Saint Veronica Giuliani was a Capuchin mystic who had many spiritual gifts. She was born Orsola [Ursula] Giuliani at Mercatello in the Duchy of Urbino on 27 December 1660. Giuliani was the youngest of the seven children of Francesco and Benedetta Mancini Giuliani, three of whom embraced the monastic life.

Giuliani began to show great compassion for the poor at a very young age. She would set apart a portion of her food for them, and even part with her clothes when she met a poor child scantily clad. Her mother died when Ursula was seven years of age. When she was dying, Benedetta called her five daughters to her side and entrusted each of them to one of the five wounds of Jesus. Veronica was entrusted to the wound below Christ’s heart.

When Giuliani came of age, her father believed she should marry. But she pleaded so earnestly with him that, he finally permitted her to choose her own state in life.

In 1677, at the age of 17, Giuliani was received into the monastery of the Capuchin Poor Clares in Città di Castello in Umbria, Italy, taking the name of Veronica in memory of the Passion. At the conclusion of the ceremony of her reception, the bishop said to the abbess: "I commend this new daughter to your special care, for she will one day be a great saint."

Imbued with sincere humility she considered herself the lowliest member of the community. At the same time she greatly edified all by her obedience and love of poverty and mortification.

Giuliani had a lifelong devotion to Christ crucified that eventually became manifested in physical signs. The marks of the crown of thorns appeared on her forehead in 1694 and the five wounds on her body in 1697.

She also experienced a mystical espousal, as she was given a mystical ring by Our Lord's own hand. One eye-witness said: "This ring encircled her ring finger as ordinary rings do. On it there appeared to be a raised stone as large as a pea and of a red colour."

Giuliani was humiliated by the stigmata itself and by her bishop's rigorous testing of her experience. She was deposed from her office as novice mistress and deprived of every suffrage in the community. She was even imprisoned in a remote cell. No sisters were permitted to talk to her, and a lay sister who was made her warden was ordered to treat her like a deceiver. Finally, she was even deprived of Holy Communion and was permitted to attend holy Mass only on Sundays and holy days near the door of the church.

At the conclusion of these trials, the bishop reported to Rome that she scrupulously obeyed every one of his ordinances, and showed not the least sign of sadness amid all his harsh treatment, but rather an inexpressible peace and joy of spirit.

She died on 9 July 1727 at Città di Castello. After Giuliani's death, a figure of the Cross was supposedly found impressed upon her heart, and her body has been noted as being incorrupt. Her body remained incorrupt for many years until it was destroyed in a flood. Her bones are now kept in a composite figure of the saint, the skull of which is covered with wax. Her heart, though, is still incorrupt, and is kept in a separate reliquary.

Giuliani was beatified by Pope Pius VII on 17 June 1804 and was canonized by Pope Gregory XVI on 26 May 1839.

Other Saints of the Day
1. Saint Adrian Van Hilvarenbeek
2. Saint Agilulfus
3. Saint Anatolia
4. Saint Francis Rod
5. Saint Paulina

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