We had the joy of visiting the incorrupt body of Blessed Imelda in Bologna, Italy!
Blessed Imelda is the Patroness of First Communicants.
I learned about her last year and wanted to try to take Ellie to see her when we were in Rome, but it was too far to go. When the opportunity arose this semester for our family to travel somewhere during Ellie's Fall Break, right away I thought of going to Northern Italy to try to see Blessed Imelda!
The plan is for Ellie to receive her First Holy Communion on November 22 (Feast of Christ the King), so seeing Bl. Imelda now was very special!
Bl. Imelda has an amazing story--which must have been the reason Grandma Kissinger chose Bl. Imelda has her confirmation saint! You can read her full story by clicking here -- but here's the short version:
At age 9, while living with the Dominican Sisters, Bl. Imelda had a strong desire to receive Our Lord in Holy Communion. However, the custom of the time had fixed twelve as the earliest age for first communion. She would sometime exclaim, "Tell me, can anyone receive Jesus into his heat and not die?" When she was 11 years old, she was at Ascension Day Mass. After Mass, she was praying before the closed tabernacle absorbed in prayer, when several of the Sisters was a Sacred Host hovering in the air above Imelda. They quickly got the priest, who came with the patent in his hand and knelt in adoration, awaiting some further manifestation of the Divine will. The Host gently descended upon the paten. The priest understood, and gave the Blessed Eucharist to Bl. Imelda. Consumed with Love, Imelda then died and went to Heaven.
So the ending is intense! But what better way to die?
I recently heard Ellie and Isaac whispering during the Consecration Prayer at Mass...
Isaac: I want to receive my First Communion
Ellie: You will. In 5 years.
Isaac: Yeah
Ellie: But don't worry, you won't die. Only Bl. Imelda died when she received her Fist Communion.
Isaac: Yeah
So thankfully I don't think Ellie's been scared off by Bl. Imelda! We listened to a very nice kids' version of her story available here at Holy Heroes.
Imelda died in 1333. She was beatified in 1826 by Pople Leo XII. Pope Pius X named her Protectress of First Holy Communicants. During the movement to have her canonized in 1900, her body was exhumed. It was found to be incorrupt--it hasn't decayed at all since the 1300's! As we can testify, it still looks as if she is only sleeping. An amazing sight to behold!
We found Bl. Imelda's beautiful body resting immediately inside the church (Chiesa di San Sigismondo) when we entered. The church was empty the entire time we were there. It was such a special blessing to be able to see her up close and have time to pray before her. We didn't know ahead of time if the church would be open, or if we would actually be able to see her, especially given the COVID restrictions. But it all worked out so perfectly -- it was as if Bl. Imelda had been awaiting our arrival.
After praying before Bl. Imelda, Ellie and Francis lit candles for all of Ellie's friends/family who will be receiving their First Holy Communion this year.
Bl. Imelda, pray for us! And especially for Ellie as she prepares to receive Our Lord in Holy Communion later this month!
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