Mother Pierina of the Holy Face of Christ to Be Beatified

By Mariaelena Finessi
5/29/2010
Zenit News Agency (www.zenit.org)

She was loved because she helped everyone who approached her -- from priests to families, from young people to the neediest

Mother Pierina (1890-1945), a mystic, dedicated her life to spreading devotion to the face of Christ and, at the same time, to the fight against Satan. This was discovered in her personal diary, found by the sisters in the cell of the convent after her death.

Mother Pierina (1890-1945), a mystic.

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ROME (Zenit.org) - This Sunday the Basilica of St. Mary Major will be the site of the first beatification ever held within its walls -- that of a woman religious from Milan, Pierina de Micheli.

Archbishop Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints' Causes, will celebrate the ceremony, in representation of Benedict XVI.

"It is the first time that a beatification takes place in this basilica," said an emotional Sister Nora Antonelli, superior general of the Daughters of the Immaculate Conception of Buenos Aires, the community to which Pierina belonged. "We are delighted that our request was accepted."

Mother Pierina (1890-1945), a mystic, dedicated her life to spreading devotion to the face of Christ and, at the same time, to the fight against Satan. This was discovered in her personal diary, found by the sisters in the cell of the convent after her death.

Father Fabrizio Poloni, episcopal delegate for Saints' Causes of the Diocese of Novara, said that when Pierina was an adolescent she had supernatural experiences. For example, when she was only a child, she thought she heard Jesus' voice saying to her, "Is no one going to give me a kiss of love on the face to repair Judas' kiss?"

The little girl promised to give him that kiss: Then came her suffering over her religious vocation, to the point that -- as biographers Mariella Scatena and Piersandro Vazan recall -- the young girl prayed also to the Virgin of Graces "because 'she did not want the vocation, what is more, she had made a novena to lose it.'"

However, Mother Pierina would eventually spread devotion to the image of Christ's face. She had it struck in a medal, popular especially in Latin America where her religions congregation is present.

The same year Pierina had the medal made, 1938, photographer Giovanni Bruner made an artistic photograph of the holy Shroud, which reflected the same image.

Adapting

The postulator for Mother Pierina's cause, Andrea Ambrosi, explained how the process leading to her beatification has been difficult. He took up the task of directing her cause in 1995, at the request of the director of the Holy Spirit Institute, which Pierina founded.

The cause had begun in 1962 and been "bogged down," he explained. So he and the director worked together to bring it to completion in March 2009. A few days later, the Pope authorized the recognition of a miracle attributed to Pierina's intercession: A man who had suffered an aneurism and was dying recovered fully after a couple of hours of prayer for Pierina's intercession.

The stalled process was due in large part, Ambrosi explained, to all the changes to protocol for saints' causes.

"Of course the cause had to be adapted to the changes," he said. "It was started according to the Code of Canon Law of 1917, then, it followed a much more complex normative. It stopped in 1969 when the reform of the 'Sanctitas Clarior' came into being. I had to leave the previous reforms to follow these new ones and then, in 1983, came the apostolic constitution 'Divinus Perfectionis Magister,' which once again revolutionized the whole process."

In any case, all the necessary approvals have been given and Pierina is set to make history with her beatification in Mary's basilica.

And why not in her native Milan?

Ambrosi classified Pierina as "more Roman than many" Romans.

In addition to founding the Holy Spirit Institute there, dedicated to education, Mother Pierina was also in the Eternal City for the worst period of World War II, which were the last years of her life.

Ambrosi explained, "She was loved because she helped everyone who approached her -- from priests to families, from young people to the neediest."

