{"id":2626,"date":"2023-03-08T13:44:12","date_gmt":"2023-03-08T13:44:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/turveyabbey.org.uk\/blog\/?p=2626"},"modified":"2023-03-08T13:44:12","modified_gmt":"2023-03-08T13:44:12","slug":"international-womens-day-and-st-frances-of-rome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/turveyabbey.org.uk\/blog\/?p=2626","title":{"rendered":"International Women’s Day and St Frances of Rome"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Later today we will celebrate First Vespers of one of our Olivetan forebears, St Frances of Rome. She was wife, mother, widow and founder of the monastery of Tor de’ Specchi\u00a0in Rome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The accounts of her life bear all the traditional hallmarks of hagiographical writing. She is a special child. Her mother knows this from the beginning; ‘it was as if an angel of God, not an earthly child, had been lent her.’ Every conceivable virtue is ascribed to her, from love of silence to constant prayer. It comes as no surprise to the reader that she sets her heart on Religious Life. But born into a very noble Roman family, her path is already marked out for her, she will marry. Frances obeys her father and makes the best of a lavish wedding and all the fineries that fill her life. She is inwardly restless. A friendship grows with her sister in law, Vannozza, and together they set about living a life of hidden piety at home. When they leave their home they seek out the poor and the needy: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hours that were not devoted to prayer or to the duties of their state, they employed in works of charity. Almost every day they went to the hospital of San Spirito, and nursed the sick with the kindest attention ; consoling them by their gentle words and tender care, bestowing alms upon the most needy, and above all, tending affectionately the most disgusting cases of disease and infirmity. <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Great personal suffering is to come Frances’ way. Alongside serious illness, Frances sees her home destroyed, her servants killed and her children fall victim to plague. She isn’t thwarted and only redoubles her efforts to serve the poor and the needy, turning her ruined house into a hospital. Having fled from Rome for his safety, her husband will return, wounded and in need of her care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The very practical nature of Frances’ love is something which strikes me each year as we celebrate her life. It’s the small details which help me find a way in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When she went to the Campo Santo she used to take with her food and delicacies which she gave to the most needy. When she went back home she took with her their worn out scraps of clothing and their poor filthy rags. These she washed with care and thoroughness, as if they were to be used by the Lord himself. Then she folded them carefully and put them away in lavender. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reverence with which she launders the clothes of the poor speaks to me today. Christ’s is the face she sees in all around her. Every simple task is done for him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we celebrate International Women’s Day I am giving thanks for all those women in my life who have taught me fortitude and reverence. I am giving thanks for every small kindness that has smoothed my path. I am giving thanks for those who may never know what an inspiration they were for me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which women inspire you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Quotations from the Life of St Frances of Rome) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Later today we will celebrate First Vespers of one of our Olivetan forebears, St Frances of Rome. She was wife, mother, widow and founder of the monastery of Tor de’ Specchi\u00a0in Rome. The accounts of her life bear all the traditional hallmarks of hagiographical writing. She is a special child. Her mother knows this from … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “International Women’s Day and St Frances of Rome”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2626","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-monastic","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/turveyabbey.org.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2626","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/turveyabbey.org.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/turveyabbey.org.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/turveyabbey.org.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/turveyabbey.org.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2626"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/turveyabbey.org.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2626\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2630,"href":"http:\/\/turveyabbey.org.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2626\/revisions\/2630"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/turveyabbey.org.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2626"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/turveyabbey.org.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2626"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/turveyabbey.org.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2626"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}