Maria Crescentia Höss
Encyclopedia
Maria Crescentia Höss T.O.R., (1682–1744) is a Roman Catholic saint. She was a contemplative nun
of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.
, in Bavaria
, Germany
, to Matthias Höss and his wife, Lucia Hoermann, the sixth of their eight children. Only three of the children would survive into adulthood.
Anna was raised devoutly, and knew at an early age that she wanted to become a nun at the local monastery of the Franciscan Tertiary
nuns, which occupied the old Meierhof
of the town, in whose chapel
she often prayed. As a poor weaver, however, her father did not have enough money to pay the customary dowry
expected of a candidate, so she was not admitted.
of the diocese
where they were located. The history of the Third Order of St. Francis
--of which these women were a part--had a range of organizational models, in that many communities of religious women did not embrace the enclosure
, but considered active works of charity, tending to the poor and sick, as part of their religious and Franciscan charism
. Monasteries like that of Kaufbeuren were established to pursue the purely contemplative life, usually in an urban setting.
The Order of Friars Minor, however, refused to accept spiritual supervision or responsibility for those monasteries which did not accept the strictest form of enclosure
, such as the Poor Clares had. Thus the monastic communities of nuns of the Third Order like that of Kaufbeuren, who did not have the same connection with the public as did the active Sisters, were usually entirely dependent on the local clergy
for spiritual direction and on local patrons for their survival. They were often marked by their precarious financial situations.
of the monastery felt obligated to receive her, and Anna was admitted in June of that year. The Superior, however, resented this and referred to Anna as a "parasite", since she was felt not to be contributing to the community. Nevertheless, Anna received the religious habit
and took the name Maria Crescentia.
The nuns were not kind to her at first, due to the manner of her admission. Once clothed as a member of the Order, Crescentia was subjected to a prolonged persecution by the unfriendly Superior and some of the older nuns. They called her a beggar and a hypocrite, and treated her as a servant, giving her the most menial tasks to perform. Although Crescentia was at first given a cell of her own, it was later taken from her and given to a new novice
who had brought with her the customary dowry. Thereafter she had to beg the other nuns for a corner of their cells in which she might sleep. When she was finally given a place of her own again, it was a dark and damp cubbyhole. Nevertheless, Crescentia was allowed to profess
vows and become a full member of the monastic community. She was assigned to serve in the kitchen and did the weaving for the monastery.
Eventually, in 1707, a new Superior was elected who was more sympathetic to Crescentia, and the nuns came to recognize her holiness and good council, and she was entrusted with the important office of portress
, and in 1717 she was appointed Mistress of novices. At this stage of her monastic life, Cresentia was a prolific letter writer, who has left many letters to people in various social positions, in which she gave them loving and wise advice and comfort in their worries. The flow of visitors from all walks of life to the monastery to seek her advice was constant.
Though by then she had begun to suffer from poor health--even paralysis, in 1741 she was elected as the monastery's Mother Superior, serving in that office until her death on April 5, Easter
Sunday, 1744.
During her short tenure in this position of leadership of the community, Mother Crescentia had led a renewal of their way of life. She counciled unlimited trust in Divine Providence
, readiness to serve in community life, a love of silence, devotion to the Crucified
Jesus, to the Blessed Sacrament
and to the Blessed Mother. She encouraged the nuns to turn to the Gospels to develop their inner spiritual life, and was noted for the selectivity of her choices regarding candidates to the community. She justified this by saying: "God wants the monastery rich in virtue, not in temporal goods".
was begun in 1775. The secularization
of monasteries which occurred in the Revolutionary upheavals of the late 18th century and the anti-Catholic policies of the German government during the Kulturkampf
of the 19th century prevented the monastic community from proceeding with the process.
Finally, in 1900, Mother Crescentia was beatified by Pope Leo XIII
. She was canonized on November 25, 2001, by Pope John Paul II
, along with three others. Her monastery was then renamed St. Crescentia Monastery in her honor.
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.
