Certaldo, Italy - Saint Giulia della Rena Body (Chiesa dei Santi Jacopo e Filippo); Hawthorne, NY - Rose Hawthorne Grave (Motherhouse of the Dominican Sisters)
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A saint named Giulia della Rena was brought to my attention during my research into another saint, Mary of Egypt. Mary was a very complicated lady in her youth. She was tempted by sexual activity and could not give up her desire to pursue these activities. Even though Saint Giulia did not have the same problems, they do have something in common. Giulia was a very selfless lady. One day there was a building that had caught on fire, and she went into that building to rescue a child from death. In Mary's case she went off into the desert to free herself from sexual temptations. She spent 47 years alone in the desert until one night she "burned" in the desert all alone and was finally free and put out of her misery.
Both of these women were selfless and just wanted to do what was right in their respective situations. Mary’s might be a bit more dramatic, but they both had good intentions.
Rose Hawthorne, who was Nathaniel Hawthorne's youngest daughter, became a candidate to be a Catholic saint. Rose was born on May 20, 1851, in Lenox, Massachusetts. She spent 50 years of her life as expected of a well-to-do daughter of a literary man. She got married, traveled to Europe, and mingled with the literati and East Coast society. After those 50 years she wanted something more in life. She wanted to create a new identity. After her closest family member passed away and her marriage crumbled, she took the vow to be a nun. She relates to both Giulia and Mary because all they wanted was to be something valuable to others.
Saints and their shrines are very important to today's society. They are a place of worship that people go to were they can seek advice. It is very tragic when a shrine gets tampered with. Saints are important to learn about because they make mistakes just like everyone else, but they go an extra step to prove that they can become better people.
Bibliography
Landrigan, Leslie. “Rose Hawthorne, Nathaniel Hawthorne's Daughter, Becomes Candidate for Catholic Saint.” New England Historical Society, 16 Nov. 2017, http://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/rose-hawthorne-daughter-nathaniel-becomes-candidate-catholic-saint/.
Oxford, Clerk of. “A Clerk of Oxford.” The Saints and Shrines of England, 1 Jan. 1970, aclerkofoxford.blogspot.com/2017/10/the-saints-and-shrines-of-england.html.