Frances
was born in Rome in 1383, the daughter of noble, wealthy and pious
parents. At eleven she asked to become a religious but only met with
point blank refusal. A year later, the attractive, precocious girl was
betrothed to Lorenzo Ponziano, a young man of good character, fortune
and position. Frances submitted.
At first, married life was
trying for the thirteen-year-old. One day Vannozza, her sister-in-law,
found her weeping. To France’s surprise Vannozza revealed that she also
would rather have been a religious. Thus was born a life-long
friendship.
The two friends drew out a program for virtuous
living amidst their social duties; they began to pray together, and to
visit the sick in Rome. Their husbands supported them against wagging
“social” tongues.
Frances and Lorenzo had three children: John
Baptista, Evangelist and Agnes. Despite their privileged position,
Frances would hear of none other caring for them.
Being
supporters of the true Pope against the antipope during the great
schism, the Ponzianis suffered through war, imprisonment and pillage of
their estate. Frances’ husband was seriously wounded but recovered under
her care, and her boy Baptista was taken hostage but was miraculously
delivered.
During a pestilence young Evangelist died and Frances
turned part of the house into a hospital. God rewarded her labors with
the gift of healing. In a vision she saw Evangelist accompanied by an
Archangel. He revealed to his bereaved mother that Agnes was also soon
to die, but as a consolation she would have the Archangel as her visible
companion for twenty-three years. In the last part of her life she was
to have an angel of even higher dignity.
By this time the fame of
France’s virtues and miracles had spread throughout Rome and her
assistance was sought from all quarters. With the full support of both
her husband and her confessor she formed a society of women living in
the world but dedicated to serving God and the poor. After seven years,
they felt the need to establish a community house to which Frances
retired after her husband’s death.
Frances died on the evening of March 9, 1440 saying: “The angel has finished his task: he beckons me to follow him.”
Tuesday, March 9, 2021
St. Frances of Rome
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