Saint Paulina
Encyclopedia
Saint Paulina, born Amabile Lucia Visintainer (December 16, 1865 — July 9, 1942), was a Brazil
ian nun
of Italian
origin which became the first Brazilian citizen to be canonized
when proclaimed a saint on May 19, 2002, by Pope John Paul II
. Saint Paulina suffered from diabetes for much of her life and is considered by some to be the Patroness of diabetics.
, in Trentino, Italy
. Like many others in the area, her parents were very poor practicing Catholics. In September 1875 her family, along with a hundred people, about a fifth of her home town, emigrated to the state of Santa Catarina
in Brazil, where they founded the village of Vigolo, currently Nova Trento
. After receiving her First Communion
at about age 12, Amabile began to participate in parish life: teaching catechism
to children, visiting the sick and cleaning the local chapel.
. From their work began the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, which was approved by José de Camargo Barros, Bishop of Curitiba. In December of the same year, Amabile and her friends Virginia and Teresa Anna Maule took their religious vows; Amabile took the name Sister Paulina of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus. Their congregation, Brazil's first locally founded, grew quickly, and in 1903 Paulina was elected their Superior General
"for life", and left Nova Trento for Ipiranga
, São Paulo
in order to take care of orphan
s, the children of slaves, and aged slaves who had been left to die because they could no longer work.
In 1909, Mother Paulina was removed from her duties as Superior General by Duarte Leopoldo e Silva, Archbishop of São Paulo, following a series of disputes within the congregation. She was sent to work with the sick at the Santa Casa and the elderly of the Hospice of Saint Vincent de Paul at Bragança Paulista
, without being able to assume an active role in her own congregation. She spent her spare time praying in support of the congregation. In 1918, with the permission of Archbishop Duarte,she was called by the Superior General Mother Vicência Teodora to the Mother House of Ipiranga, where she would remain until her death. On May 19, 1933, Mother Paulina was acknowledged as the "Venerable Mother Foundress" when the "Decree of Praise" was granted by the Holy See
to the Congregation of the Little Sisters.
In 1938 her health began a long, slow decline as she fought a losing battle with diabetes. After two operations, first her middle finger
and then her right arm
were amputated. She spent the last months of her life totally blind
. On July 9, 1942 she died with the last words "God's will be done".
on October 18, 1991, during his visit to Florianópolis
. On her beatification, three relics were made from three of the fingerbones of her remaining hand. One was given to Pope John Paul II, the second to the convent where Paulina lived, and the other to Albert Visintainer and his family of Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania
. This can be seen at the St. Pauline Visintainer Center in Kulpmont, Pennsylvania
on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 6:00 PM.
Mother Paulina was canonized on May 19, 2002 by Pope John Paul II in a ceremony in the Vatican, where she became the first Brazilian saint. Hundreds of Brazilians, including then President Fernando Henrique Cardoso
, attended the event in Saint Peter's Square
.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian nun
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 Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
origin which became the first Brazilian citizen to be canonized
Canonization
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...
when proclaimed a saint on May 19, 2002, 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 ...
. Saint Paulina suffered from diabetes for much of her life and is considered by some to be the Patroness of diabetics.
Early life
Amabile Lucia Visintainer was born on December 16, 1865 to Antonio Napoleone Visintainer and Anna Pianezzer in the town of Vigolo VattaroVigolo Vattaro
Vigolo Vattaro is a comune in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 10 km southeast of Trento. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,985 and an area of 20.7 km²....
, in Trentino, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Like many others in the area, her parents were very poor practicing Catholics. In September 1875 her family, along with a hundred people, about a fifth of her home town, emigrated to the state of Santa Catarina
Santa Catarina (state)
Santa Catarina is a state in southern Brazil with one of the highest standards of living in Latin America. Its capital is Florianópolis, which mostly lies on the Santa Catarina Island. Neighbouring states are Rio Grande do Sul to the south and Paraná to the north. It is bounded on the east by...
in Brazil, where they founded the village of Vigolo, currently Nova Trento
Nova Trento
Nova Trento is a town and municipality in the state of Santa Catarina in the South region of Brazil.-References:...
. After receiving her First Communion
First Communion
The First Communion, or First Holy Communion, is a Catholic Church ceremony. It is the colloquial name for a person's first reception of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Catholics believe this event to be very important, as the Eucharist is one of the central focuses of the Catholic Church...
at about age 12, Amabile began to participate in parish life: teaching catechism
Catechism
A catechism , i.e. to indoctrinate) is a summary or exposition of doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament times to the present...
to children, visiting the sick and cleaning the local chapel.
