By CAROLE BRESLIN
There is a growing challenge facing the Catholic Church in the modern world. People are becoming more aware of the problems associated with spousal abuse. This abuse can be perpetrated by either the husband or the wife. In the history of the Church there were not a few women who suffered this way and their holiness eventually led to the conversion of their spouses. St. Monica, Elisabeth Leseur, and Blessed Elisabeth Canori Mora are among such women.
Elisabeth was born on November 21, 1774. Her parents, Tommaso Canori and Teresa Primoli, both of whom were aristocrats, had 12 children. The family experienced many tragedies, losing six of those children in infancy. Her parents placed a great importance on education, even with all the challenges they faced.
Elisabeth’s education began when her parents sent her to the convent of Santa Euphemia for her first studies. From her first day at the convent, Elisabeth demonstrated a quick mind and deep desire for prayer and holiness. She proved to be such an apt student that the superior, Sr. Gertrude Riggoli, asked her parents to allow Elisabeth to become a full-time student.
Evidently they granted their permission since Elisabeth was later confirmed on July 5, 1782 at St. Peter’s Basilica with Sr. Gertrude serving as her sponsor. Elisabeth was only eight years old.
The family’s fortunes must have changed quickly because Tommaso needed to withdraw Elisabeth from the convent. However, after he asked his brother for assistance, the brother came forward and sponsored both Elisabeth and her sister to attend the convent once again.
From 1785 to 1788 she went to Cascia, about 100 miles northeast of Rome, where she received her education from the Augustinian sisters. Once again both her bright mind and precocious spirituality came to the attention of the sisters. Furthermore, even though she was not yet a teenager, she was already doing penances as well.
As a teenager, Elisabeth caught tuberculosis which forced her to return to Rome and recuperate in her parents’ home. Although she had considered becoming a religious, she became interested in a law student, Cristoforo Mora. She spent a good deal of time in prayer and discernment and finally decided that the religious life was not her calling. Rather she understood that she was called to the married state.
Her relationship with Cristoforo developed, deepened, and finally they were married on January 10, 1796. Cristoforo loved his wife, and was proud of his beautiful bride as he escorted her around the events in Rome. Regretfully, his affections soon turned to enraged jealousy and he restricted her communications with others — even her own family.
Having denied Elisabeth the interaction and stimulus of social events, Cristoforo soon became uninterested in her. This pained her enormously, but not nearly as much as his open rejection of her that soon followed.
The rejection of his wife then led him to a series of illicit affairs, deepening Elisabeth’s already great sorrow. After giving birth to four children — the first two died in infancy — Elisabeth struggled to maintain normalcy in the Mora household.
Elisabeth suffered through her husband’s infidelities with the assistance of Fr. Giovanni Giacomo, a Jesuit priest, as her spiritual mentor. She practiced heroic patience as she turned to an even deeper prayer life and focused her attention on being a loving mother to her children.
On August 15, 1801, just six weeks after giving birth to their last child, Elisabeth fell gravely ill with colic. Her father-in-law labored tirelessly to save her but her conditioned worsened. Not far from death, Elisabeth was miraculously cured. The medical bills weighed heavily on Elisabeth’s conscience so she sold all of her jewels and her wedding dress in order to pay them.
Meanwhile, in 1807, Fr. Fernando San Luis became Elisabeth’s spiritual director when she joined the Secular Trinitarians. Mrs. Mora also began to have visions shortly after her inexplicable cure. Fr. Fernando instructed her to start writing a journal and to describe all of her visions in detail. One of her prophecies predicted that her husband would repent of his many offenses and become a holy man.
Cristoforo’s dalliances and hedonistic lifestyle took a great deal of money. To support his “habits” he stole money from his father. When his father learned of this he was so upset that he suffered a debilitating stroke that nearly killed him. Elisabeth interceded for her father-in-law and he was miraculously cured.
Cristoforo’s family loved her dearly and admired her faithfulness and patience with her husband. They were so distraught by her husband’s cruel treatment of Elisabeth that they petitioned the authorities of the Papal Sates to punish him for his actions.
The accused husband, when he was summoned before the cardinal vicar of Rome, discovered what his family had done. He became so enraged that his own family had betrayed him that he rushed home, grabbed a butcher knife, and approached his wife. Lunging at her, he fell to his knees. Struck with fear, he begged her forgiveness instead.
Shortly thereafter, Elisabeth’s father-in-law died, bringing her great sadness. Now she began writing her record of the visions and prophecies that she had received. The account began with a vision of Mary she received on September 7, 1803 when she was 29 years old. She saw a dove which so stunned her that she fainted at the sight and awoke to find a flame over the place where her heart was.
On September 29, 1809, the Archangel Michael appeared to her with a legion of angels. She had another vision on March 22, 1814, in which a pack of wolves surrounded Pope Pius VII. The following January she saw angels; and on June 29, 1820, she saw St. Peter descending from Heaven in papal garments with a legion of angels.
Elisabeth received a ring, similar to St. Catherine of Siena’s, from the Infant Jesus as He rested in His mother’s arms on October 23, 1816. Perhaps because of Elisabeth’s great devotion to the Eucharist, St. Felix of Valois and St. John of Matha appeared to her with a Host.
In 1820 Elisabeth received the habit of the Trinitarians
Four years later, shortly after the death of her mother-in-law on December 12, Elisabeth became gravely ill once again. This time she would not recover. She summoned her two daughters, knowing her death was near. On February 5 her confessor rushed to her side. As Elisabeth’s breaths became weaker and weaker, he celebrated Mass, giving her Holy Communion.
Her last request she made of her granddaughter Lucina. She asked Lucina to give to her confessor all of her writings. She informed her that she would rather they were burned, but that under obedience, she needed to be sure they went to him.
She died with two daughters by her side before her husband could reach her. Cristoforo was heartbroken that he had missed her last moment. He again repented of his cruel treatment of his wife and changed his life. He joined the Trinitarian Order and became a priest, taking the name Antonio.
Blessed Elisabeth’s feast day is February 5.
Dear Blessed Elisabeth, in this world so full of temptations, protect our married people with your special prayers. Amen.
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(Carole Breslin home-schooled her four daughters and served as treasurer of the Michigan Catholic Home Educators for eight years. For over ten years, she was national coordinator for the Marian Catechists, founded by Fr. John A. Hardon, SJ.)
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