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1 - 10 of 15 Comments

peter smith md
3 months ago
I pray that many will seek to see the 1953 movie "Christmas is Magic". I first saw the movie December 22, 2012 as part of a series of Christmas theme movies contained in "Heavenly Christmas Film Classics" DVD. The face of Jesus appears unmistakably and is very moving. I contacted the distributor and informed them of my experience. They have listed the movie on YouTube. This has been a miracle to me and I want others to see this Holy Face. If you have seen the Shroud of Turin you will be amazed.
Jackie
1 year ago
I love the Holy Face of Jesus!!!! May the Holy Face be adored in every corner of the world.

Most Holy Face of Jesus, in your promises you state that you will open your mouth to the Heavenly Father to plead our cause. Please dear Lord, merciful Lord, open your mouth to the Heavenly Father and ask Him to heal my dad of all his cancers. They have spread to his nodes and liver. He desperately needs a miracle.

Oh Holy Face of Jesus, have mercy!!
Oh Holy Face of Jesus, please cure my dad!

Thy will be done.
Jason Solivais
2 years ago
Grow closer to the Lord through devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus.
The Holy Face Medal is a weapon of defense, a shield of strength, and a token of Jesus' Love and Mercy for us.
Contact: Holy Face Association, PO Box 821, Champlain, New York 12919-0821
phone# 514-747-0357
gloria
2 years ago
Dear Mother Pierina, , please pray and grant her good health for my sister(Esmeralda Garcia Banda),she was told that she has cancer in her spine.. give her strength and courage to deal and hold on to her faith in our Lord,Jesus Christ... pray for her, her 3-sons,husband, daughter in law and grand-kids. Thank You Mother Pierina, in Jesus name i pray,Amen..
Josephine Stevens
2 years ago
I am so happy to hear this. I have a great devotion to the Holy Face and I have been blessed to have seem the Holy Face in the Monstance during Benedicftion. I truly believe. Thank you Mother Pierina. Please intercede for me and my family.
Jacqueline
2 years ago
May the most, divine, gentle and lovable face of Jesus, be honored and loved throughout the world.

Most Holy Face of Jesus, please grant me the grace of my family's conversion and salvation; please bless us all with good health, and bless me and my husband with more children.

Most Holy Face of Jesus, I love you.
Most Holy Face of Jesus, I adore you;
Most Holy Face of Jesus; may you be praised and honored through eternity!

Amen!
Viviane Lidji
2 years ago
Mother Pierina for my family husband - daughter - son and grdson and myself for all our temporal and spiritual needs.

Pray especially for my nephews : Marc-Olivier w/some kind of mental problems and
ChristianAngeEmmanuel (2yrs old) for water in
brain
DOLORES BOITNOTT
2 years ago
Please give the address and or e-mail to order medal of The Holy Face of Jesus. Thank you. God Bless you. Dolores
Winkyb
2 years ago
This article is encouraging, I say the Holy Face chaplet with the Golden Arrow prayer. I wish that all would pray this chaplet for the intention of the Triumph of the Church and God's People and the Downfall of Her Enemies. The chaplet honors the face and the five senses assaulted by the sins of men especially during His Passion and Crucifixion. The chaplet is made like the rosary beads except you have 5-set of six beads for a total of 33 small beads represent the age Jesus was crucified. On every large bead the following prayers are said: My Jesus Mercy. Glory be...prayer. On the small beads the following prayer is said: Arise O Lord! Let your enemies be scattered and let them that Hate thee Flee from before thy Face. On opening the chaplet the Apostle Creed is recited on the Cross. Upon the completion of the chaplet say the Golden Arrow prayer revealed by Our Lord to Sister Mary of St Peter. It is a powerful prayer of reparation and spiritual warfare against attacks against God, His Church, His People including the unborn. I exhort all to pray this prayer. St Mary of St. Peter, pray for us and all those who respond to this call.
l.rutgers
2 years ago
I am wearing this holy medal asking Jesus through his Holy face, the conversion,reconciliation of my husband and married children, so they will reconise their Redemptor and venerate Him and adore Him and that they will be saved from evil, Mother Pierina intervere for them,thank You so much. Yelena Rutgers , the Netherlands

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