ORDER OF PREACHERS
The Dominican Family
Trinidad & Tobago

AGNES OF MONTEPULCIANO, OP

Virgin, Nun 1268 – 1317
Feast: April 20

Birth & Childhood

Agnes was born into the wealthy Laurence and Maria de Segni family in Gracchiano–Vecchio, Tuscany, Italy, in 1268. Legend has it that even as a very young child she was accustomed to spending hours reciting the Our Father and Hail Mary in a corner by herself.

First Vocation

When she was nine, Agnes insisted that the time had come to enter a particular monastery that followed the rule of St. Augustine. Her parents wanted her to wait until she was older but an incident happened and her father allowed her to go. He had taken her on a visit to Montepulciano and as they neared the town a flock of ravens attacked Agnes. There was great difficulty in driving them off. They had come from a house of ill repute on the top of a nearby hill. Her father and others saw in this incident the work of the devil in attacking and trying to maim Agnes. Her father succumbed to her wish to enter a monastery.

She received five years of formation in fasting, penance and long hours of prayer during the night. Then, aged only fourteen years, she was judged to be capable of running the finances of the monastery. During this time Agnes is alleged to have reached a much higher degree of contemplative, even mystical prayer than might be expected from such a young person..

The following year a new foundation was made at Proceno near Orvieto. Her novice mistress was appointed to develop this monastery and she insisted that Agnes accompany her. The following year, while only fifteen years old, Agnes was elected Abbess and Pope Nicholas IV granted the necessary dispensation.

During the next twenty years Agnes lived a frugal life, indeed she lived on bread and water, with a stone for a pillow as she slept on the ground for but short periods so that she might give herself totally in prayer to her Lord. After fifteen years of these austerities her health deteriorated and her spiritual director had her give up these penances.

Dominican

It is not clear who directed her to leave the monastery where she had entered religious life and return to Montepulciano to found a Cloistered Monastery. According to some, it was a divine revelation she herself received. According to others, she was sent through obedience, but it is not clear who was the superior who directed her.

The fact is that in 1306, aged thirty–eight years, she returned to Montepulciano. With great difficulty she bought a site for the monastery from ladies who operated a brothel. It was from their house that the ravens had attacked Agnes when she was a child of a mere nine years. This is the monastery of Santa Maria Novella. Her holiness was well know in the area and a large number of young women came to join her in a life of prayer and austerity.

After almost thirty years as a religious, Agnes decided that the new monastery would be Dominican, who also followed the Rule of St. Augustine. The friars Preachers agreed to appoint a chaplain and give courses in formation for the community.

Many stories arose around Agnes, not all of which can be authenticated, but they do bring out how she was held in such esteem by her contemporaries.

• Her birth was announced by lights coming from the room in which she as born. This was a fairly frequent description in the lives of several contemporary saintly people and it is not certain that these accounts were accurate. But they do show that, in this case, Agnes was regarded as a special child from even before birth.
• Legend repeats that at times as she prayed she was raised about two feel above ground.
• There have been several testimonies of her having had visions of the Virgin Mary.
• It is claimed that in at least one vision she saw Jesus with his mother Mary. Agnes was allowed to embrace him and was slow to let him leave. Pious writers add that he was wearing a gold chain and she clung so tightly to it that he had to let her have it.
• One story is that when she first became an Abbess, aged fifteen, there was a shower of small white crosses on her and the community.
• It is generally accepted that through her prayers the community was fed with bread that appeared miraculously.
• On one occasion when she was being treated in a medicinal bath, a child drowned. She was given the grace to restore the child to life.

Death and Canonisation

While her last sufferings were described as an agony, Agnes declared that never before had she experienced such spiritual joy. She had a premonition that she was dying. “You will discover that I have not abandoned you.”, she promised the nuns After her death many miracles were performed through intercession to her for prayers.

She died at Montepulciano on the 20th of April 1317. Nearly one hundred and twenty years later, in 1435, her incorrupt body was transferred to the Dominican church of Orvieto where it remains under the high altar.

She was beatified in 1534 and solemnly canonized by Benedict XIII in 1726. Her feast is celebrated on 20 April.

Agnes had a great influence on two most famous Dominicans. Blessed Raymond of Capua, Master General of the Order who is raised among the Blesseds of the Order, thought so highly of her that he wrote her life.

St. Catherine of Siena had a niece whom she visited in the monastery of Santa Maria Novella. This great Dominican saint had a very strong veneration for Agnes. There is a pious story that Catherine wished to kiss the feet of Agnes. She bent down to do so but Agnes raised her foot so that Catherine would not have to bend.

The main paths to holiness which she followed were deep contemplative and mystical prayer, intense austerities and sacrificial penances, devotion to the Passion of Jesus, love for Holy Communion, for the Blessed Virgin and humility.

Prayer

Merciful God,
you adorned Agnes, your bride,
with a marvellous fervour in prayer.
By imitating her example,
may we always hold fast to you in spirit
and so come to enjoy the abundant fruits of holiness.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.