Bienheureuse
Cécile
Moniale dominicaine (+1290)
Moniale dominicaine au couvent de Saint-Sixte de Bologne.
À Bologne en Émilie, l'an 1290, la bienheureuse Cécile, vierge, qui reçut des mains de saint Dominique l'habit des moniales de l'Ordre des Prêcheurs, et fut un témoin très fidèle de sa règle et de son esprit.
Martyrologe romain
CECILIA ROMANA, BL.
Dominican nun; b. Rome, c. 1200; d. Bologna, Italy, 1290.
Cecilia Cesarini began her religious life in the
monastery of S. Maria in
Tempulo, Rome. In 1221 she moved with her community to S. Sisto, a reformed mon
astery founded in that year by St. dominic, from whom the group received the
Dominican habit and in whose hands they renewed their vows. In 1225 Cecilia and
three other S. Sisto nuns were sent to Bologna to the monastery of S. Agnese,
newly founded by (Bl.) jordan of saxony and (Bl.) Diana d'Andalo, in order to
establish the Do minican life there. Cecilia was prioress of S. Agnese in 1237.
Her reminiscences of Dominic, embodying much information about the foundation
of S. Sisto, and including the only eyewitness description of Dominic's fea
tures, were preserved in writing by another nun c. 1280.
Her cultus was confirmed in 1891.
Feast: June 9.
Bibliography: a. m. walz, ed.,
"Die Miracula Beati Dominici der
Schwester Cäcilia," in Miscellanea Pio Paschini, Studi distoria
ecclesiastica, 2 v. (Rome 1948–49)
1:293–326. h. m.
cormier, La Bienheureuse Diane d'Andalò et les bienheureuses Cécileet Aimée (Rome
1892). h. wilms, Geschichte der
deutschen Dominikanerinnen (Dülmen
1920) 25–28.
[J. A. Doshner]
SOURCE : https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/cecilia-romana-bl
BLESSED CECILIA CESARINI (1203-1290) — DISCIPLE OF ST.
DOMINIC
“Then our Lord…said to blessed Dominic, ‘I
have entrusted your Order to my Mother.’” ~ Bl. Cecilia
The
silence of monastic life enlarges one’s capacity to listen. Through the
faithful living out of regular observance a nun learns to listen, and becomes
finely attuned to the slightest prompting of the Holy Spirit. Cecilia, of the
ancient Roman Cesarini family, was an eager listener, quick to recognize the
promptings of the Holy Spirit in her life. Her listening heart led her to
meditate long and deeply on all she had seen and heard of our holy father
Dominic. Monastic life in early 13th century Rome was quite lax, and it was the
desire of Pope Innocent III to reform the Roman monasteries. However, it was
his successor, Pope Honorius III, with the help of St. Dominic, who worked on the
reform. The plan was to gather all the nuns of Rome into one monastery where
their life could be regulated; the nuns, however, were resistant. Finally, the
monastery of Santa Maria in Tempulo, of which 17 year old Cecilia was a member,
agreed to come under the guidance of St. Dominic and move to the Church of San
Sisto – provided that their icon of the Blessed Virgin would remain in San
Sisto with them. (This icon had been known to return to its former location in
other attempts at moving.)
Three
times did the eager, young Cecilia make profession into the hands of St.
Dominic. On arrival at the new monastery of San Sisto, she was the first to
receive the Dominican habit from his hands, as he stood at the front door to
welcome them. Two years later, in 1223, she was sent with three other nuns to
the new monastery of St. Agnes in Bologna, “to teach them the Order.” She
remained in this monastery until death. In old age, she dictated her memories
of St. Dominic, leaving us not only a physical description of our founder, but
also, through relating many of his miracles, a spiritual portrait of him as
well – particularly his deep trust and confidence in God.
THE LEGEND OF ST DOMINIC
by Blessed Cecilia Cesarine, O.S.B
This Legend was
dictated by Blessed Cecilia in her old age and is from a very ancient parchment
kept in St Agnes' monastery in Bologna for centuries and now in the public
archives. The Introduction and Epilogue are by Sister Angelica of Bologna.
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The miracles
here recorded, which our holy father St Dominic wrought in Rome, were narrated
by Sr Cecilia of Rome, the same whom Pope Honorius, of blessed memory, sent
with three other sisters of St Sixtus' monastery to instruct the nuns of St
Agnes' monastery in Bologna, of the Order of Preachers, in the lifetime of our
venerable father Master Jordan. She, moreover, took the habit from St Dominic's
own hands, and made her profession into his hands three several times, and she
is still living in the flesh in the same convent, endowed with great marks of
sanctity.
FIRST OF ALL HOW ST DOMINIC RAISED
TO LIFE
A WIDOW'S SON FROM THE DEAD
A DEVOUT woman
of Roman birth, Tetta by name, who dwelt in St Saviour's parish, was very much
devoted to St Dominic. She had but one son, and he still a child and
dangerously ill. While St Dominic was one day preaching in St Mark's church in
Rome, this woman, in her eagerness to hear the word of God from his lips, left
her sick boy at home and went to the church where the saint was preaching. On
her return after the sermon she found the child dead. Stricken to the very
heart with silent grief, and putting all her trust in God's power and St
Dominic's merits, she took up her dead son in her arms and carried him to St
Sixtus, where the saint was then staying with the brethren. Now, whereas the
house was being got ready for the sisters, anyone who chose could walk in, the
workmen being still all about the place, so she walked straight in and found
him standing at the door of the chapter-house, as if waiting on purpose. Seeing
him, she laid her son down at his feet, and then going on her knees entreated
him to give her back her child. Then St Dominic, touched by her great grief,
withdrew a short distance and prayed for a few minutes. After his prayer he
rose, and going over to the boy made the sign of the cross over him, then
taking him by the hand he raised him up alive and well and gave him back sound
to his mother, forbidding her to say a word about it to anyone.
