Sunday, September 18, 2011

Blessed Elena Aiello -Mystic, Stigmatic & Foundress

From Mystics of the Church:


Blessed Elena Aiello -Mystic, Stigmatic, Victim Soul, Prophet & Foundress of the Minim Tertiaries of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ

(Venerable Elena Aiello was declared Blessed on September 14, 2011 -Feast of the Exaultation of the Holy Cross. Because there is currently not much information in english on the Internet about her extraordinary holy life and prophecies, the webmaster was very happy when Elizabeth, a friend in Jesus, offered to write this excellent Biography. I am therefore very grateful to her for providing these edifying details of her life. May God bless and reward her for her efforts. -Editor)

The information contained in this abbreviated biography was taken from the book "The Incredible Life Story of Sister Elena Aiello, The Calabrian Holy Nun (1895-1961)". It was written by Monsignor Francesco Spadafora in Italian and was translated into English by Monsignor Angelo R. Cioffi. Fr. Spadafora was a renowned biblical scholar from the Pontifical University of the Lateran in Rome. He opposed modernism and while writing this book he was also battling the modernist approach to scripture that started to gain ground at the biblical institute.


A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY ON THE LIFE OF SISTER ELENA AIELLO
-Early life
Some saints live a heroic holy life in an ordinary way and some in an extraordinary way. Sister Elena Aiello, who was the Foundress of the Minim Tertiaries of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and a contemplative soul and a martyr to suffering, was called to live both and it is through her charity that her true greatness is achieved. She was well known in Italy and much of Europe and had many visitors comparable to the crowds that visited Theresa Neumann and St. (Padre) Pio.

Elena Aiello was born in Montalto Uffugo (Consenza), Italy on Holy Wednesday during Holy Week on April 10, 1895. Her parents were Pasquale Aiello and Teresa Paglilla. During the Procession of Rogations her mother prayed for the grace of having a baby girl and if she did, she would name her Elena and consecrate her to the Cross of Our Lord in memory of the Empress, St. Elena.

Elena lived in an exemplary Christian family. Her extremely devout family, never were given over to the practice of any vanity or entertained anything of a worldly fashion. Her mother unfortunately died at an early age and her father, now a widower and a tailor by trade was left with the care of 8 children one of which also soon died at age one.

At a very young age, Elena lived a devout life and performed penances. An incident at the age of 9 illustrates her inclination to penance. After having received her first communion and attending a retreat, she and several other girls obtained permission to wear a penitential belt. On the way to getting the belt, she had an accident which caused her to lose her two front teeth. She put her bleeding teeth in a handkerchief and continued on in haste to get her penitential belt regardless of the blood and pain.

Another time she accidentally inhaled some water she was drinking from a glass while laughing. As a result, she experienced a constant cough for a year and a half except at night and the volume of her voice became lowered. She was given some treatments by a doctor but this caused her more pain. Eventually she prayed to Our Lady of Pompei, promising her that she would become a nun if cured. And in fact, Our Lady of Pompei appeared to her during the night and assured her that she would be healed –which she was.

Her Extraordinary Charity

Her desire to be a nun was now her goal but was forced by her father to delay it due to foreign complications which led to the 1915 World War. During this fruitful delay, she helped refugees, prisoners and nursed invalids and the dying heedless of the dangers to herself in catching any
contagious illnesses. Thus began her journey on the road to a life of charity.

She particularly often hurried to the bedside of the dying who refused the sacraments. One day she met a man named Alessandro, a freemason. She tried gently to persuade him to receive the Sacraments but he firmly said, “No.”

She continued to plead with him and his response was to take a bottle and fling it at her. It struck her in the neck and while holding her bleeding neck with a cloth she told him that “his soul was hanging on the edge of a precipice” and that she would not leave the room until he called for a Priest to come in. Finally the freemason became so moved by her charity, that he promised her that he would receive the Sacraments on the one condition, that she herself would assist him every day. He repented, received the Sacraments from the Priest, and she cared for him for 3 months. He died a fervent Christian bearing his sufferings with patience and resignation.

Her reputation for her charitable activity became so well known that she was called to the bedside of another freemason dying of cancer who was in great fear for having betrayed God by becoming a freemason in order to support his family. She helped him to prepare for the worthy reception of the Sacraments such as Confession and Communion...
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Pablo the Mexican said...
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