Religious life
On July 12, 1890 Amabile and her friend Virginia Rosa Nicolodi were taking care of a woman suffering from cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. From their work began the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, which was approved by José de Camargo Barros, Bishop of Curitiba. In December of the same year, Amabile and her friends Virginia and Teresa Anna Maule took their religious vows; Amabile took the name Sister Paulina of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus. Their congregation, Brazil's first locally founded, grew quickly, and in 1903 Paulina was elected their Superior General
Superior general
A Superior General, or General Superior, is the Superior at the head of a whole religious order or congregation.The term is mainly used as a generic term, while many orders and congregations use other specific titles, notably:* Abbot general...
"for life", and left Nova Trento for Ipiranga
Ipiranga
Ipiranga for "red river") is an historical district located in the subprefecture of the same name of São Paulo, Brazil. The name Ipiranga comes from the river of the same name located in the region, which means "red river" in a Tupí–Guaraní language...
, São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
in order to take care of orphan
Orphan
An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...
s, the children of slaves, and aged slaves who had been left to die because they could no longer work.
In 1909, Mother Paulina was removed from her duties as Superior General by Duarte Leopoldo e Silva, Archbishop of São Paulo, following a series of disputes within the congregation. She was sent to work with the sick at the Santa Casa and the elderly of the Hospice of Saint Vincent de Paul at Bragança Paulista
Bragança Paulista
Bragança Paulista is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. The population in 2005 is 139.740 and the area is 489 km². The elevation is 817 m....
, without being able to assume an active role in her own congregation. She spent her spare time praying in support of the congregation. In 1918, with the permission of Archbishop Duarte,she was called by the Superior General Mother Vicência Teodora to the Mother House of Ipiranga, where she would remain until her death. On May 19, 1933, Mother Paulina was acknowledged as the "Venerable Mother Foundress" when the "Decree of Praise" was granted by the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
to the Congregation of the Little Sisters.
In 1938 her health began a long, slow decline as she fought a losing battle with diabetes. After two operations, first her middle finger
Middle finger
The middle finger or long finger is the third digit of the human hand, located between the index finger and the ring finger. It is usually the longest finger...
and then her right arm
Arm
In human anatomy, the arm is the part of the upper limb between the shoulder and the elbow joints. In other animals, the term arm can also be used for analogous structures, such as one of the paired forelimbs of a four-legged animal or the arms of cephalopods...
were amputated. She spent the last months of her life totally blind
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
. On July 9, 1942 she died with the last words "God's will be done".
Beatification and Canonization
Mother Paulina was beatified by Pope John Paul IIPope 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 October 18, 1991, during his visit to Florianópolis
Florianópolis
-Climate:Florianópolis experiences a warm humid subtropical climate, falling just short of a true tropical climate. The seasons of the year are distinct, with a well-defined summer and winter, and characteristic weather for autumn and spring. Frost is infrequent, but occurs occasionally in the winter...
. On her beatification, three relics were made from three of the fingerbones of her remaining hand. One was given to Pope John Paul II, the second to the convent where Paulina lived, and the other to Albert Visintainer and his family of Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania
Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania
Mount Carmel is the name of a borough in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6390 at the 2000 census. It is located 88 miles northwest of Philadelphia and 71 miles northeast of Harrisburg, in the Anthracite Coal Region...
. This can be seen at the St. Pauline Visintainer Center in Kulpmont, Pennsylvania
Kulpmont, Pennsylvania
Kulpmont is a borough in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,924 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Kulpmont is located at ....
on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 6:00 PM.
Mother Paulina was canonized on May 19, 2002 by Pope John Paul II in a ceremony in the Vatican, where she became the first Brazilian saint. Hundreds of Brazilians, including then President Fernando Henrique Cardoso
Fernando Henrique Cardoso
Fernando Henrique Cardoso – also known by his initials FHC – was the 34th President of the Federative Republic of Brazil for two terms from January 1, 1995 to December 31, 2002. He is an accomplished sociologist, professor and politician...
, attended the event in Saint Peter's Square
Saint Peter's Square
Saint Peter's Square is located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the papal enclave within Rome .-History of St...
.
External links
- Saint Paulina at Catholic Forum
- Saint Paulina of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus @ Everything2.com at www.everything2.com