Blessed Paula Cerioli – December 24th
Paula’s name before she became a nun was Constance. She was the last of sixteen children born to an Italian countess. When Constance was only nineteen, her parents arranged a marriage for her with a rich man who was sixty years old! He was a good man, but a bit odd and quite unattractive. The poor girl could have been miserable all her life, but instead, she made the best of things, and drew closer and closer to Jesus. She counted on His help always.
Constance’s husband died nineteen years later, and she was left with a great fortune. Something her parish priest happened to say made her decide to devote her time and money to poor children and orphans. At once she took two orphans into her great mansion, and her work had started.
Other ladies joined her and they took the vows of a nun. The new community was called the Sisters of the Holy Family. Constance tool the name, Sister Paula. Some years afterwards, a group of men formed themselves into a community of brothers to help Sister Paula in taking care of orphan boys.
Sister Paula especially wanted to train farm children so that they would know how to farm the land well and not suffer poverty. She knew they would all probably spend their lives on farms and she wanted them to be happy in this way of life.
Sister Paula was always very devoted to the Holy Family, and God gave her the grace of dying peacefully one Christmas Eve.
Since I cannot offer much to help poor children, I will be very kind to them.
