OUR LADY OF NARNI
WHOM LIKE SAINT ANTHONY CARRIED THE INFANT JESUS IN HER ARMS
At Narni in Italy, there is a shrine dedicated to Our Blessed Mother. It is said that the image of Our Lady in there spoke to Blessed Lucy of Narni, and Our Lady gave the Infant Jesus to Lucy to hold, and Lucy venerated the Mother and Child.
Lucy was born in 1476 in Narni, Italy. As a small child she preferred religious articles to toys, sharing the former as well as the latter with her playmates. When she was only five years old, Lucy experienced her first apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. When she was seven years old, she visited an uncle in whose home a picture of angels was painted on the ceiling. Lucy secretly went there to pray. She was favoured by a heavenly vision of Our Lady, who gave Lucy her Divine Son to hold. Our Lord gave Lucy a ring, and Saint Dominic, who was also present in the vision, gave her a scapular to wear.
Lucy was born in 1476 in Narni, Italy. As a small child she preferred religious articles to toys, sharing the former as well as the latter with her playmates. When she was only five years old, Lucy experienced her first apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. When she was seven years old, she visited an uncle in whose home a picture of angels was painted on the ceiling. Lucy secretly went there to pray. She was favoured by a heavenly vision of Our Lady, who gave Lucy her Divine Son to hold. Our Lord gave Lucy a ring, and Saint Dominic, who was also present in the vision, gave her a scapular to wear.
As she grew older, Lucy's family wished her to marry; at Lucy’s objection, the Blessed Mother appeared to her and bade her be wedded and imitate her in the life at Nazareth. Her husband, Pietro, agreed to respect Blessed Lucy’s vow of virginity. Although she led a saintly married life, she still had visions, as Saint Catherine, Saint Agnes, and Saint Agnes of Monte Pulciano frequently visited her in apparitions.
Lucy’s desire to become a religious persisted. She finally influenced her husband to take the habit of Saint Francis, while she established at the Pope’s request, a convent in Ferrara. Lucy was marked with the stigmata of Christ and suffered much physically as well as spiritually. The members of her community for thirty-eight years were prejudiced against the saint, but Our Lady frequently consoled and strengthened her with visions. She died in 1544 and was beatified by Pope Benedict XIII.
A shrine to Our Lady of Narni was erected in memory of Blessed Lucy. Our Heavenly Mother granted many miracles after the death of Lucy showing how pleasing she was to her and her Divine Son. Blessed Lucy of Narnia died on November 15, 1544. Four years after her death, Lucy's body was exhumed and found to be incorrupt.
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