St. Frances of Rome, Widow
by Fr. Francis Xavier Weninger, 1877

St. Frances, an excellent model of all virtues for women in every condition of life, was born at Rome, in the year 1384. Her parents, who were very rich, belonged to the highest nobility. In her very infancy, Frances was noted for'her modesty. She never allowed herself to be either gazed upon or touched immodestly, but offered resistance by cries and tears. Retirement and prayer were the delight of the child, and as such she began to practice slight penances and mortifications, which she knew how to conceal from the eyes of her parents. At the age of eleven her sole aspiration was to enter a convent and become a spouse of Jesus Christ, by consecrating to Him her virginity. Her parents, however, opposed this wish and gave her in marriage, when she was twelve years old, to Laurentius Pontianus, an excellent young Roman noble. With him she lived in the greatest union and love, so that, during the forty years of her wedded life, not the slightest misunderstanding, much less quarrel or estrangement, occurred. She took upon herself the education of the children whom God entrusted to her. Her first care was to ground the fear and love of God so deeply in their tender hearts, that the children found their greatest happiness in following the lessons received from their holy mother. The assurance from on high of the salvation of her son, who died when nine years old, consoled St. Frances; for he appeared to his little'sister, who was lying ill, and invited her to heaven.

She presided over her household with the greatest vigilance. She prescribed to her servants hours for prayer, for attending the offices of the Church, and for work. In the evening, she assembled them all and recited night prayers with them and read a pious book to them. When her servants were sick, she did not allow them to be taken to the hospitals, but nursed them at home, saying: "We go to the hospitals to wait upon strangers; why should we not exercise the same charity to those of our household?" After her marriage she no more frequented the public plays, banquets, or other worldly amusements. Her friends were displeased at this, and represented her youth and her position as requiring her to attend these public displays. But she replied: "It is true I am young and belong to a noble family, but I am a Christian and must follow the maxims of the Gospel." She was very simple in her dress, and in later years, with her husband's permission, laid aside all gold and silver ornaments and Jєωels, and wore only woollen garments. In her palace there was no picture which could offend the most sensitive eye, but only such as excited to devotion.

She allowed no profane or superstitious book or novel to be in the hands of her domestics. The time she could spare from her family duties she consecrated to prayer or deeds of charity. The life of abnegation which she had begun when a child was greatly increased in her married state. In a word, her life was most holy and edifying, and many noble matrons followed her example.

God, in order to try the virtue of Frances, permitted Ladislaus, King of Naples, to capture the city of Rome. Her husband's palace was pillaged, himself robbed of everything, taken prisoner, and sent into banishment. There was none who did not grieve at the misfortune which had befallen Frances; she alone displayed Christian patience, returning thanks to God for this trial. When she was informed of the confiscation of her property and the banishment of her husband, she exclaimed, with holy Job: "The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away: blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job i.). After a short time her property was restored, and her husband recalled from exile. In acknowledgment of this favor, she strove to lead a more perfect life, and induced her husband to follow her example. Henceforth, they lived together as brother and sister, employing their time in prayer and works of mercy and penance. Frances took but one meal a day and replaced the linen she was wont to wear by a hair cloth, girded herself with an iron chain, and slept only two hours, either on a straw bed or a plaited coverlet. She punished her smallest faults by severe scourgings and other austerities. Her long and rigid fasts so weakened her stomach as to cause her continual sufferings; still she did not abandon the practice of fasting. Her treatment of her neighbor was entirely different. She frequently visited the hospitals and charitable institutions, bringing alms to the poor, preparing food for the needy, arranging their beds and rooms; in a word, performing the most menial services. It is known that she cleansed sores running with putrid matter, and sometimes, to overcome self, she swallowed some of the water tainted with this corruption.

After the death of her husband, she repaired to the house she had founded for those women, who, though not living under the monastic rules, still proposed leading a more perfect life. They were called Oblates, because they had offered themselves to the service of God. Frances, with a cord around her neck, cast herself at the feet of the superioress and begged to be received as a sinner among the Oblates, because she was resolved to lead a life of penance. The whole community received her as their founder, but Frances would not allow herself to be treated as such, but wished to be the humble servant of all. No task was too low for her: she embraced it with the greatest joy. In the course of time she was obliged to assume the post of superioress; nevertheless, she continued to discharge all the humblest duties. During the four years spent in this position she advanced wonderfully in perfection. She was then called to visit her brother, who was lying ill, and just as she prepared to return she was attacked by a violent fever. Our Lord appeared to her and foretold the day of her death, and invited her to join the Saints in heaven. Frances informed her confessor of this revelation, and begged for the last Sacraments, which she received with the sentiments of the most edifying piety. Her confessor, noticing that her lips were moving when the tongue refused to perform its function, inquired if she had any further request to make. She, with difficulty, answered: "I am reciting the office of the Blessed Virgin." This had been a daily practice with her, even when a child. She expired during this prayer, at the age of fifty-six.

