The Feast Day of St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazi is celebrated on May 25. She is the patron saint of the sick and against sexual temptation. She was a Carmelite nun, virgin, mystic and incorruptible

St. Mary Magdalene was born on April 2, 1607 into a noble family in Florence, Italy. She was baptized with the name Catrina Lucrezia de’ Pazzi.

At the age of 8, Catrina became a student at San Giovannia. The nuns prepared her for her first communion which she received when she was 10 years old. Soon…she made a vow of virginity, knowing she did not desire to marry.

Catrina enjoyed a life of prayer and penance. She especially enjoyed the meditations of St. Augustine and the Lord ‘s Passion by Loarto.

When Catrina was 16, she chose to enter the Carmelite Community of Santa Maria. She was led to this decision because they offerred daily Holy Communion, which was rare during this time.

As a novice, Catrina took the name Mary Magdalene de Pazzi. After a year, she became very ill and was near death. On the Feast of the Trinity, she was allowed to make her profession of vows in the chapel. Immediately, she experienced an ecstasy which lasted two hours. For the following 40 days she experienced ecstasy after receiving communion. She was given a sense of union with God and many insights about divine teachings. During the ecstacies the nuns recorded what she said and did. This resulted in five volumes of books about her life. They are referred to as The Life and Works of St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi.

Mary Magdalene experienced both spiritual ecstasies and dryness with internal suffering. Throughout her life she had a strong devotion to the crown of thorns which Jesus wore during the crucifixion. She joyfully offered her suffering to God.

Mary Magdalene became the novice mistress and the the superior of the Community. She died on May 25, 1607 of natural causes after suffering a painfull illness for three years. Many miracles occurred following her death.

St. Mary Magdalene was beatified on 1626 by Pope Urban III. She was canonized by Pope Clement X on April 28, 1669.

The incorruptable body of St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi lies preserved in a glass coffin within the Carmelite Monastery of Santa Maria degli. Angel in Florence.

Prayer of Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi

Come, Holy Spirit. May the union of the Father and the will of the Son…Come to us. You, Spirit of truth, are the reward of the saints, the refreshment of souls, light in darkness, the riches of the poor, the treasures of lovers, the satisfaction of the hungry, the consolation of the pilgrim Church; You are he whom all treasures are contained.

Come, You who, desending into Mary, caused the Word to take flesh; effect in us by grace what you accomplished in her by grace and nature.

Come, You who are the nourishment of all chaste thoughts, the fountain of all clemency, the summit of all purity.

Come, and take away from us all that hinders us from being absorbed in You.