Straightway she
went home with her boy in great glee, and spread the news of what had befallen
her touching the child, so that it came to the ears of the Sovereign Pontiff
who wanted to mention it in a public sermon before all the people, but the true
lover and guardian of humility -- St Dominic -- would not allow it, declaring
that if it were done he would not tarry a day longer in that country, but would
cross the sea to the Saracens. Fearing such a step the Pope forbore to publish
it. But the Lord who had said in his gospel that ' he who humbleth
himself shall be exalted,' and who himself magnifies and exalts his
servants against their own will and desire, so stirred up the piety of the
people and nobles to reverence St Dominic from that time, that they followed
him about everywhere as if he had been an angel from God, and every man deemed
himself happy if he could only touch him, or get a piece of his habit for a
relic. They kept cutting his cloak and capuce so that his habit hardly
stretched to his knees. When the brethren forbade the people to meddle with his
garments, the holy father was touched at their devotion, and said: 'Let them do
what they please, and give vent to their feelings.' There were present at this
great miracle, Brother Tancred, Brother Otto, Brother Henry, Brother Gregory,
Brother Albert, and many more, who, at a later period, told all these
particulars to Sister Cecilia, who was at that time in St Mary's monastery
beyond the Tiber, together with other nuns.
HOW ST DOMINIC RAISED FROM THE DEAD
THE NEPHEW OF THE LORD CARDINAL STEPHEN
POPE HONORIUS,
of happy memory, charged St Dominic to gather in one enclosure all the nuns who
were lying scattered all over the city, and then, after he had constructed a
monastery for them at St Sixtus, to make them continue in common life. St
Dominic, however, asked the Pope to name other fitting helpers for carrying out
so hard an under taking: accordingly the Pope gave him for helpmates the
Cardinal Ugolino, bishop of Ostia, who became Pope later on, Stephen of
Fossa-Nuova, Cardinal by the title of the Twelve Apostles, and Nicholas,
Cardinal and bishop of Tusculum, and bade them stand by him should he need
their aid. Now when all the other nuns would obey neither the Pope nor St
Dominic in this matter, the abbess of St Mary's across the Tiber, and all her
nuns, with only one exception, offered themselves and their property with all
the revenues of their monastery to St Dominic. Then St Dominic and the three
Cardinals associated with him gave orders that on the first Wednesday in Lent,
after the imposition of ashes, they should all meet at St Sixtus for the said
abbess to resign her office before them and all the nuns, and make over to him
and his companions all rights over the monastery. While St Dominic was sitting
with the three Cardinals, and the said abbess and her nuns were standing by,
lo, a man came in tearing his hair and shouting aloud: 'Alas, alas!' When those
present asked what was amiss, he rejoined: 'The Lord Cardinal Stephen's nephew
has fallen from his horse and is dead.' The young man's name was Napoleon, and
at the news his uncle swooned away in St Dominic's arms. The others held him up
and St Dominic sprinkled him with holy water. Then, leaving him, he went out to
where the dead man lay, horribly crushed and mangled, and bade them carry him
into a house outside the enclosure and shut him up therein. Next he told
Brother Tancred and the others he had brought with him to prepare the altar for
him to say mass. Now there were standing in that place St Dominic and the
Cardinals with their followers, and the abbess with her nuns, for the Cardinals
and St Dominic held her in great reverence for her sanctity. Then St Dominic
said Mass with abundance of tears. On coming to the elevation of the Lord's
Body, holding it uplifted in his hands, as he generally did, St Dominic was
seen to be raised a span from the ground. All who were present witnessed it,
and were lost in wonderment at the sight. When the mass was finished he went
back to the corpse, and with him went the Cardinals and their company, the
abbess and her nuns, and on coming to the body he with his own most holy hands
laid out the crushed and mangled limbs, from the head down to the feet: then he
knelt down and wept much while he prayed by the bier. Thrice he composed the
lacerated head and limbs, praying the while, then he got up and made the sign
of the cross over the body, and standing at the dead man's head, his hands
upraised to heaven, and himself uplifted by divine power above a span from the
ground, he called aloud: 'O young man, Napoleon, in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ I bid thee arise!' And instantly, in the sight of all those who had
crowded in to see what marvel would happen, the young man rose up sound and
well, and said to St Dominic: 'Father, give me something to eat.' Then St
Dominic gave him both meat and drink, and restored him to his uncle hale and
happy, and without a trace of his injuries; now he had lain dead from early
morning till nine of the clock. Sister Cecilia narrated this wondrous miracle
just as it is herein set down, for she was present all the while, and saw
everything with her own eyes and heard all with her own ears.
HOW BREAD AND WINE WERE SUPPLIED
AND MULTIPLIED
FROM HEAVEN AT HIS PRAYER
WHEN the
brethren were still at St Sixtus, and numbered one hundred, St Dominic on a
certain day told Brother John of Calabria and Brother Albert of Rome to go and
beg alms in the city. After they had been begging from early morning to three
in the afternoon without obtaining anything, they returned home empty-handed.
