Saint of the Day – 7 November – Blessed Lucia of Settefonti (Died 12th Century) Virgin

Saint of the Day – 7 November – Blessed Lucia of Settefonti (Died 12th Century) Consecrated Virgin, Nun, Abbess. Born as Lucia Chiari, near Bologna, Italy and died at Settefonti in the same vicinity of natural causes.

The legendary tale of the beautiful Lucia takes place in the 12th Century in Bologna. A little girl is born into the noble Chiari family. Her mother, who is very religious, teaches her to love Jesus. Lucia grows into a beautiful girl with blond hair. Everyone admires her and the boys dream of marrying her but Lucia decides to Consecrate herself to Jesus and wear the habit of a cloistered Nun forever.

Lucia entered the Monastery in Settefonti, near Bologna. These are years in which the City is tormented by the struggles between the Guelphs (loyal to the Pope) and the Ghibellines (loyal to the Emperor). A Knight from Bologna, Count Diotagora Fava, called Rolando, sees Lucia in Church before she has taken her vows and falls in love with her.

In order to meet her, he asks to be lodged in the Castle of Ozzano (Bologna). Every morning he travels an arduous path to go to the Church where Lucia, who has by now, become the Abbess, goes to Mass with the other Nuns. Every morning, Rolando, waits for Lucia to see her. Never a word between the two, nothing but loving looks ensue. But Abbess Lucia is troubled by the handsome Knight who for months, even in winter, in the cold, snow and rain, appears every day at Mass.

Lucia becomes ill because she suffers: she wants to stay true to her vocation but she also feels she loves the Knight. Lucia no longer goes to Mass but the young man goes anyway. Lucia then decides to speak to Rolando and begs him to respect her desire to belong only to Jesus.

Rolando, in sadness and desperation, decides to fight for Christ and leaves on the Crusade to free the Holy Land from the Saracens. He is taken prisoner, chained and thrown into a cell. The Crusader has a fever and always thinks of Lucia who has so much faith in the Lord. He calls out to her, asks for help. One night he dreams of her and hears her sweet voice saying to him: “Dear Rolando, I am dead but God grants me the grace that you may be freed.”

Legend has it that when Rolando awoke, he found his chains broken. Amazed by the miracle, the Saracens let him return to Italy. Rolando went to Lucia’s Tomb in Settefonti. Here the Knight wept bitterly and left his broken chains, in memory of the miracle.

Today, Lucia’s Relics are buried in the Basilica of Sant’Andrea di Ozzano, where Rolando’s broken chains are also found. For those who wish, there is a path through the woods and hill, which takes the visitor to the places where the two young lovers of Jesus lived.

Lucia’s cult was confirmed and she was Beatified in 1779 by Pope Pius VI.