Born to a poor family, the daughter of Luigi and Vincenza Gomar. Her father died when Giuseppa was very young, and as a small girl she was known for a devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Her uncle, who had become a subsititute father to her, tried to arrange a marriage for the girl, but she always refused, being drawn to religious life. When her mother died when Giuseppa was 18, she was free from family obligations, and joined the Discalced Augustinians on 25 October 1643 at a convent in the diocese of Valencia, Spain, taking the name Sister Giuseppa Maria di Sant’Agnese and making her vows in the summer of 1644. She worked in the convent dispensary, prepared her deceased Augustinian sisters for the grave, and spent spare time making rosaries. She became a choir nun on 18 November 1663; she spent 8 hours a day in the choir, singing when needed and spending the time between by praying for the Pope, the Church and the souls in Purgatory. Though she was uneducated and even illiterate, Sister Giuseppa was known for her theological insights, her gifts of wisdom and prophecy, and her severely ascetic life. She was consulted by people from all walks of life for her spiritual insights.
Saint of the Day Quote: Blessed Inez
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 41 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.