But as they passed the church of St Anastasia, a woman met them who had a great
devotion for the Order, and seeing that they had procured no alms she gave them
a loaf of bread, saying: 'I won't have you go home empty-handed.' They took the
loaf and were journeying homewards, when lo, a youth of comely mien and dressed
in white joined them and asked for an alms. They began to excuse themselves by
saying they could not afford to give him anything as they had not enough for
themselves. But as he pleaded yet more urgently they said each to the other:
'What are we to do with only one loaf? let us bestow it on him for the love of
God"; so they gave him the loaf, and directly after he disappeared, nor
could they discover whither he had gone. On their return home our holy father
met them, and knowing all that had passed, by a special revelation of the Holy
Ghost, he said to them, with a beaming face: 'My sons, have you nothing at
all?' But they answered: 'Truly we have nothing, father:' They then rehearsed
what had befallen them, and told him all about the poor man on whom they had
bestowed the loaf. To this he replied: 'It was an angel of God; but the Lord
will feed his servants: let us betake ourselves to prayer.' He went to the
church, and after a short space came out and bade them call together the
community for dinner. Upon this they answered him: 'But, holy father, why do
you wish to bring them here since we have nothing to set before them.' Yet as
he foreknew what would happen, he simply said: 'The Lord will feed his
servants.' Now as they tarried in doing as he bid them, he called Brother Roger
the cellarer and told him to call the brethren to table, as the Lord would
provide for his servants. The tables were at last spread and the cups set in
order, the signal was given and they entered the refectory. When the brethren
were seated our holy father blessed the table, and Brother Henry of Rome began
the reading as is the custom during dinner. But St Dominic joined his hands and
began to pray over the table, and lo, as he had promised by the promptings of
the Holy Ghost, there suddenly appeared, by God's providence, two very handsome
youths in the middle of the refectory, carrying upon their shoulders two clean
linen cloths filled with white loaves. Then, starting with the lowest one on
the right side and the other on the left, they set a whole loaf of rare beauty
before each of the brethren. When they came to St Dominic they in like manner
set a whole loaf before him, and then, bowing their heads, they disappeared,
and to this day no one knows whence they came or whither they went.
Then St Dominic
said: 'My sons, eat the bread which the Lord has sent us.' He then bade the
servers pour out wine for the brethren, but they replied: 'Holy father, we have
none.' Then full of the spirit of prophecy he said to them: 'Go to the cask and
give the brethren the wine to drink which our Lord has sent them.' So they went
as he had bidden them, and found the cask brimful of the best wine, and drawing
a measure they carried it to the brethren. Upon this St Dominic said to them:
'My brothers, drink the wine which the Lord hath sent us.' They ate and drank
as much as they pleased that day, and the next day, and again a third day.
After dinner then he had all that was left of the bread and wine given to the
poor, and would not suffer any of it to be kept in the house. He did not send
them out for alms during those three days, since the Lord had abundantly
provided them with bread and wine from heaven. After this the holy father made
to them a beautiful sermon, and warned them never to distrust God's providence
even in time of want. Brother Tancred, the prior of the brethren, Brother Odo
of Rome, Brother Henry of the same place, Brother Laurence from England,
Brother Gaude, Brother John of Rome, and many more were present and told this
striking miracle to Sister Cecilia and the other nuns, at the time she was yet
staying in St Mary's monastery beyond the Tiber. They gave the sisters some of
the bread and wine which they preserved for many years as relics. Now the
Brother Albert, whom St Dominic sent out to beg for alms with a companion, was
one of the two whose happy death St Dominic foresaw in Rome. The other was
Brother Gregory, a man of great beauty and perfect grace. Brother Gregory
departed first to the Lord after devoutly receiving the sacraments. Three days
later Brother Albert also received the sacraments very devoutly, and sped from
this dark prison to the heavenly palace.
HOW THE DEVIL APPEARED TO ST
DOMINIC IN THE SHAPE OF AN APE
IT came to
pass, when the brethren were yet staying at St Sixtus, our holy father was one
night watching in prayer, and leaving the church about midnight he sat down to
write by candle-light at the entrance of the dormitory. And lo, the devil
appeared before him in the shape of an ape, and began to dance up and down
before him, while he recited some amusing verses, and kept on grimacing the
while St Dominic motioned for him to bide still, and taking the lighted candle,
gave it him to hold by his side. So he took the candle and stood before St
Dominic, still making grimaces and reciting his ludicrous rhymes. Meanwhile the
candle burnt down and the ape's paws began to be burnt, which made him wriggle
about and howl from pain, just as anyone might dread real fire if he were being
burnt in the eternal flames of hell. Again St Dominic cautioned him to bide
quiet. What need to say more! he stood holding the candle while his entire
forefinger was burnt down to where it joins the hand, while the ape howled and
writhed all the more. Then St Dominic caught up the stick he always carried
about with him, and beat him soundly, then he cried: 'Begone wretch.' The
beating sounded like striking an inflated bladder. Leaping at a bound to the
opposite wall the ape never came back, while the stench of his presence showed
beyond doubt who he really was. St Dominic told this miracle to all the
brothers and sisters in Sister Cecilia's hearing, and she watched him imitating
the ape's antics.
HOW HE RID A WOMAN OF SEVEN DEVILS
AFTER the
Sisters had taken up their residence by the church of St Sixtus, the same holy
father fixed the second Sunday in Lent -- which is the Sunday on which the
gospel about the Chananean woman is read -- for a sermon in that church. A
great crowd of men and women met together on the occasion, while St Dominic
took his stand by the grating so that the Sisters could both hear and see him
while he preached God's word with unction. And behold there was present a woman
full of devils, who said that she had seven within her, and who began to
disturb his preaching by shouting aloud: 'Knave and fool, thou hast already
robbed me of four persons who were mine, thou hast robbed me of my own': and
she kept on repeating the word 'knave' over and over again. Now when the folk
murmured at her interrupting the sermon, St Dominic called to her a couple of
times: 'Hush! hold your tongue!' Then the devils answered through her mouth:
'Thou shalt not turn us out, for she is ours, and we refuse to leave her':
whereupon they began telling, with several voices at a time, how they came to
enter into her. As the confusion only grew worse from her disturbance, St
Dominic lifted up his hand and made the sign of the cross over her, saying:' In
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ I command you to go out of her, and not to
torment her any longer.' Instantly she began to vomit up a quantity of coals,
and so much blood that she lay like a corpse. Then St Dominic had her carried
out to a house close by, and gave orders for her to be cared for until she got
well, and he gave her the name of Amata, or Beloved.
