Saint Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi was an Italian Carmelite nun who lived during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. She received mystical visions, suffered greatly, and offered herself to Christ for the salvation of souls.
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Who Was Saint Mary Magdalene de Pazzi?
Saint Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi was born on April 2, 1566, in Florence, Italy, into a noble family. Her birth name was Caterina de’ Pazzi.
Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi exhibited spiritual inclinations from an early age. At nine years of age she learned Mental Prayer, the second level of prayer after Vocal Prayer, and would practice it for thirty minutes or more per day.
When she was twelve years old, God gave her an ecstasy before a beautiful sunset, a foretaste of other mystical experiences that she was to undergo in her life.
She entered the Carmelite convent of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Florence at the age of 16, where she pursued a life of prayer, penance, and contemplation. She took the religious name Mary Magdalene.
Throughout her life, Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi experienced intense mystical experiences and visions. She had visions of Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and encounters with angels. Rather than receive these visions as confirmation of her greatness, she instead recognized that she was so weak that God must have known that she needed supernatural visions to become a saint, while others did not require them!
Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi was known for her profound devotion to the Eucharist and her commitment to the Carmelite rule of life, which emphasized prayer, community, and simplicity. She also had a great love for the Passion of Christ and suffered from various physical ailments, which she offered up as penance.
Despite her mystical experiences, Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi remained humble and obedient to her superiors. She also had a deep concern for the salvation of souls and sought to bring others closer to God through her prayers and sacrifices.
In 1590, after five years of dryness and God’s removal of consolation from her, she was able to ask from Him any gift, and she asked for two specifically, to always view her neighbor as good and holy and to always have God’s presence with her.
Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi died on May 25, 1607, at the age of 41, after three years of intense suffering from headaches and paralysis.
She was canonized as a saint by Pope Clement IX in 1669. Her feast day is celebrated on May 25th each year.