Cecilia Eusepi
Encyclopedia
Venerable Cecilia Eusepi (February 17, 1910 - October 1, 1928) was an Italian teenager who is venerated by the Roman Catholic Church
.
She has been compared to Thérèse of Lisieux, whose book The Story of a Soul she read as a young girl, and strove to follow the Little Flower's "little way." When she was already dying of tuberculosis
, Eusepi's confessor instructed her to keep a diary of her own life, which was called Story of a Clown. Eusepi considered herself a "little clown" and wrote that it must be her extreme weakness that appealed to God.
Eusepi was born in Monte Romano, Italy, the youngest of eleven children and was sent to a convent school at age six. When she was twelve, she joined the Order of the Servants of Mary as a tertiary
. At age thirteen she received permission from the bishop to join the order as a postulant
. She studied at Rome, Pistoia and Zara. She had hoped to become a missionary, but her poor health prevented her from doing so and she returned home to Nepi two years prior to her death. During her final illness her religious practice was a comfort and she was frequently visited by members of Catholic Action
and seminarians and priests who sometimes asked her for her opinion on their homilies. She died singing hymns to the Virgin Mary, on the date that she had predicted she would die after having a dream about Thérèse of Lisieux. People said her funeral was like the feast day of a saint.
Eusepi was declared venerable by Pope John Paul II
on June 1, 1987.
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...
.
She has been compared to Thérèse of Lisieux, whose book The Story of a Soul she read as a young girl, and strove to follow the Little Flower's "little way." When she was already dying of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
, Eusepi's confessor instructed her to keep a diary of her own life, which was called Story of a Clown. Eusepi considered herself a "little clown" and wrote that it must be her extreme weakness that appealed to God.
Eusepi was born in Monte Romano, Italy, the youngest of eleven children and was sent to a convent school at age six. When she was twelve, she joined the Order of the Servants of Mary as a tertiary
Tertiary
The Tertiary is a deprecated term for a geologic period 65 million to 2.6 million years ago. The Tertiary covered the time span between the superseded Secondary period and the Quaternary...
. At age thirteen she received permission from the bishop to join the order as a postulant
Postulant
A postulant was originally one who makes a request or demand; hence, a candidate. The use of the term is now generally restricted to those asking for admission into a monastery or a convent, both before actual admission and for the length of time preceding their admission into the novitiate...
. She studied at Rome, Pistoia and Zara. She had hoped to become a missionary, but her poor health prevented her from doing so and she returned home to Nepi two years prior to her death. During her final illness her religious practice was a comfort and she was frequently visited by members of Catholic Action
Catholic Action
Catholic Action was the name of many groups of lay Catholics who were attempting to encourage a Catholic influence on society.They were especially active in the nineteenth century in historically Catholic countries that fell under anti-clerical regimes such as Spain, Italy, Bavaria, France, and...
and seminarians and priests who sometimes asked her for her opinion on their homilies. She died singing hymns to the Virgin Mary, on the date that she had predicted she would die after having a dream about Thérèse of Lisieux. People said her funeral was like the feast day of a saint.
Eusepi was declared venerable 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 ...
on June 1, 1987.