From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   July 26th - St. Bartholomea Capitanio   
      
   Born in Lovere (near Brescia), Lombardy, Italy, 1807; died July 26,   
   1833; canonized in 1950; feast day was July 27. Bartholomea Capitanio,   
   together with Saint Vincentia Gerosa, founded the Institute of the   
   Sisters of Charity (Suore della carità) of Lovere, their native town.   
   Bartholomea was the daughter of a rough corn-farmer, who was an   
   alcoholic, and a virtuous mother who, together with the sisters of her   
   convent school, taught the young girl to strive for Christian   
   perfection.   
      
   Her parents forbade her to become a nun, so she took a vow of   
   perpetual chastity and decided to devote herself to teaching. For that   
   reason, she earned a diploma to teach elementary school. In this way   
   she consecrated her life to the apostolate of the young, and organized   
   a sodality of Saint Aloysius (Lovere is near his birthplace), which   
   spread to other districts.   
      
   Despite her extreme youth, she was the prime force behind the creation   
   of the Sisters of Charity during her lifetime. She saw the need to   
   perpetuate the good that was being done through the sodality by   
   creating a religious institute. She joined forces with (Catherine)   
   Vincentia Gerosa, who was also moved by the state of ignorance and   
   neglect in which so many people lived.   
      
   Although the two women were very different, they melded their talents   
   well. Vincentia was already 40 when she got to know Bartholomea, and   
   the latter was only 26 when she died. Catherine's main interest was in   
   nursing the sick poor for whom she had already founded a hospital,   
   taking on the heaviest burdens herself; while Bartholomea's interest   
   was education. Nevertheless, it was a partnership of persons of   
   remarkable determination and selflessness.   
      
   Their congregation was designed to teach the young and nurse the sick.   
   Its rule is based on the principles of Saint Vincent de Paul. With the   
   help of their bishop, who encouraged them from the beginning, the   
   institute was approved by the pope in 1840, and their foundation,   
   which has spread widely, now has 500 to 600 communities.   
      
   Bartholomea also achieved fame as a writer on spiritual subjects. She   
   never spared herself, even when dying of consumption. Her endless   
   correspondence and outside activities left her no time for leisure.   
   Four months before her death, she finally obeyed her doctor's order to   
   stop writing letters, but she was already too ill to be saved   
   (Attwater, Benedictines, Encyclopedia, Walsh).   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   It is here, my daughters, that love is to be found--not hidden away in   
   corners but in the midst of occasions of sin. And believe me, although   
   we may more often fail and commit small lapses, our gain will be   
   incomparably the greater.   
   --St. Teresa of Avila   
      
   Bible Quote   
   If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of   
   charity, if any society of the spirit, if any bowels of commiseration:   
   2. Fulfil ye my joy, that you may be of one mind, having the same   
   charity, being of one accord, agreeing in sentiment. 3. Let nothing be   
   done through contention, neither by vain glory: but in humility, let   
   each esteem others better than themselves: 4. Each one not considering   
   the things that are his own, but those that are other men's. 5. For   
   let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:   
   (Philippians 2:1-5) DRB   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   Sts. Joachim and Anne, A Family Prayer   
      
   Lord Jesus, through the intercession of Your Blessed   
   Mother Mary and Good St. Joseph we ask You to bless,   
   protect and guide our family. Humbly we approach Your   
   Eucharistic throne of grace and pray that You mold us into a   
   Holy Family.  By the power of the Holy Spirit please help us   
   to do the will of Our Heavenly Father, during our earthly   
   sojourn, for Your honor and glory and the salvation of souls.   
   Help us to lead others to You in the Most Blessed   
   Sacrament.  At the end of our journey please gather us   
   together, again, that we may be a family in Your heavenly   
   paradise and with the angels and saints sing Your praises   
   for eternity.   
      
   (From the book Family Hours of Adoration)   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)