A long while
after this, when Sister Cecilia and her companions came to St Agnes' Convent,
in Bologna, by command of our lord the Pope, this woman called upon them when
on her way to the shrine of St James the Apostle, being quite well and in sound
health at the time, and she conversed with them pleasantly. St Dominic wrought
this miracle in a public sermon by the grille in St Sixtus' church, before
Sister Cecilia and the other sisters, who all saw him standing by the grille,
and with great trepidation listened to him while he commanded the devils to go
out from her.
HOW WINE WAS INCREASED, AND AN
ANGEL BECAME HIS GUIDE,
AND HOW HE FREED A NOVICE FROM TEMPTATION
IT was our holy
father's custom to spend the whole day in gaining souls, either by constant
preaching or in hearing confessions, or in other works of laborious charity. In
the evening time he used to come to the sisters, and give them a conference in
his brethren's presence, and he used to instruct them in the duties of the
Order, for they had no other master but himself. One evening he came somewhat
later than usual. The sisters, after waiting a space for him, finished their
prayers and retired to the dormitory, when lo, suddenly the brethren rang the
bell, which was the signal for summoning the sisters when our holy father came
to them. On hearing it they all hurried to the church, and on opening the
grille found him already seated there among his brethren awaiting them. Then St
Dominic addressed these words to them: 'My daughters, I am come from fishing,
and our Lord has sent me a big fish.' He alluded hereby to Brother Gaude, the
only son of Master Alexander, a wealthy Roman, whom the venerable father had
taken into the Order. After this he gave them a long instruction which filled
them with unspeakable comfort. When it was over he said: 'Daughters, it is good
for us to have something to drink.' So he called Brother Roger the cellarer and
told him to fetch some wine and a cup. When the brother brought what was asked
for, St Dominic bade him fill the cup to the brim, he then blessed it and drank
of it first himself, and then all the brethren present, to the number of
twenty-five, counting clerics and lay-brothers. They all drank as much as they
wished while the cup was in no wise changed, but still continued full. After the
brothers had drunk, St Dominic said: 'I would have all my daughters to drink as
well.' He then called Sister Nubia, and said to her: 'Go to the turn and take
the cup, and let all the sisters drink.' She went with a companion and fetched
the cup which was still brimful, and although full to the very top, not a drop
was spilled. The sisters all drank of it accordingly, first of all the
prioress, then all the rest, and just as much as they pleased, while our holy
father kept encouraging them by saying: 'Drink your fill my daughters.' There
were in all one hundred and four sisters, who drank out of the cup just as much
as they pleased, yet it remained as full as ever, as if the wine had been
pouring in all the time. He then gave orders for the cup to be handed out, and
it was given up quite as full as when it was passed in, but what became of the
cup and its contents is not known at the present day. When this was over, St
Dominic said: 'The Lord wills me to go to Santa Sabina.' Then Brother Tancred,
the prior of the brethren, and Brother Odo, the prior of the sisters, and the
rest of the brethren, the abbess and sisters, all wanted to keep him, saying:
'Holy father, the hour is late, for it is close on midnight, and it is not
right for you to go away now.' But he would not yield to them. 'The Lord of all
wants me to set out,' said he, 'and he will send his angel with us.' As they
could not keep him he took Brother Tancred and Brother Odo, the priors of the
brothers and sisters, and started off with them. According to his promise, when
St Dominic came to the gate of the church on going out, a very handsome youth
was standing there with a staff in his hand, as if prepared for a journey. Then
St Dominic sent his brethren on after the young man, while he himself walked
behind in the third place. On arriving at the church gate they found it
carefully shut and fastened with bolts. But the youth, who had gone on before
them on the road, drew one half of the door towards himself and at once it
opened before them, and the youth walked in first, then the brethren, and after
them all St Dominic likewise entered. When all were inside, the young man went
out and the door closed just as they found it before. Then Brother Tancred put
this question to St Dominic: 'Holy father, who was that youth who bore us
company?' He made answer: 'Son, it was his angel whom the Lord appointed to
watch over us.' At the signal for matins the brethren came into the choir, and
seeing St Dominic and his companions in the choir among the brethren, they marvelled
how they could have entered through the closed door.
There was a
young novice in that convent named James, a native of Rome, who, being strongly
tempted, resolved to leave the Order directly the church doors were opened
after matins. This being revealed to St Dominic, he was beforehand with him,
and sending for him after matins took him on one side. After speaking kindly to
him, he begged and warned him not to let himself be hoodwinked by the devil's
cunning in quitting such a holy brotherhood in this way, but rather to remain
true to Christ's service. The youth, however, paid no heed to his warnings and
entreaties, but stood up and pulled off the habit, declaring that he had made
up his mind to leave the Order. Then the most holy father, compassionating his
violent temptation, said to him: 'My child, wait a little, and then do as you
have a mind.' At this St Dominic also rose and prostrated himself in prayer,
and it soon appeared how profitable it was in God's sight, and how easy it was
for him to get what he wanted. No sooner had he ended his prayer than suddenly
the temptation passed away, the brother threw himself at his feet in floods of
tears, entreated forgiveness, and begged him to let him have the habit once
more, which in a moment of sore temptation he had thrown off, promising never
more to abandon the Order, Then the venerable father, after a few words,
clothed him again with the habit of the Order, and cautioned him never for the
future to give way to temptation, but to remain ever steadfast in Christ's
service: and by his intercessor's merits he afterwards spent a long and
praiseworthy life in the Order.
Next morning St
Dominic returned to St Sixtus with his companions, and in his presence the
brethren already named told Sister Cecilia and the other sisters all that had
befallen them. St Dominic also vouched for the truth of the entire story as
told by his brethren, and added: 'God's enemy wanted to have one of Christ's
lambs, but the Lord rescued him from out of his hands.'
