Helen of Udine, Bl.
HELEN OF UDINE, BL.
Augustinian tertiary; b: Udine, c. 1396; d. there, April 23, 1458. Helen was of the Valentini family and was given in marriage, at 15, to the nobleman Antonio dei Cavalcanti. The marriage was blessed with many children and was in all respects a happy one. The death of her husband, when she was only 40, grieved Helen deeply. She maintained her home and servants but, enrolling in the Augustinian third order, devoted herself to prayer, penance, and charitable works. Tried much in body and in spirit, she nevertheless experienced an inner joy, often associated with ecstasy. She reputedly obtained miracles for others while she lived and after her death. She was beatified in 1848.
Feast: April 23.
Bibliography: Acta Sanctorum April 3:249–260. a. butler, The Lives of the Saints 2:155. l. fabris, Vita della Beata Elena Valentinis (Udine 1849). w. hÜmpfner, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche 2 5:208. simone da roma, Libro over legenda della beata Helena da Udene, ed. a. tilatti (Tavagnacco, Udine 1988).
[j. e. bresnahan]