Himmlische Offenbarungen

Bull of Canonization.

nor good evil. She did not make light out of darkness, nor darkness out of light. With these holy and unceasingly practiced works, this noble widow, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, earned the merit to have the thoughts, inner inclinations, and very secret deeds of many revealed to her. She saw and heard various visions and revelations and predicted many things with a prophetic spirit, some of which have already been fulfilled. These and others are fully described in the book of her revelations.

Five days beforehand, she testified that the end of her life was at hand. And as she had reached the age of seventy and more, and the foretold time was now approaching, she called her household together and commanded what should be done. Afterward, she also called for her son Birger and her daughter Catherine, who were still alive at that time. She exhorted them in many matters, above all that they should persevere in the fear of God, love of neighbor, and in holy works. Finally, after making her last confession as is proper, and after receiving the Viaticum provisions for the journey; the final Eucharist given to the dying and Extreme Unction, while her memory remained perfectly clear until her last breath, as Mass was being read before her, she worshipped the tender Body of Christ, lifted her eyes toward Heaven, and said: "Lord, into your hands I commend my spirit" original: "Herr/ in deine händ befil ich meinen geist", translating the Latin "In manus tuas, Domine, commendo spiritum meum". And at the same time, she gave up her well-deserved soul to the Creator who called her.

Immediately upon the passing of this venerable widow, a great cry went through the city of Rome. People ran in crowds with the highest devotion and reverence to see the holy body, praising and glorifying God with one accord. The body was carried to the aforementioned Monastery of St. Lawrence, where she had wished to be buried, in an even greater number of people. Because of the very great multitude, she could not conveniently be buried for two days; yet she was finally buried with beautiful praise of God.

When this famous widow lived in Naples, a woman of Nola named Pictiolella, who was being forced into carnal acts by an evil spirit in human form, came to her. Even strong night watchmen or guards had not been able to resist this spirit. The woman came to the holy widow to ask for a useful remedy and counsel. The excellent widow, who foresaw the woman's secrets, immediately asked her if she had anything made by sorcery or anything else of that kind with her. When she answered "No," the noble widow spoke: "Search in your hair or folds, and you will find the contrary." The woman turned red with shame and remembered that she had a certain slip of paper with letters and sorcery in her hair, and she voluntarily confessed her fault. The brave widow commanded and advised

her to confess devoutly, to do true penance, to take communion, and to fast. She did this, and henceforth, through the merit and prayer of the said widow, she suffered such compulsion no more.

When this esteemed widow had come for the second time from a long pilgrimage to the region of Ortona in the diocese of Chieti original: "Theatuaner", in which a large portion of the relics of the holy Apostle Thomas is kept (for it had been revealed to her long before through a vision that upon her second arrival in the land, her devout desire should be satisfied), and while she was visiting the relics with usual devotion, the same apostle appeared to the devout widow and said: "It will be given to you what you have long desired." And immediately, though no one touched it or otherwise moved it, a small piece of a bone of the said apostle jumped from the reliquary by itself into the hands of the widow who was waiting for it. She received it with joy and devotion and kept it with high honors.

Also, this wonderful widow, while she prayed and meditated, was often seen by many devout persons raised from the earth to the height of a man, or thereabouts, with a clear and shining face.

Before the deceased body was yet committed to the earth, a woman named Agnes of Contessa, a resident of the city who had a very thick and ugly swelling on her throat from birth, ran with others to the venerable corpse. When she had devoutly let her own belt touch the hands of Saint Birgitta, she wrapped the same belt with equal devotion around her neck. Soon thereafter, the swelling subsided, and the throat was brought to a proper proportion through a divine miracle.

Francisca of Sabellis, a nun of the aforementioned Monastery of St. Lawrence, who had endured illness and stomach pain for two years and lay in bed nearly all the time, had been acquainted with the venerable widow. While the body was still kept unburied in the monastery, she rose from her bed with great effort, afflicted by such a long-lasting illness, and came with help to the funeral bier. She lay beside it a whole night and did not cease to pray to God devoutly and insistently. She asked that through the merits and intercession of the widow, whose body was present, the difficult and long-lasting illness might at least be mitigated so much that she could attend the divine service with other nuns and could walk alone through the monastery without anyone's help when it was necessary. And when it became day,