Early life
She was born Anna Höss on October 20, 1682 in KaufbeurenKaufbeuren
Kaufbeuren is an independent city in the Regierungsbezirk of Schwaben, southern Bavaria. The city is completely enclaved within the district of Ostallgäu.- Culture and Objects of Interest :* Townhall * Crescentiakloster...
, in Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, to Matthias Höss and his wife, Lucia Hoermann, the sixth of their eight children. Only three of the children would survive into adulthood.
Anna was raised devoutly, and knew at an early age that she wanted to become a nun at the local monastery of the Franciscan Tertiary
Third order
The term Third Order designates persons who live according to the Third Rule of a Roman Catholic religious order, an Anglican religious order, or a Lutheran religious order. Their members, known as Tertiaries, are generally lay members of religious orders, i.e...
nuns, which occupied the old Meierhof
Meierhof
A Meierhof or Meyerhof was a farm or building which was occupied or had been occupied by the administrator of a noble or spiritual estate....
of the town, in whose chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
she often prayed. As a poor weaver, however, her father did not have enough money to pay the customary dowry
Dowry
A dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings forth to the marriage. It contrasts with bride price, which is paid to the bride's parents, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both...
expected of a candidate, so she was not admitted.
Monasteries of the Third Order Regular
To understand this position, it must be remembered that, unlike monasteries of the nuns of the Franciscan Second Order, known as the Poor Clares, nuns of the Third Order were completely local, living under the authority of the bishopBishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
where they were located. The history of the Third Order of St. Francis
Third Order of St. Francis
The Third Order of St. Francis is a third order within the Franciscan movement of the Roman Catholic Church. It includes both congregations of vowed men and women and fraternities of men and women living standard lives in the world, usually married...
--of which these women were a part--had a range of organizational models, in that many communities of religious women did not embrace the enclosure
Enclosure
Enclosure or inclosure is the process which ends traditional rights such as mowing meadows for hay, or grazing livestock on common land. Once enclosed, these uses of the land become restricted to the owner, and it ceases to be common land. In England and Wales the term is also used for the...
, but considered active works of charity, tending to the poor and sick, as part of their religious and Franciscan charism
Charism
In Christian theology, a charism in general denotes any good gift that flows from God's love to man. The word can also mean any of the spiritual graces and qualifications granted to every Christian to perform his or her task in the Church...
. Monasteries like that of Kaufbeuren were established to pursue the purely contemplative life, usually in an urban setting.
The Order of Friars Minor, however, refused to accept spiritual supervision or responsibility for those monasteries which did not accept the strictest form of enclosure
Enclosure
Enclosure or inclosure is the process which ends traditional rights such as mowing meadows for hay, or grazing livestock on common land. Once enclosed, these uses of the land become restricted to the owner, and it ceases to be common land. In England and Wales the term is also used for the...
, such as the Poor Clares had. Thus the monastic communities of nuns of the Third Order like that of Kaufbeuren, who did not have the same connection with the public as did the active Sisters, were usually entirely dependent on the local clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
for spiritual direction and on local patrons for their survival. They were often marked by their precarious financial situations.
Life in the cloister
In 1703, the Mayor of Kaufbeuren (a Protestant) performed a major service to the monastery, viz., purchasing a tavern adjacent to it which was often the source of disturbance to the quiet of the cloister and donating the building to the nuns. He refused compensation but asked simply that, in return, Anna be accepted as a candidate. As a result of this intervention, the Mother SuperiorMother Superior
A mother superior is an abbess or other nun in charge of a Christian religious order or congregation, a convent or house of women under vows.Mother superior may also refer to:*Mother Superior , a rock band who became ¾ of Rollins Band circa 2000...
of the monastery felt obligated to receive her, and Anna was admitted in June of that year. The Superior, however, resented this and referred to Anna as a "parasite", since she was felt not to be contributing to the community. Nevertheless, Anna received the religious habit
Religious habit
A religious habit is a distinctive set of garments worn by members of a religious order. Traditionally some plain garb recognisable as a religious habit has also been worn by those leading the religious eremitic and anachoritic life, although in their case without conformity to a particular uniform...
and took the name Maria Crescentia.
