From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   November 15th - Bl. Lucy Brocolelli of Narni, Mystic   
      
   Born in 1476; died 1544; beatified 1720. Very early, it became evident to   
   her pious Italian family that this child was set for something unusual in   
   life, for some of her heavenly favors were visible. When Lucy was five years   
   old, she had a vision of Our Lady; two years later, Our Lady came with Saint   
   Dominic, who gave her the scapular. At age 12, she made private vows and,   
   even at this early age, had determined to become a Dominican. However,   
   family affairs were to make this difficult. Lucy's father died, leaving her   
   in the care of an uncle. He felt that the best way to dispose of a pretty   
   niece was to marry her off as soon as possible.   
      
   The efforts of her uncle to get Lucy successfully married form a colorful   
   chapter in the life of the Blessed Lucy. At one time, he arranged a big   
   family party, and his choice of Lucy's husband was there. He thought it   
   better not to tell Lucy what he had in mind, because she had such queer   
   ideas, so he presented the young man to her in front of the entire assembly.   
   The young man made a valiant attempt to place a ring on Lucy's finger, and   
   he was thoroughly slapped for his pains.   
      
   The next time, the uncle approached the matter with more tact, arranging a   
   marriage with Count Pietro of Milan, who was not a stranger to the family.   
   Lucy was, in fact, very fond of him, but she had resolved to live as a   
   religious. The strain of the situation made her seriously ill. During her   
   illness, Our Lady appeared to her again, accompanied by Saint Dominic and   
   Saint Catherine, and told her to go ahead with the marriage as a legal   
   contract, but to explain to Pietro that she was bound to her vow of   
   virginity and must keep it. When Lucy recovered, the matter was explained to   
   Pietro, and the marriage was solemnized.   
      
   Lucy's life now became that of the mistress of a large and busy household.   
   She took great care to instruct the servants in their religion and soon   
   became known for her benefactions to the poor.   
      
   Pietro, to do him justice, never seems to have objected when his young wife   
   gave away clothes and food, nor when she performed great penances. He knew   
   that she wore a hair-shirt under her rich clothing, and that she spent most   
   of the night in prayer and working for the poor. He even made allowances for   
   the legend told him by the servants, that SS Catherine, Agnes, and Agnes of   
   Montepulciano came to help her make bread for the poor. However, when a   
   talkative servant one day informed him that Lucy was entertaining a handsome   
   young man, who seemed to be an old friend, Pietro took his sword and went to   
   see. He was embarrassed to find Lucy contemplating a large and beautiful   
   crucifix, and he was further confused when the servant told him that was the   
   young man.   
      
   When Lucy departed for the desert to become an anchorite, and returned the   
   next day, saying that Saint Dominic had brought her home, Pietro's patience   
   finally gave out. He had his young wife locked up. Here she remained for the   
   season of Lent; sympathetic servants brought her food until Easter. Perhaps   
   they had both decided that Lucy could not live the life God had planned for   
   her in Pietro's house. She returned to her mother's house and put on the   
   habit of a Dominican tertiary.   
      
   Shortly after this, Lucy went to Viterbo and joined a group of Third Order   
   sisters. She tried very hard to hide her spiritual favors, because they   
   complicated her life wherever she went. She had the stigmata visibly, and   
   she was usually in ecstasy, which meant a steady stream of curious people   
   who wanted to question her, investigate her, or just stare at her. Even the   
   sisters were nervous about her methods of prayer. Once they called in the   
   bishop, and he watched with them for 12 hours, while Lucy went through the   
   drama of the Passion.   
      
   The bishop hesitated to pass judgment and called in the inquisition. From   
   here, she was referred directly to the pope. After talking to her, the pope   
   pronounced in her favor and told her to go home and pray for him. Here the   
   hard-pressed Pietro had his final appearance in Lucy's life. He made a last   
   effort to persuade Lucy to change her plans and come back to him. Finally he   
   decided to become a Franciscan, and, in later years, he was a famous   
   preacher.   
      
   When Lucy returned to Viterbo, she may have thought her troubles were over,   
   but they were just beginning. The duke of Ferrara, in the manner of other   
   wealthy nobles with a guilty conscience, decided to build a monastery and,   
   hearing of the fame of the mystic of Viterbo, demanded that she come there   
   and be prioress. Lucy had been praying for some time that a means would be   
   found to build a new convent of strict observance, and she agreed to go to   
   the new convent at Narni.   
      
   This touched off a two-year battle between the towns. Viterbo had the mystic   
   and did not want to lose her; the duke of Ferrara sent his troops to take   
   her by force, and much blood was shed before she was finally brought to   
   Narni. The shock and grief of this violence was a new trial for Lucy. The   
   duke sent his daughter-in-law, Lucrezia Borgia, to find postulants for the   
   new convent. The records say, sedately: "Many of these did not persevere."   
      
   The duke of Ferrara liked to show off the convent he had founded. He brought   
   all his guests to see it. One time, he arrived with a troop of dancing   
   girls, who had been entertaining at a banquet, and demanded that Lucy show   
   them her stigmata and, if possible, go into ecstasy. It is not surprising   
   that such events would upset religious life, and that sooner or later   
   something would have to be done about it. Some of the sisters, naturally,   
   thought it was Lucy's fault.   
      
   The petitioned the bishop, and he sent six nuns from the Second Order to   
   reform the community. Lucy's foundation was of the Third Order; exactly what   
   the difference was we do not know. The Second Order nuns, according to the   
   chronicle, "brought in the very folds of their veils the seed of war"; nuns   
   of the Second Order wore black veils, a privilege not allowed to tertiaries.   
      
   The uneasy episode ended when one of the visitors was made prioress. Lucy   
   was placed on penance. The nature of her fault is not mentioned, nor is   
   there any explanation of the fact that, until her death, 39 years later, she   
   was never allowed to speak to anyone but her confessor, who was chosen by   
   the prioress.   
      
   The Dominican provincial, probably nervous for the prestige of the order,   
   would not let any member of the order go to see her. Her stigmata   
   disappeared, too late to do her any good, and vindictive companions said:   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
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