Frances had been favored, during her mortal career, with singular graces. Amongst others, the most remarkable one was to behold her guardian angel ever at her side. He guided and protected her on many occasions. He reproached her when she committed any fault, and withdrew his presence until she had repented and promised amendment. Once, when a useless conversation was carried on in her presence, which, out of human respect, she did not interrupt, her guardian angel gave her such a slap that it was heard by all present. On another occasion, when she could not prevent a sinful conversation, she saw the angel veiling his face to mark his hatred for sin. She was also frequently visited by the Mother of God and other Saints. Shortly after her marriage she fell sick, and some advised her to employ a superstitious remedy; but she would not accept it, saying: "I would sooner die than preserve my life by sinful means." Hardly had she said this, when St. Alexius appeared to her and restored her to health. At another time she was just recovering from a dangerous illness, when the angel Raphael showed her the pains of the damned. This encouraged her to bear patiently all the sufferings and trials of this life. Our Divine Redeemer often appeared to her while she was meditating on His Passion, which was always attended by abundance of tears. Her refuge in all temptations and persecutions was the crucified Saviour and His blessed Mother. She confessed that her recourse to these was never without a new increase of strength and consolation. Limited as our space is, we must leave to others the history of the many favors bestowed on her by the Almighty, as well as of the numerous miracles wrought through her intercession.


Practical Considerations

The life of St. Frances contains so many lessons for our instruction, as well as examples for imitation, that I will divide the usual Considerations into more points, saying only a few words under each heading.

I. St. Frances, even in her infancy, wept and cried out whenever any one durst gaze upon and touch her improperly. Be careful that, after having reached the age of reason, you do not allow your eyes to wander and look upon dangerous or indecent objects. Beware, likewise, of touching yourself or others immodestly. Never suffer others to take any liberty with you. Offer a bold resistance. Hell is filled with persons who pursued a different course.

II. The holy child loved prayer and retirement. It is a very bad sign when it is necessary to force children to pray when they prefer to play and run about the streets with wicked children rather than remain at home and pray. Parents ought to be very watchful over their children on this point.

III. Frances, in obedience to the will of her parents, entered into the holy bonds of wedlock, and found happiness. Children commit grevious sins by entering the marriage state without the knowledge or against the will of their parents. Unless there are weighty reasons for this conduct, they need expect no blessing from God on their marriage. Parents, likewise, are guilty of great sins by forcing their children to marry when they have no vocation for this state; or by imposing on them persons for whom they feel no love, but rather aversion. With how many sins do not parents thus load their consciences! What a dreadful account will they have to render at the tribunal of God!

IV. St. Frances lived a wedded life, for forty years, without having the least misunderstanding with her husband. What will those married people say to this who can hardly pass forty days, or even forty hours, without quarrel and discord--who are a source of anger to each other, abusing and cursing one another? Can they hope that the God of Peace will dwell with them, and bestow His blessing on them?

V. The first impressions which the pious mother was most careful to fix deeply in the hearts of her children were the fear and love of God. She may have learned the lesson from Tobias, of whom Holy Writ gives this distinguished testimony: "And he had a son, and from his infancy he taught him to fear God and to abstain from all sin" (Tob. i.). Why do not parents inculcate similar lessons to their children from their very infancy? How can they expect to make their children servants of God, and happy citizens of the kingdom of God, if they do not early inspire them with the fear of God and teach them to avoid sin?