HOW THE BLESSED VIRGIN APPEARED TO
HIM WHILE AT PRAYER,
AND SHOWED HIM THE CARE SHE TAKES OF THE ORDER
ONCE when St
Dominic was passing the night in the church in prayer, about midnight he went
out and entered the dormitory. After looking at his brethren he resumed his
prayer at the entrance of the dormitory. While standing erect as he prayed, he
chanced to glance to the other end of the dormitory and saw three very comely
ladies advancing towards him, of whom the central figure seemed to be a lady
more dignified and of higher rank than the . others. One of the two attendants
carried a beautiful and resplendent vessel of holy water, and the other a
sprinkler, which she presented to the third who walked between them. This one
sprinkled the brethren and blessed them, but as she passed along doing so there
was one friar whom she neither blessed nor sprinkled. St Dominic observed this
attentively, and noting whom it was, followed the lady as far as the lamp which
hung in the middle of the dormitory: there he threw himself at her feet and
began earnestly to beg her to say who she was, although he knew very well all
the while. Now at that time the beautiful and devout anthem, the Salve
Regina, was not sung in the convents of our brethren and sisters in
Rome, but merely said kneeling. Then the lady addressed St Dominic and said: 'I
am she whom you greet every evening, and when you say "Turn then our
Advocate," I prostrate myself before my Son for the preservation of this
Order.' St Dominic then enquired who her companions might be, whereunto she
made answer: 'One of them is Cecilia and the other Catherine.' Upon this St
Dominic made further enquiry touching the brother whom she had passed by, and
why she had neither sprinkled nor blest him with the rest: at this she answered:
'Simply because he was unworthy of it.' Then she resumed sprinkling and
blessing the remaining friars, and went away.
St Dominic
returned to his prayers, and was caught up in spirit from where he was standing
to the throne of God, and there he beheld our Lord, and the Blessed Virgin
sitting on his right hand, whilst she appeared to our holy father to be wearing
a mantle of deep blue colour. As lie gazed round he saw religious men of every
Order in the Church standing in God's presence, but not one of his own family,
so he began to weep bitterly and would not presume to come near our Lord and
leis holy mother. Thereupon she made a sign with her hand for him to draw nigh,
but still he did not dare to do so until our Lord also beckoned to him; then he
came up and threw himself down before them, weeping as if his heart would
break. Then Christ bade him arise, and asked him gently: 'Why weepest thou thus
sorrowfully?' 'I am grieving,' said St Dominic, 'because I see here members of
every religious Order, but of my own not one.' Then our Lord said: 'And would
you see your Order?' To this the saint answered trembling: 'Yes, Lord, of a
surety I would.' Placing his hand lovingly on the Blessed Virgin's shoulder,
Christ replied: 'I have given over your Order to my mother's care.' At this the
Blessed Virgin drew back her mantle, and opening it wide before St Dominic, it
seemed to enclose nearly the whole of that heavenly country, so vast was it,
and beneath it he saw a great host of his brethren. Casting himself down, St
Dominic returned right hearty thanks to Christ and his holy mother; soon the
vision passed away, and once again regaining his natural consciousness he rang
the bell for matins. When the morning office was over he summoned the brethren
to the chapter-house, and there spoke to them with burning words, exhorting
them to love and reverence ever the blessed Virgin, and amongst the rest he
told them of his vision. When the chapter was over he called aside the friar
whom our blessed Lady had neither sprinkled nor blessed, and tried by gentle
speech to discover whether there was not some secret sin which he had not
confessed, for the brother had made a general confession to St Dominic. The
brother made this reply: 'Holy father, I have nothing to reproach myself with
in conscience except this, that on that night I retired to rest without being
dressed according to rule.'
St Dominic
recounted this vision to Sister Cecilia and the other sisters of St Sixtus, yet
as if it had befallen someone else, but the brethren present then, who had
heard him relate it before, gave the sisters to understand that the person was
none other than himself. It was on this account that St Dominic made it a rule
that all his brethren should sleep in tunic and girdle wherever they might be.
HOW THE DEVIL APPEARED UNDER THE
SHAPE OF A LIZARD,
AND TRIED TO HINDER HIS PREACHING
ON a time,
after saying Mass, St Dominic went up to the grille and commanded the sisters
to assemble by the water course near the mill, there to hear the word of God.
Knowing well what was about to happen, he warned them thus: 'My daughters, fear
not if the enemy of mankind should try to affright you by appearing in some
hideous shape.' On their side, much did they wonder that he should choose so
strange a place for the sermon. Now as the mill was under repair he entered the
enclosure of the sisters, and some of his brethren with him, and they came to
the place where the sisters were waiting. They all sat down by the water
course, and St Dominic began to preach with much vehemence on the crafty snares
of the enemy. While he was yet speaking, Satan suddenly appeared in the
horrible form of a monstrous lizard, black as night, and with two heads and
tails. In this form he began to run up and down by the side of the water,
raising his heads and tails and then letting them fall in a threatening way, as
if about to attack them. St Dominic, well knowing by the Holy Spirit who it was
thus hiding himself under the form of a huge lizard, fixed his eyes on him, and
shaking his head in a menacing way, cried aloud: 'I know thee, my enemy.' Then
turning to the sisters, he said: 'Fear nothing, he is powerless to hurt you.'
But as some of the sisters were turning to fly away affrighted, he again called
aloud: 'Enemy of mankind, I command thee to cast thyself into the water!' The
reptile obeyed at once, and appeared no more. Sister Cecilia and the rest of
the sisters at St Sixtus' were all present at this miracle, together with
several of our brethren.
HOW ST DOMINIC HEALED THREE NUNS OF
FEVER
ONE day St
Dominic appeared quite unexpectedly at the grille, and calling Sister
Constantia, the portress, enquired how Sister Theodore, Sister Thedrana, and
Sister Nympha were in health. She replied that they were all laid up with
fever, and that Sister Theodora was even in high fever. Upon hearing this, St
Dominic said: 'Go and tell them from me that I bid them have fever no longer.'
