Saint Mary Magdalene de Pazzi, Virgin

Caterina de’ Pazzi was born in Florence in 1566 into one of the city’s great families. At sixteen she entered the Carmelite convent of Santa Maria degli Angeli, taking the name Mary Magdalene. Soon after, she fell gravely ill, and from then on she had frequent ecstasies, during which she spoke aloud; her sisters wrote down her words, filling several volumes.

She then lived through five years of inner darkness and temptation. She served as novice mistress and later as subprioress, and wrote letters urging the reform of the Church. Her saying “To suffer, not to die” was remembered. After three years of painful illness she died on 25 May 1607, aged forty-one, and was canonized in 1669.