Saint Eustochia Calafato

Biography

Saint Eustochia Calafato, also known as Eustochia Calafato de Messina, Eustochia Montevergine, Eustochia of Messina, Eustochium Calafato, and Smerelda Colonna, was born on March 25, 1434, in Annunziata, Messina, Italy. She was the daughter of Count Bernardo and Countess Macaldo Romano Colonna, prominent Sicilian nobles and wealthy merchants.

According to legend, Saint Eustochia Calafato was born in a stable, as her mother had received a vision directing her there. From an early age, she felt a strong call to the religious life and was raised and educated by her pious mother.

Eustochia had her own visionary experience when she received a vision of the image of Christ Crucified. This encounter deepened her desire to dedicate her life to God, leading her to join the Poor Clare Convent of Santa Maria di Basico, against the wishes of the rest of her family.

However, her brothers disapproved of her decision and even threatened to burn down the convent. Faced with such opposition, Eustochia returned home. But witnessing her true devotion and desire, her family eventually relented, allowing her to return to the convent. There, she took her vows and assumed the name Eustochia.

Saint Eustochia Calafato was renowned for her self-imposed penances and austerities. She believed that her convent lacked sufficient discipline and thus joined the reform-minded Poor Clare community at Santa Maria Acommodata in 1457. The strict discipline of this community was so severe that local Franciscan priests refused to say Mass there, fearing they were encouraging impious excesses.

In 1463, Eustochia and her companions relocated to Monte delle Vergini, also known as Maiden's Hill. She was elected abbess of the community in 1464. Saint Eustochia Calafato was particularly devoted to the Blessed Sacrament and to serving the poor of the area. The local lay people considered her their patron and protector, frequently seeking refuge in the cloister, especially during earthquakes that rocked the region.

Saint Eustochia Calafato passed away on January 20, 1491, in Messina, Sicily, Italy. She was entombed in the apse of the Sanctuary of Montevergine in Messina, and her body remains incorrupt.

Recognizing her holy life and virtues, Pope John Paul II decreed her heroic virtues on March 21, 1985. She was beatified by Pope Pius VI on August 22, 1782, in Rome, with the confirmation of her cultus. Eventually, she was canonized by Pope John Paul II on June 11, 1988, in Messina, Sicily, Italy.

Today, Saint Eustochia Calafato is remembered as a saintly Poor Clare nun, represented holding a cross or kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament. Her devotion to God and her tireless care for the poor continue to inspire many faithful followers.