This was all the more wonderful, for no one had informed him that those sisters
were ailing, but he knew it by the Spirit of God. The portress accordingly went
to deliver the message, while St Dominic tarried at the grille. She commanded
them in his name to cease from having fever, and instantly they rose up cured,
and went through the convent to the amazement of the rest who witnessed the
marvel. The sister went back to St Dominic and told him of what had happened:
without more ado he simply thanked God, and retired from the grille.
HOW THE DEVIL UPSET THE LAMP
WITHOUT SPILLING IT,
DURING HIS SERMON
AT one time on
his return journey from Spain, St Dominic carried by way of a small present
some wooden spoons, one for each of the sisters. One day, after preaching and
other deeds of charity, he came when it was late to the sisters, and carried
the spoons with him he had brought them from Spain. As they were sitting
together behind the grille, and his brethren were likewise seated beside him,
he began to preach to them once more about the wiles of the enemy, showing how
Satan, for the sake of deceiving souls, trans forms himself not merely into an
angel of light, but assumes the shapes of the vilest creatures to hinder
preaching and other good works, sometimes even taking the shape of a common
sparrow. The venerable father had scarcely said the word ere the enemy of
mankind came on the scene in the shape of a sparrow, and began to fly through
the air, and hopping even on the sisters' heads, so that they could have
handled him had they been so minded, and all this to hinder the preaching. St
Dominic observing this, called Sister Maximilla, and said: 'Get up and catch
him, and fetch him here to me.' She got up and, putting out her hand, had no
difficulty in seizing hold of him, and handed him out through the window to St
Dominic. St Dominic held him fast in one hand and commenced plucking off the
feathers with the other, saying the while: 'You wretch, you rogue!' When he had
plucked him clean of all his feathers amid much laughter from the brothers and
sisters, and awful shrieks of the sparrow, he pitched him out, saying: 'Fly now
if you can, enemy of mankind! you can cry out and trouble us, but you can't
hurt us!' The sparrow hopped once more through the window into the church,
while All the sisters sat down to hear the sermon, then climbing up to the
brass vessel, suspended by chains, which held the oil lamp, he broke the chains
with a strong wrench and overturned the vessel. The lamp fell out, but not only
was it not damaged or extinguished, but went on burning upside down. The
sisters all looked up at the crash of the upset, and saw the lamp standing
without any support in mid-air. And so it fell out as St Dominic had foretold,
for although the lamp continued upturned not one drop of oil was spilled.
Neither was the lamp put out, nor was the bran, put under the lamp for safety's
sake, shaken out, but everything remained untouched as if it had stood unshaken
in its right place. When St Dominic and his brethren saw this they returned
thanks to God. He then ordered Sister Sabina-the same whom he had named
Sacristan when he appointed all the officials in St Sixtus'- to put the lamp in
its right place, and she did so. And so it came about that he employed for
God's glory what the enemy of mankind had from envy done for their hurt and
hindrance. The sparrow which flew in that night disappeared, and no one saw
whither he went. As it was late while St Dominic was preaching the sisters lit
the large lamps in the enclosure and the brothers lit those without, so that
all could easily see what was going on in the church. St Dominic wrought this
laughter-stirring miracle by the window in St Sixtus' church, in the presence
of Sister Cecilia, who saw and heard all that had been said, and of the other
sisters of St Sixtus who were also present.
HOW HE CURED A SOLITARY OF A
LOATHSOME DISEASE BY HIS MERITS
THERE was in
Rome a recluse, Bona by name, a woman of great holiness and piety, who dwelt in
a tower hard by the Lateran Gate, who was tended to by another woman called
Jacobina. St Dominic used often to visit her, for he had a high opinion of her
sanctity, and he would hear her confession and bring her holy communion. This
holy solitary was stricken with a foul disease, so that countless worms used to
creep out constantly from her breast, but if any fell to the ground she would
put them back again. One day St. Dominic visited her, and after giving her the
holy communion he sat down to converse with her through the little window, and
asked her to let him see the diseased part. She opened her dress and showed him
her breast all covered with creeping worms. Then the gentle father, beholding
her malady, compassionated her and said: 'Give me one of those worms as a
present I shall value.' But she would only let him have one on condition that
he gave it back to her again; so she accepted his promise, and picking up a
worm handed it through the window. St Dominic received it into his open palm,
and on touching it with his finger it turned into a most lovely precious stone.
When his companions saw this they begged of him not to give it back to her, but
she began to cry out, and entreated him to give her the precious stone which
was hers. She got it again and put it upon her breast, when it turned once more
into a worm as before. St Dominic absolved her from her sins, and bestowing his
blessing went away. As soon as he was gone all the diseased parts fell off from
her body with the worms, the flesh healed, and her breast appeared like that of
a young maiden. Some days after St Dominic called on her again, and found her
restored to her former health. She showed him and his companions her flesh, now
newly healed, and declared how our Lord had by his servant's merits cured her
of her infirmity. St Dominic and Brother Tancred, who was present, saw and
heard everything as here written down, and both told the whole story to Sister
Cecilia and the other sisters of St Sixtus.
HOW THE LORD HEALED ANOTHER
SOLITARY'S ARM
BY ST DOMINIC'S MERITS
THERE was
another solitary living behind St Anastasia's church, who was called Sister
Lucy, whom Cecilia used to visit before entering into religion. This woman had
a great sore on her arm which caused the skin and flesh to rot away, so as to
expose the bone of the arm. As St Dominic frequently passed by the spot on his
way to St Sixtus' he often stopped to see her. One day while visiting her in
company with Brother Bertrand of Spain and several more, he made her show him
the diseased arm: as she presented it before him he blessed it with the sign of
the cross, and then went his way, while she recovered its perfect use by his
merits. Both St Dominic and Brother Bertrand, who was with him, and saw and
heard all the above, informed Sister Cecilia, and the other sisters belonging
to St Sixtus', of this miracle.