There are many subjects contained in the life of St. Frances which I am forced to leave to your own reflections. For instance, the singular care of her servants, especially when they were sick; her wonderful love for the poor; her plainness of dress; her austerity, and the mortified life practised whilst a child; her heroic submission to the will of God; her devotion to prayer ; her praiseworthy efforts to prevent the circulation of improper pictures or books in her household. These are subjects for reflection and imitation. I will only add one word more. St. Frances beheld her guardian angel visible at her side: he instructed and consoled her. At the same time, he withdrew his presence whenever she committed a fault, and did not show himself until she had repented. You also have a guardian angel, though you do not see him. Avoid, therefore, everything displeasing to him, lest he withhold his protection from you. St. Frances received a slap for not stopping an idle conversation : what do you deserve, not only for freely listening to, but also for taking part in, idle and, perhaps, even sinful and godless discourses? Let us beware. "Woe to us if the angels, irritated by our sins and heedlessness, refuse to let us share their company," says St. Bernard. Let us be careful not to offend them, and practice what is agreeable to them--as temperance, chastity, voluntary poverty, frequent prayer, truth, peace, and fraternal charity.



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Prayer to St. Frances of Rome

Bright Jєωel of the Order of Saint Benedict, illustrious Saint Frances of Rome, thou who wast led by divine Providence through various stations in life, that thou mightiest be a pattern of every virtue, to maidens, to matrons and to widows, pray for us to our divine Savior that we may be detached from the vanities of the world and may be able, under the guiding hand of our Guardian Angel, to grow daily in the love of God, of His Church and of our neighbor, and finally to be made partakers in heaven of the Felicity. Amen.

An Indulgence of 300 days


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Saint Frances of Rome, Widow
from the Liturgical Year, 1870

The period intervening between the Purification of our Blessed Lady and Ash-Wednesday (when it occurs at its latest date), gives us thirty-six days; and these offer us a Feast of every order of Saint. The Apostles have given us St. Matthias, and St. Peter's Chair at Antioch; the Martyrs have sent us, from their countless choir, Simeon, Blase, Valentine, Faustinus and Jovita, Perpetua and Felicitas, and the Forty Soldiers of Sebaste, whose Feast is kept tomorrow; the holy Pontiffs have been represented by Andrew Corsini, and Peter Damian, who, together with Thomas of Aquin, is one of the Doctors of the Church; the Confessors have produced Romuald of Camaldoli, John of Matha, John of God, and the angelic prince Casimir; the Virgins have gladdened us with the presence of Agatha, Dorothy, Apollonia, and Scholastica, three wreathed with the red roses of martyrdom, and the fourth with her fair lilies of the enclosed garden (Cant. iv. 12) of her Spouse; and lastly, we have had a Penitent-Saint, Margarite of Cortona. The state of Christian marriage is the only one that has not yet deputed a Saint during this season which is the least rich in Feasts of the whole year. The deficiency is supplied today, by the admirable Frances of Rome.

Having, for forty years, led a most saintly life in the married state, upon which she entered when but twelve years of age, Frances retired from the world, where she had endured every sort of tribulation. But she had given her heart to her God long before she withdrew to the Cloister. Her whole life had been spent in the exercise of the highest Christian perfection, and she had ever received from our Lord the sublimest spiritual favours. Her amiable disposition had won for her the love and admiration of her husband and children: the rich venerated her as their model, the poor respected her as their devoted benefactress and mother.

God recompensed her angelic virtues, by these two special graces: the almost uninterrupted sight of her Guardian Angel, and the receiving most sublime revelations. But there is one trait of her life, which is particularly striking, and reminds us forcibly of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, and of St. Jane Frances Chantal:--her austere practices of penance. Such an innocent, and yet such a mortified life, is full of instruction for us. How can we think of murmuring against the obligation of mortification, when we find a saint like this practising it during her whole life? True, we are not bound to imitate her in the manner of her penance; but penance we must do, if we would confidently approach that God, who readily pardons the sinner when he repents, but whose justice requires atonement and satisfaction.


The Church thus describes the life, virtues, and miracles of St. Frances.

Frances, a noble lady of Rome, led a most virtuous life, even in her earliest years. She despised all childish amusements, and worldly pleasures, her only delight being solitude and prayer. When eleven years old, she resolved on consecrating her virginity to God, and seeking admission into a Monastery. But she humbly yielded to the wishes of her parents, and married a young and rich nobleman, by name Lorenzo Ponziani. As far as it was possible, she observed, in the married state, the austerities of the more perfect life to which she had aspired. She carefully shunned theatrical entertainments, banquets, and other such amusements. Her dress was of serge, and extremely plain. Whatever time remained after she had fulfilled her domestic duties, was spent in prayer and works of charity. But her zeal was mainly exercised in endeavouring to persuade the ladies of Rome to shun the world, and vanity in dress. It was with a view to this, that she founded, during her husband's life, the House of Oblates of the Congregation of Monte-Oliveto, under the Rule of St. Benedict. She bore her husband's banishment, the loss of all her goods, and the trouble which befel her whole family, not only with heroic patience, but was frequently heard to give thanks, saying with holy Job: "The Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken away: blessed be the name of the Lord!"

