GIULIANI, VERONICA, ST.

Capuchin Poor Clare, stigmatic, and mystical writer; b. Mercatello, Italy, Dec. 27, 1660; d. Città di Castello, Italy, July 9, 1727. She was the daughter of Francesco Giuliani, a financier, and Benedetta Mancini; she was baptized Ursula. In 1677, after brief opposition from her widowed father, she joined the austere Capuchin poor clares at Città di Castello, taking the name Veronica in honor of the Passion. She was favored with mystical experiences and received the visible impression of the crown of thorns on April 4, 1694. On April 5, 1697, she received the stigmata; this recurred several times later. For a time this led to misunderstanding in the convent, yet she was respected to such an extent that she was novice mistress for 34 years and was afterward elected abbess. She remained in this post from 1716 until her death in 1727. A post-mortem showed that her heart bore the imprint of the cross. She was beatified June 17, 1804, and canonized by gregory xvi, May 26, 1839. Besides her personal sanctity and close adherence to the ideals of St. Francis, Veronica is known for her Diary of ten volumes, written at the direction of her confessor; it is one of the most interesting accounts of mystical phenomena known to hagiographers. Her total works cover 44 volumes, of which 42 were written in her own hand. She had great devotion to the Eucharist and the Sacred Heart, and she offered her suffering for the promotion of the missions. She is usually represented crowned with thorns, holding a cross and a heart imprinted with the instruments of the Passion.

Feast: July 9.

Bibliography: Diario di S. Veronica Giuliani, ed. p. pizzicaria, 10 v. (Prato and Città di Castello 1895–1928). g. cittadini, Lineamenti di dottrina ascetico-mistica secondo gli scritti di santa Veronica Giuliani (Turin 1992); Vita di Santa Veronica Giuliani e del suo tempo (Città di Castello 1992). m. courbat, Dico e ridico e non dico niente: il fenomeno del diario sdoppiatio in santa Veronica Giuliani (Siena 1994). r. piccinelli, La teologia della croce nell'esperienza mistica di S. Veronica Giuliani (Assisi 1989).

[j. crosby]