HOW HE FOUNDED THE CONVENT AT ST
SIXTUS, AND CARRIED THITHER
THE PICTURE OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN
WHEN, in
furtherance of Pope Honorius' behest, St Dominic was gathering together the
nuns from the scattered monasteries in the city, so as to unite them at St
Sixtus' where the brethren dwelt at the time, amongst others the abbess of St
Mary's, beyond the Tiber (where the picture of the Blessed Virgin stood, which
is now at St Sixtus') together with Sister Cecilia and all the nuns with one
exception made profession into St Dominic's hands, and promised to enter his
enclosure with all her sisters, provided that our Lady's picture stayed with
them at St Sixtus'. But if on the contrary the picture returned to its former
resting place, as it had done once before, then she and all the rest should be
dispensed from her vows: St Dominic accordingly accepted the condition right
willingly. When their professions were once made he told them that he could not
allow them to go out of their enclosure any more to see their kinsfolk. But
directly their friends got to hear of it they crowded up to the monastery, and
began to abuse the abbess and nuns for wanting to destroy so fair a monastery,
and for placing themselves blindly in the hands of a man whom nobody knew. The
result was that some of them regretted their profession. But St Dominic knew
all by the light of the Holy Spirit: so one morning he came to them, and when
Mass and sermon were over he addressed these simple words to them: 'My
daughters, are you changing so soon, and do you want to go back from the way of
the Lord? I want every one who means to enter of her own free will now to renew
her profession.' With this the abbess and all the rest renewed their profession
at his hands, although several of them had repented of the step at first, but
now were brought back to a sense of duty by his merits. When all had been once
more professed under the same condition, St Dominic took away all the monastery
keys, and had full control of everything thenceforth; he then set his
lay-brothers to guard it by day and night and to supply the sisters with
provisions; nor would he allow the nuns to converse any more with their friends
and kinsfolk at the grille. When the Pope gave the brethren the church of St
Sabina, and they had gone to reside there, taking all their furniture and
books, St Dominic wished the abbess and her nuns to take up their abode at St
Sixtus'. They entered and began to live there on the first Sunday in Lent, and
the foremost of all was Sister Cecilia, who was then about seventeen years of
age. She received the habit at the entrance door and made her profession a
third time into his hands; after her came the abbess, then all the nuns of her
monastery, besides other religious and secular women, numbering forty-four in
all. But as to the picture of our Lady, from fear of hindrance on the part of
the citizens of Rome, who desired to prevent its removal because they had
better access to it in its old place, St Dominic and the two lord cardinals,
Nicholas and Stephen (whose nephew the saint had raised to life), carried it by
night to the church of St Sixtus, accompanied by a throng of devout people in
front of and following it, all barefoot and bearing lighted tapers. They
brought it with all due reverence to the sisters' church, where the community
awaited it, and there they placed it. There also it stays to this day with the
sisters, to the praise of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be honour and glory
world without end. Amen.
ST DOMINIC'S PERSONAL APPEARANCE
THIS was St
Dominic's appearance. He was of middle height and slender figure, of handsome
and somewhat ruddy countenance, his hair and beard of auburn, and with lustrous
eyes. From out his forehead and between his eye brows a radiant light shone
forth, which drew everyone to revere and love him. He was always joyous and
cheerful, except when moved to compassion at anyone's sorrows. His hands were
beautiful and tapering; his voice was clear, noble, and musical; he was never
bald, but kept his religious tonsure entire, mingled here and there with a few
grey hairs.
All that has
here been written down of St Dominic was narrated by Sister Cecilia, who
declared that she was ready to confirm everything upon oath, if necessary. But
since her life is so holy and devout we may easily take her bare word for it.
All the above which she spoke with her own mouth, was written down by Sister
Angelica of the same convent of St Agnes, unto the honour and praise of our
Lord, Jesus Christ and of our holy father Saint Dominic. Excuse the style since
she lacks skill in grammar.
Beata Cecilia Cesarini Vergine
Roma, 1200 circa - Bologna, 1260
Martirologio Romano: A Bologna, beata Cecilia, vergine, che ricevette l’abito monacale da san Domenico, del cui volto e del cui spirito fu testimone fedelissima.
Nella traslazione e
ricognizione delle reliquie di Diana d'Andalò, fatta nel 1510 nel monastero
bolognese di S. Agnese, si trovarono nella medesima tomba tre corpi, due dei
quali furono attribuiti rispettivamente a Diana e a Cecilia. Il terzo, che
allora non fu identificato, nella traslazione successiva (1584) fu attribuito a
suor Amata, presunta monaca venuta con altre sorelle nel 1224, su invito del b.
Giordano di Sassonia, da S. Sisto a S. Agnese per stabilirvi la vita
domenicana. Tale identificazione, evidentemente fondata su Galvano Fiamma,
manca di qualsiasi conferma. Il culto di Diana, Cecilia e Amata fu approvato il
24 dicembre 1891 da Leone XIII e la loro festa stabilita al 9 giugno. I corpi
delle beate si conservano tuttora nel monastero di S. Agnese di Bologna.
Diamo ora la biografia di Cecilia.
