Anfrosina Berardi
Anfrosina Berardi | |
|---|---|
| Born | 6 December 1920 L'Aquila, Abruzzo, Italy |
| Died | March 13, 1933 (aged 12) L'Aquila |
Anfrosina Berardi, 6 December 1920 – 13 March 1933 in L'Aquila, was an Italian Catholic girl. She was declared venerable by Pope Francis in April 2021.[1]
Life
Anfrosina Berardi was born in San Marco di Preturo, near L'Aquila, in the Abruzzo region of Italy, on December 6, 1920. She came from a family of Christian farmers; her mother instilled in her a love of prayer, especially to the rosary.
Berardi began attending primary school in L'Aquila at the age of seven. At the end of April 1931, she began experiencing severe abdominal pain. An X-ray revealed an intestinal obstruction that could not be surgically treated. Aware of her condition, she wished to receive her First Communion before her death. She received it on October 13, 1932, along with Confirmation, from the bishop during a canonical visitation.
Berardi spent her last months at home, where, she regularly received Communion brought by the parish priest. On the morning of March 13, 1933, Berardi received Communion in the early morning. and died later that morning. Her funeral had to be postponed due to the large number of people who wanted to say a last goodbye to her; eventually she was buried at the cemetery of the parish church of San Marco Evangelista in San Marco di Preturo.
Beatification process
Anfrosina Berardi's reputation for holiness, along with numerous testimonies of graces received, led to the opening of a beatification process. The investigations revealed that Berardi, "lived a life of complete abandonment in God's hands and a profound life of prayer, in constant and intimate communion with the Lord ... this heroic faith was constantly revealed in an intense spirit of prayer, shining especially brightly in the moments of painful illness and death.[2] The Diocese of L'Aquila initiated the process on diocesan level in 1962. After this inquiry was completed, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints published the decree recognizing the heroic virtue of Berardi's life in April 2021; Anfrosina Berardi was thus declared venerable.
References
- ^ Droujinina, Marina (2021-04-30). "Causes des saints: Anfrosina Berardi, enfant et 'héroïque'". ZENIT - Français (in French). Retrieved 2026-03-12.
- ^ https://www.causesanti.va/it/venerabili/anfrosina-berardi.html
Further reading
- Paolo Marcellino, Anfrosina Berardi, Edizione Paoline, Bari, 1937