
Poor family

Seraphina was known for her self denial and acts of penance as a young girl. When she was 10 years old, a mysterious illness left this beautiful girl unattractive; her eyes, feet, and hands became deformed and eventually she was paralyzed.  Seraphina was a very helpful child around the family home. She did many of the chores and helped her mother spin and sew.  She was very devoted to the Virgin and went out only to attend Mass.

To add to her sad story, her mother and father both died while she was young.

Seraphina chose to sleep on a wooden pallet, and at some time the wood actually attached to her week body.  She remained on the pallet for the remainder of her life.  Many visitors came to see her and pray with her over the years. They were surprised to receive words of encouragement from a desperately ill young girl who was resigned to the will of God.

Through all of these hardships, she was devoted to St. Gregory the Great.  He came to her in a vision and told her of her death.  She indeed died on the feast of St. Gregory.

When her body was removed from the pallet, the people who were there saw white violets bloom from the wood and smelt a fresh flower fragrance through the entire house. The violets grew on the walls of the town also and still grow there today. For this reason the people of San Gimignano call them “The Saint Fina violets.”