Nacque a Roma nei primi anni del sec. XIII e morì a Bologna verso il 1290. Non siamo certi del suo casato, benché molti la dicano della famiglia Cesarini. Dopo essere passata con altre religiose da S. Maria in Tempulo nel costituendo monastero di S. Sisto (28 febbraio 1221), verso la fine del 1223 o l'inizio del 1224 fu da papa Onorio III inviata con altre tre consorelle a Bologna, per informare nello spirito domenicano le suore del monastero di S. Agnese, da poco fondato dalla b. Diana d'Andalò e dal b. Giordano di Sassonia. Vi fu eletta priora. Sul declinare di una vita esemplare, tra i settanta e gli ottanta anni di età, volle edificare le consorelle, ricordando le meraviglie operate da s. Domenico a Roma nella contrastata fondazione di S. Sisto: i suoi racconti furono raccolti da suor Angelica e portano il titolo di Miracula beati Dominici, ai quali la Cecilia ha legato il suo nome nella storia e nella agiografia domenicana. Non deve tuttavia far meraviglia se questi ricordi, a mezzo secolo di distanza dai fatti, non possono costituire una fonte storica assolutamente sicura, quanto a cronologia e a nomi.
Autore: Luigi Abele Redigonda
CECILIA, beata
di Marco Palma - Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani - Volume 23 (1979)
CECILIA, beata. -
Nacque a Roma all'inizio del sec. XIII. Doveva uscire da una nobile famiglia,
ma il cognome Cesarini, che le viene più frequentemente attribuito (in
alternativa a quelli di Frangipane e Malabranca), non trova riscontro nei
documenti. Entrò molto giovane nel monastero di S. Maria in Tempulo (detto
anche Tempuli o in Tempore),
situato in quella che era a quel tempo la campagna tra il Circo Massimo e le
mura aureliane. Le carte del monastero conservano il suo nome in un documento
del 26 nov. 1219 in cui, dopo la badessa Eugenia, sono elencate quattro
monache.
La svolta decisiva della vita di C. fu costituita
dall'incontro della piccola comunità di S. Maria in Tempulo con s. Domenico.
Quest'ultimo, volendo fondare un monastero femminile del suo nuovo Ordine a
Roma, riuscì a ottenere da Onorio III la chiesa di S. Sisto, presso cui già
Innocenzo III aveva progettato, oltre un decennio prima, di riunire in clausura
buona parte delle monache romane. Con una bolla del 4 dic. 1219 Onorio III
privò dell'amministrazione del tempio l'Ordine dei canonici di Sempringham,
investendone subito dopo i domenicani. Il reclutamento delle religiose presentò
a s. Domenico delle grandi difficoltà per la opposizione delle monache e delle
loro famiglie, dispiaciute del rigore della nuova disciplina e toccate anche
negli interessi temporali connessi all'amministrazione dei monasteri esistenti.
Le monache di S. Maria in
Tempulo aderirono (tranne una) tra la fine del 1219 e l'inizio del
1221, prendendo definitivamente il nuovo abito dalle mani di s. Domenico il 28
febbr. 1221. Qualche anno dopo, prima comunque della morte di Onorio III
(1227), C. fu inviata dal papa insieme con tre consorelle a Bologna con il
compito di organizzare il monastero domenicano di S. Agnese fondato in quella
città nel 1223 dalla beata Diana d'Andalò. Nella nuova sede, dove ricoprì anche
la carica di badessa, C. trascorse il resto della sua lunga vita.
Morì nel 1290, circondata dal rispetto di confratelli e
consorelle verso una superstite dell'epoca eroica dell'Ordine domenicano e fu
sepolta nella chiesa del monastero bolognese. La sua memoria fu accomunata nei
secoli successivi dal culto delle monache di S. Agnese a quella della
fondatrice Diana d'Andalò e di una suor Amata romana, sulla cui effettiva esistenza
storica pesano gravissimi dubbi. Il 24 dic. 1891, tre anni dopo la
beatificazione di Diana, anche a C. e Amata fu riconosciuto il culto dovuto ai
beati.
Il nome di C. è legato ai Miracula beatiDominici, che una suor
Angelica del convento bolognese scrisse nel corso del sec. XIII sulla base dei
ricordi e dei racconti della stessa Cecilia. Limitata al breve periodo di tempo
in cui C. ebbe modo di conoscere direttamente il santo, l'operetta risente
naturalmente dell'esaltazione fideistica e del gusto per la leggenda che si
possono comprendere in una testimone oculare abituata a ripetere continuamente
alle consorelle il racconto dei fatti cui aveva assistito. L'abbondanza e la
precisione dei particolari forniti da C. (spesso confermati dall'indagine storica,
come per es. nel racconto del passaggio a S. Sisto delle monache di S. Maria in Tempulo e
nella descrizione conclusiva della figura fisica del santo) rendono comunque i Miracula una
testimonianza di singolare interesse per la ricostruzione della biografia di s.
Domenico e in particolare del suo ultimo soggiorno romano (per le varie ediz.
dei Miracula,
di cui l'ultima in ordine di tempo è a cura di A. Walz, Die "Miracula
Beati Dominici" der
SchwesterCäcilia, in Archivum
fratrum praedicatorum, XXXVII [1967], pp. 5-45, cfr. Repert. fontium...).
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II, Antverpiae 1698, pp. 365-368; Augusti, I, ibid. 1733, pp. 588 s.;
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OrdinisPraedicatorum recensiti, II, Lutetiae Parisiorum 1721, pp. 830 s.;
T. M. Mamachi-F. M. Pollilidori-V. M. Badetto-H. D. Christianopulus, Annalium
Ordinis Praedic. volumen
primum, Romae 1756, pp. XLVI, 560 s., 577 s.; Appendix,
coll. 247-263; [P. Mothon], Monumenta
conventus S. P. Dominici
Bononiensis, in Analecta
sacri Ordinis fratrum praedic., IV(1899-1900), pp. 370 s.; V (1901-1902),
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scrittura, in Memorie
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in Dict. d'Hist. et de Géogr. Eccl.,
XII, Pafris 1953, col. 40; M.-H. Vicaire, Histoire de Saint-Dominique,
II, Paris 1957, pp. 278-297; V. J. Koudelka, Le "Monasterium Tempuli" et la
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III, p. 98.