At the death of her husband, she fled to the aforesaid House of Oblates, and there, barefooted, with a rope tied round her neck, and prostrate on the ground, she humbly, and with many tears, begged admission. Her petition being granted, she, though mother of the whole community, gloried in calling herself everyone's servant, and a worthless woman, and a vessel of dishonour. She evinced the contempt she had for herself by her conduct, as well as by her expressions. Thus, when returning from a vineyard in the suburbs, she would go through the city, sometimes carrying fαɢɢօts on her head, sometimes driving an ass laden with them. She looked after, and bestowed abundant alms upon the poor. She visited the sick in the hospitals, and consoled them, not only with corporal food, but with spiritual advice. She was untiring in her endeavours to bring her body into subjection, by watchings, fasting, wearing a hair-shirt and an iron girdle, and by frequent disciplines. Her food, which she took but once in the day, consisted of herbs and pulse, and her only drink was water. But she would somewhat relent in these corporal austerities, as often as she was requested to do so by her confessor, whom she obeyed with the utmost exactitude.

Her contemplation of the divine mysteries, and especially of the Passion, was made with such intense fervour and abundance of tears, that she seemed as though she would die with grief. Frequently, too, when she was praying, and above all after Holy Communion, she would remain motionless, with her soul fixed on God, and rapt in heavenly contemplation. The enemy of mankind seeing this, endeavoured to frighten her out of so holy a life, by insults and blows; but she feared him not, invariably baffled his attempts, and, by the assistance of her Angel Guardian, whose visible presence was granted to her, she gained a glorious victory. God favoured her with the gift of healing the sick, as also with that of prophecy, whereby she foretold future events, and could read the secrets of hearts. More than once, when she was intent on prayer, either in the bed of a torrent, or during a storm of rain, she was not touched by the water. On one occasion, when all the bread they had was scarcely enough to provide a meal for three of the sisters, she besought our Lord, and he multiplied the bread; so that after fifteen persons had eaten as much as they needed, there was sufficient left to fill a basket. At another time, when the sisters were gathering wood outside the City walls, in the month of January, she amply quenched their thirst by offering them bunches of fresh grapes, which she plucked from a vine, and which she had miraculously obtained. Her virtues and miracles procured for her the greatest veneration from all. Our Lord called her to himself in the fifty-sixth year of her age, and she was canonised by Pope Paul the Fifth.


Prayer

O Frances! sublime model of every virtue! thou wast the glory of Christian Rome, and the ornament of thy sex. How insignificant are the pagan heroines of old compared with thee! Thy fidelity to the duties of thy state, and all thy saintly actions, had God for their one single end and motive. The world looked on thee with amazement, as though heaven had lent one of its Angels to this earth. Humility and penance put such energy into thy soul, that every trial was met and mastered. Thy love for those whom God Himself had given thee, thy calm resignation and interior joy under tribulation, thy simple and generous charity, to every neighbour,--all was evidence of God's dwelling within thy soul. Thy seeing and conversing with thy Angel Guardian, and the wonderful revelations granted thee of the secrets of the other world,--how much these favours tell us of thy merits? Nature suspended her laws at thy bidding; she was subservient to thee, as to one that was already face to face with the Sovereign Master, and had the power to command. We admire these privileges and gifts granted thee by our Lord; and now beseech thee to have pity on us, who are so far from being in that path, in which thou didst so perseveringly walk.

Pray for us, that we may be Christians, practically and earnestly; that we may cease to love the world and its vanities; that we may courageously take up the yoke of our Lord, and do penance; that we may give up our pride; that we may be patient and firm under temptation. Such was thy influence with our Heavenly Father, that thou hadst but to pray, and a vine produced the richest clusters of fruit, even in the midst of winter. Our Jesus calls Himself the True Vine; ask Him to give us of the wine of His divine love, which His Cross has so richly prepared for us. When we remember how frequently thou didst ask Him to let thee suffer, and accept thy sufferings for poor sinners, we feel encouraged to ask thee to offer thy merits to Him for us. Pray, too, for Rome, thy native city, that her people may be staunch to the faith, edifying by holiness of life, and loyal to the Church. May thy powerful intercession bring blessings on the Faithful throughout the world, add to their number, and make them fervent as were our fathers of old.



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