Life of Blessed Imelda Lambertini

Catholic CatechismThursdays with the Saint

By Kingsley Okoro On Jan 20, 2022 660 7

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Blessed Imelda Lambertini (Patroness of first holy communicants)

At a time where people don’t value Christ in the Eucharist, many Saints had longing for Christ especially the likes of Blessed Imelda Lambertini.

Let us relax and enjoy our meeting with this Lovely Saints.

HER BIRTH

Blessed Imelda was born to the noble family of count Egano Lambertini and Castora Galuzzi, in Bologna Italy in the year 1322.

Her parents were devout catholic and were known for their charity and generosity. They raised her to love the catholic faith which led her to develop a love for prayer especially the holy mass. They equally cultivated in her the eagerness to perform corporal works of mercy by teaching her to care for the poor.

Blessed Imelda unlike other children of her time preferred to listen to holy stories and religious instructions and fully immerse herself in a life of devotion which was remarkable for a child her age.

HER EARLY DAYS

From her earliest days, she had an all-consuming desire to be united with Jesus in the holy Eucharist. At the age of five (5), Blessed Imelda expressed the desire to receive Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament by receiving her first holy communion, this request was however denied her because the age set for receiving first Holy Communion at that time was 14 years.

This denial did not diminish her desire to live in God’s grace nor her persistence in seeking permission to receive Holy Communion.

She surprised her parents when at the age of nine (9) she asked to live with the Dominican nuns at a neighboring monastery in Val di Pietra. This request of hers was accepted as the rules regulating admission into religious orders were not yet enacted.

The Dominican sisters loved her, allowed her to wear their habit, pray with them and emulate their way of life to the extent a little child could. Her desire for the Eucharist did not diminish with being in the monastery.

She kept on begging and pleading to be allowed to receive the holy Eucharist with the nuns but unfortunately her pleas were gently refused with the explanation that she should wait until she was older.

Blessed Imelda accepted this answer and took the opportunity to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ and the saints the nuns and her parents told her about.

HER MIRACLE AND DEATH

On the 12^th of May, 1333, on the vigil of the ascension, when Imelda was 11 years old, two years after she joined the monastery. Blessed Imelda was in her place in the chapel praying quietly as the sisters received communion after receiving a unanimous ‘NO’ from both the Chaplin and the sisters to her request again.

After mass, one of nuns cleaning the altar heard a noise and looked up to see a glowing light shining above Imelda’s head with the sacred host suspended in the light. The Chaplin was called and he understood what Jesus wanted and gave Imelda her first holy communion. After receiving the Eucharist, Imelda went to her seat and decided to stay and pray in thanksgiving.

However, when she closed her eyes, she joined the lord. She went from first Holy Communion to eternal communion. Her remains were kept in Bologna at the church of San Sigismondo beneath the wax effigy of her likeness.