The nuns were not kind to her at first, due to the manner of her admission. Once clothed as a member of the Order, Crescentia was subjected to a prolonged persecution by the unfriendly Superior and some of the older nuns. They called her a beggar and a hypocrite, and treated her as a servant, giving her the most menial tasks to perform. Although Crescentia was at first given a cell of her own, it was later taken from her and given to a new novice
Novice
A novice is a person or creature who is new to a field or activity. The term is most commonly applied in religion and sports.-Buddhism:In many Buddhist orders, a man or woman who intends to take ordination must first become a novice, adopting part of the monastic code indicated in the vinaya and...
who had brought with her the customary dowry. Thereafter she had to beg the other nuns for a corner of their cells in which she might sleep. When she was finally given a place of her own again, it was a dark and damp cubbyhole. Nevertheless, Crescentia was allowed to profess
Profession
A profession is a vocation founded upon specialized educational training, the purpose of which is to supply disinterested counsel and service to others, for a direct and definite compensation, wholly apart from expectation of other business gain....
vows and become a full member of the monastic community. She was assigned to serve in the kitchen and did the weaving for the monastery.
Eventually, in 1707, a new Superior was elected who was more sympathetic to Crescentia, and the nuns came to recognize her holiness and good council, and she was entrusted with the important office of portress
Porter (monastery)
In a monastery, the porter is the monk appointed to be the one who interacts with the public. It is considered an important office, as the porter is the representative of the community to the outside world....
, and in 1717 she was appointed Mistress of novices. At this stage of her monastic life, Cresentia was a prolific letter writer, who has left many letters to people in various social positions, in which she gave them loving and wise advice and comfort in their worries. The flow of visitors from all walks of life to the monastery to seek her advice was constant.
Though by then she had begun to suffer from poor health--even paralysis, in 1741 she was elected as the monastery's Mother Superior, serving in that office until her death on April 5, Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
Sunday, 1744.
During her short tenure in this position of leadership of the community, Mother Crescentia had led a renewal of their way of life. She counciled unlimited trust in Divine Providence
Divine Providence
In Christian theology, divine providence, or simply providence, is God's activity in the world. " Providence" is also used as a title of God exercising His providence, and then the word are usually capitalized...
, readiness to serve in community life, a love of silence, devotion to the Crucified
Crucifix
A crucifix is an independent image of Jesus on the cross with a representation of Jesus' body, referred to in English as the corpus , as distinct from a cross with no body....
Jesus, to the Blessed Sacrament
Blessed Sacrament
The Blessed Sacrament, or the Body and Blood of Christ, is a devotional name used in the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Catholic Churches, Old Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches, to refer to the Host after it has been consecrated in the sacrament of the Eucharist...
and to the Blessed Mother. She encouraged the nuns to turn to the Gospels to develop their inner spiritual life, and was noted for the selectivity of her choices regarding candidates to the community. She justified this by saying: "God wants the monastery rich in virtue, not in temporal goods".
Veneration
The holiness of Mother Maria Crescentia was so evident to the nuns of her monastery and the people of the city by the time of her death that the Process of her canonizationCanonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
was begun in 1775. The secularization
Secularization
Secularization is the transformation of a society from close identification with religious values and institutions toward non-religious values and secular institutions...
of monasteries which occurred in the Revolutionary upheavals of the late 18th century and the anti-Catholic policies of the German government during the Kulturkampf
Kulturkampf
The German term refers to German policies in relation to secularity and the influence of the Roman Catholic Church, enacted from 1871 to 1878 by the Prime Minister of Prussia, Otto von Bismarck. The Kulturkampf did not extend to the other German states such as Bavaria...
of the 19th century prevented the monastic community from proceeding with the process.
Finally, in 1900, Mother Crescentia was beatified by Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903...
. She was canonized on November 25, 2001, by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
, along with three others. Her monastery was then renamed St. Crescentia Monastery in her honor.
External links
- Saint Maria Crescentia Hoss. Patron Saints Index.