thepiaheart Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 Hi! I'm looking for examples of saints (or blesseds, etc.) who wanted to be religious but were unable to pursue that vocation. I am particularly interested in circumstances of these individuals marrying, but would love to hear about other circumstances as well. (Between the two, I can think here of St. Therese's parents, the Martins, and St. Gemma Galgani.) Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alma Misionera Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 St. Gianna Molla wanted to be a missionary in Brazil with her brother. (I'm not sure if she felt this was as a religious or as some kind of lay missionary.) Either way, she had bad health, and at the advice of her spiritual director, focused on her "mission" at home. She was very involved in Catholic Action, and did wonderful work as a doctor. She was married, and died to save the life of her unborn child. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlySunshine Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 St. Gemma Galgani is the first that leaps to mind Bl. Zelie and Louis Martin (St. Therese's parents) St. Benedict Joseph Labre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlySunshine Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 (edited) nvm. Got the saints wrong. :blush: Edited July 8, 2013 by MaterMisericordiae Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spem in alium Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 St. Rose of Lima Haha, I was going to mention her :) Love St Rose! St Rita of Cascia (she wanted to enter a convent, but her parents arranged a marriage for her. She did eventually enter after her husband died though). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlySunshine Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 Haha, I was going to mention her :) Love St Rose! St Rita of Cascia (she wanted to enter a convent, but her parents arranged a marriage for her. She did eventually enter after her husband died though). Did St. Rose really want to be a nun? I put both her and St. Catherine of Siena and then I found out that St. Catherine did not want to be married or take a nun's veil. She eventually asked permission to wear the tertiary Dominican habit which was usually reserved for widows and the like. St. Rose emulated her in the most extreme sense so I wasn't sure if St. Rose really wanted to be a nun or if she desired to be a tertiary, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlySunshine Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 (edited) Also, I would put Bl. Imelda Lambertini. She was only 11 when she died after receiving the Eucharist for the first time. She was living in a Dominican monastery from age 9 and wanted to become an actual nun later in life. She ardently desired to receive the Eucharist but was denied because the Superiors and priests thought she was still too young. Back then, the norm for receiving 1st communion was around 12. She was praying in the monastery chapel one day after all the nuns had left to complete their duties. However, when Imelda was missing, they went looking for her and found her in the chapel. The most amazing thing occurred -- Jesus, Himself, levitated a Host above Bl. Imelda. The nuns retrieved the priest who took the host and gave it to Bl. Imelda. All of them believed that Jesus wanted Imelda to receive the Eucharist. She died in ecstasy. She is now one of the incorruptible saints. :) http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=125 http://saints.sqpn.com/blessed-imelda-lambertini/ Edited July 9, 2013 by MaterMisericordiae Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sr Mary Catharine OP Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 I wouldn't include Bl. Imelda. She was living in the monastery and wearing the habit. All very "normal" at that time. They were child oblates. St. Thomas Aquinas is an example, also. St. Rose definitely did not want to become a nun but a Dominican tertiary! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spem in alium Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 Did St. Rose really want to be a nun? I put both her and St. Catherine of Siena and then I found out that St. Catherine did not want to be married or take a nun's veil. She eventually asked permission to wear the tertiary Dominican habit which was usually reserved for widows and the like. St. Rose emulated her in the most extreme sense so I wasn't sure if St. Rose really wanted to be a nun or if she desired to be a tertiary, too. St. Rose definitely did not want to become a nun but a Dominican tertiary! I've read in a few places that she wanted to become a nun but her parents wouldn't allow her to, so she joined the Third Order of St Dominic and stayed home to support her family. But I could be wrong. At any rate, I think she was amazing! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlySunshine Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 (edited) I wouldn't include Bl. Imelda. She was living in the monastery and wearing the habit. All very "normal" at that time. They were child oblates. St. Thomas Aquinas is an example, also. St. Rose definitely did not want to become a nun but a Dominican tertiary! The reason I included Bl. Imelda is that she wasn't an actual nun at that time since she was too young. She wanted to when she was older, though. :) Edited July 9, 2013 by MaterMisericordiae Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sr Mary Catharine OP Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 I've read in a few places that she wanted to become a nun but her parents wouldn't allow her to, so she joined the Third Order of St Dominic and stayed home to support her family. But I could be wrong. At any rate, I think she was amazing! :) Her parents really didn't want her to become a nun but they certainly were not happy about her decision to become a mantalatte. She tried to become a Poor Clare and when she stopped at the Dominican church to pray she couldn't move from the altar rail until she realized that God did not want her to enter the monastery. She then realized she was called to be a tertiary. In her family's eyes that was even worse! She had some mother. She should be the patroness of vocation discernment! Later her mother entered the Dominican monastery that was founded in Lima and that is still there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spem in alium Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 Her parents really didn't want her to become a nun but they certainly were not happy about her decision to become a mantalatte. She tried to become a Poor Clare and when she stopped at the Dominican church to pray she couldn't move from the altar rail until she realized that God did not want her to enter the monastery. She then realized she was called to be a tertiary. In her family's eyes that was even worse! She had some mother. She should be the patroness of vocation discernment! Later her mother entered the Dominican monastery that was founded in Lima and that is still there. Wow! That's amazing - I never knew that about her. St Rose is my Confirmation saint, and as someone who's discerning a vocation to religious life, I'm very glad she is :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pax_et bonum Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 I didn't think of it until Spem said that St. Rose is her Confirmation saint, but St. Kateri, my Confirmation saint, wanted to be a nun. She and a group of Amerindian women converts wanted to create a religious community, but the Jesuits discouraged them because they were still young in the faith. St. Kateri made a private vow of virginity though. I swear I've read stories about saints who wanted to be religious or celibate but were given in marriage by their families for political reasons, but I can't think of any besides St. Rita. I remember one woman saint had taken a vow of virginity but had to marry someone, and they had a josephite marriage since her husband respected her vow. I don't know who it was though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheresaThoma Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 I swear I've read stories about saints who wanted to be religious or celibate but were given in marriage by their families for political reasons, but I can't think of any besides St. Rita. I remember one woman saint had taken a vow of virginity but had to marry someone, and they had a josephite marriage since her husband respected her vow. I don't know who it was though! I remember reading about a saint like that but I am spacing her name as well, I am working on finding her though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlySunshine Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 I didn't think of it until Spem said that St. Rose is her Confirmation saint, but St. Kateri, my Confirmation saint, wanted to be a nun. She and a group of Amerindian women converts wanted to create a religious community, but the Jesuits discouraged them because they were still young in the faith. St. Kateri made a private vow of virginity though. I swear I've read stories about saints who wanted to be religious or celibate but were given in marriage by their families for political reasons, but I can't think of any besides St. Rita. I remember one woman saint had taken a vow of virginity but had to marry someone, and they had a josephite marriage since her husband respected her vow. I don't know who it was though! I know St. Therese's parents had originally intended a celibate marriage and lived it for 2 years until their spiritual director advised them to sanctify their marriage vows through procreation. Imagine if they hadn't? JP2 beatified Luigi and Maria Beltrame Quattrocchi who bore 4 children but later lived separately and committed to a Josephite Marriage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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