Blessed Maria Celeste Crostarosa
Bl. Maria Celeste Crostarosa was born on 31st October 1696 in Naples to the Crostarosa family, the tenth of twelve children, and the following day she was baptized receiving the names Julia Marcella Santa. She was idolized by her siblings for being a lively youngster, vivacious, sensitive, and of good intellect. By the age of six, Julia began to experience an unusual sense of intimacy with Jesus.
At the age of twenty, she and her sister Ursula entered the Carmelite Convent of Marigliano (about 12 miles from Naples). However, after only five years in religious life the monastery was unjustly suppressed because of outside interference, necessitating their departure. While still there, Julia had met Fr. Thomas Falcoia, who was giving the community a retreat. He suggested that it was the Will of God that she and her sisters -another younger sister had joined the two - should go to a monastery in Scala, near Amalfi, where he had reformed a community to the spirit and practice of the Visitation Congregation.
It was as a novice in Scala that Julia was named Sr. Maria Celeste and here she received a revelation and was 'made to understand God's plans for a new institute which the Lord would place in the world by means of her which would have for its laws and rules His very life.' Under the direction of Fr. Falcoia and with the enlightened support of St. Alphonsus de' Liguori, the Visitation convent was reformed according to the Rule Celeste had received from the Lord on April, 25, 1725. In 1730 a young priest, Alphonsus de' Liguori, had travelled to Scala for a period of recuperation having been worn out by his labours in Naples and here he became acquainted with Celeste. Incidentally both Alphonsus and Celeste were born in Naples merely weeks apart.
The Order of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptoristines) was officially founded on the Feast of Pentecost, 13th May 1731. The vocation of the Redemptoristine Sisters was to be a 'Viva Memoria' a 'living memory of Jesus'. On the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross, 14th September, the Sisters received the dark red habit, the colour of love, which reminds the world of God's deep and infinite love for all humankind.
About this time Sr. Celeste had another revelation which she shared with Alphonsus. He was to form a parallel men's institute to 'Go and preach to every creature that the Kingdom of God has come upon you.' This coincided with Alphonsus' own inspired desire to form a group dedicated to preaching the love of God to the poor and most abandoned. This institute, the Redemptorists, was eventually founded in Scala in 1732.
When Msgr. Falcoia, now a bishop, wanted to alter the Rule and be the only spiritual director for the entire community, Celeste resisted out of obedience to her conscience. She was forced to leave the monastery with her sisters on May 25, 1733. She now went to Nocera near Salerno where, at the Bishop's request, she reformed a convent where the nuns had become lax in their religious observance.
After five years, on 4th March 1738, having been called to Foggia near the Adriatic coast, she founded there the Convent of the Most Holy Saviour. In Foggia she finally realized her dream of living the Rule the Lord had given her by establishing her own monastery of enclosed, contemplative nuns.
The spiritual journey of Maria Celeste was no bed of roses, though favoured as it was with many mystical experiences it was also characterized by obedience to conscience, by a constant search for the meaning of the Gospel, and simplicity of life. Sr. Maria Celeste Crostarosa died on the 14th September 1755. She was Beatified on 18th June 2016. Her feast is celebrated on 11th of September. Redemptoristines today are spread throughout the world, continuing to live the charism of Maria Celeste and trying to be credible living witnesses of his love.
Prayer
O God, guided by your Spirit of Love, Blessed Maria Celeste, mystic and virgin, was transformed by the words of your Son into a living memorial of his merciful love. Grant, that through her intercession and example, we also may give witness to the mystery of Redemption. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.