Paola Elisabetta Cerioli
Encyclopedia
Saint Paola Elisabetta Cerioli (January 28, 1816 – December 24, 1865) is a saint
in the Roman Catholic Church
from Soncino, Italy
and founder of the Institute of Sisters of the Holy Family and the congregation of the Family of Bergamo.
where she would be educuated for 5 years. Though she became lonely, the experience helped her religious convictions.
awaited her. At the age of 19, she married 59-year-old Gaetano Busecchi, widow of a countess. She accepted the proposal and was married on April 30, 1835. The marriage, which lasted for 19 years, proved to be diffuclt at times. She had to deal with husband's difficult character poor health. Of the 4 children she gave birth to, 3 of them died prematurely. Her only child who had survived died at the age of 16 due to a serious illness in January 1854. That same year, her husband also died.
Cerioli decided to devote the remainder of her life in doing charity and contemplative prayer. She took a vow of chastity on December 25, 1856 which was soon followed by her vows of poverty and obedience on February 8, 1857. In December 1867 she founded the Institute of the Sisters of the Holy Family in Comonte. The order specifically focused on family. It was during this time that Cerioli took the name of Paola Elisabetta. A male branch of the order, the Religious of the Holy Family as founded on November 4, 1863.
Paola Elisabetta died in her home in Comonte on December 24, 1865 at the age 49.
on March 19, 1950 and canonized on Pope John Paul II
on May 16, 2004.
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
in the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
from Soncino, Italy
Soncino, Italy
Soncino is a comune in the Province of Cremona in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 60 km east of Milan and about 30 km northwest of Cremona...
and founder of the Institute of Sisters of the Holy Family and the congregation of the Family of Bergamo.
Early years
Cerioli, the daughter of Francesco Cerioli and Francesca Corniani, was born in an Italian noble family, the youngest of 16 children. At the age of 11, she was sent to school in BergamoBergamo
Bergamo is a town and comune in Lombardy, Italy, about 40 km northeast of Milan. The comune is home to over 120,000 inhabitants. It is served by the Orio al Serio Airport, which also serves the Province of Bergamo, and to a lesser extent the metropolitan area of Milan...
where she would be educuated for 5 years. Though she became lonely, the experience helped her religious convictions.
Marriage
Cerioli returned to Soncino where an arranged marriageArranged marriage
An arranged marriage is a practice in which someone other than the couple getting married makes the selection of the persons to be wed, meanwhile curtailing or avoiding the process of courtship. Such marriages had deep roots in royal and aristocratic families around the world...
awaited her. At the age of 19, she married 59-year-old Gaetano Busecchi, widow of a countess. She accepted the proposal and was married on April 30, 1835. The marriage, which lasted for 19 years, proved to be diffuclt at times. She had to deal with husband's difficult character poor health. Of the 4 children she gave birth to, 3 of them died prematurely. Her only child who had survived died at the age of 16 due to a serious illness in January 1854. That same year, her husband also died.
Religious life
Following the death of her husband and son, she entered into a deep mourning period. She was able to find guidance in God and religious life. At the age of 38, she began to assist the poor and shared her material possessions to the young and orphaned children.Cerioli decided to devote the remainder of her life in doing charity and contemplative prayer. She took a vow of chastity on December 25, 1856 which was soon followed by her vows of poverty and obedience on February 8, 1857. In December 1867 she founded the Institute of the Sisters of the Holy Family in Comonte. The order specifically focused on family. It was during this time that Cerioli took the name of Paola Elisabetta. A male branch of the order, the Religious of the Holy Family as founded on November 4, 1863.
Paola Elisabetta died in her home in Comonte on December 24, 1865 at the age 49.
Legacy
Paola Elisabetta was beatified by Pope Pius XIIPope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
on March 19, 1950 and canonized on 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 ...
on May 16, 2004.