THE "LITTLE FLOWER" BENEDICTINE

 

Recently in cleaning out a cabinet containing rarely used religious articles, I came across a small leather box which contained a relic of a saint I had never heard of.  She is known as  The “Little Flower” of Benedictines.

Doing a bit of research I found  BL. MARIA FORTUNATA VITI, OSB was a Benedictine and her cause for canonization was introduced by Fr. Thomas Brockhaus, monk of Mount Angel Abbey in Oregon. As editor of St. Joseph Magazine, Father published articles about her life and spirituality, and accounts of prayer petitions to her which had been granted. Father Thomas was fortunate to attend her beatification in 1967 and spent some time with the sisters at their monastery in Veroli (midway between Rome and Monte Cassino), Italy. Thus a warm connection between the two Benedictine communities was born.

 The process for Blessed Fortunata’s canonization is ongoing, and continues to be supported by the Abbey. When Abbot Jeremy Driscoll and Fr. Odo Recker led a pilgrimage to Italy in October 2019, they were welcomed by the sisters at Santa Maria de ‘Franconi. Fr. Odo, now taking the lead in promoting her cause, recently received the blessing for this effort from Abbess Maria Louisa Ferrante. 

The Blessed was born Anna Felicia Viti in Veroli, a comune in Italy's Province of Frosinone in 1827. Her father, Luigi, was a landowner who was a gambling addict and a heavy drinker.  Her mother Anna, née Bono, died when  Anna was fourteen years old. The third eldest of nine children, she was saddled with the responsibility of raising the other children upon the death of their mother. In order to support her family, she worked as a housekeeper. For a while, she was wooed by a young man from Alatri, but she decided to enter religious life instead.

Anna joined the Benedictines at the Monastery of San Maria de'Franconi in Veroli March 1851, at the age of 24. At her religious profession, she took the name Maria Fortunata. Though she spent more than seventy years in the monastery, she never progressed beyond the work of housekeeper. She served the community by spinning, sewing, washing, and mending clothing. She was illiterate her entire life, but she had great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and was known for her piety and closeness to God. She died in November 1922 at the age of 95, of natural causes.[

Like so many humble saints (St. Faustina a good example)  her death, like her life, was unremarkable and little noticed except by her sisters in community.

But following her death, a number of miracles were reported by people praying at her unmarked gravesite, including two young girls healed from spinal meningitis. Church authorities soon took notice and investigated. Her remains were exhumed in 1935, and moved to the cathedral in Veroli, as 5,000 people joined the procession.

Also, reports of miracles were attested to during her lifetime, including certain episodes that suggest she had a gift of prophecy. According to one story, she began to cry during Mass, because she had seen that the celebrating priest would leave his calling, and she was filled with sorrow for him. She also predicted that another priest would leave the priesthood, but that he would repent and come back

The process for Blessed Fortunata’s canonization is ongoing, and continues to be supported by Mount Angel Abbey. When Abbot Jeremy Driscoll and Fr. Odo Recker led a pilgrimage to Italy in October 2019, they were welcomed by the sisters at Santa Maria de ‘Franconi. Fr. Odo, now taking the lead in promoting her cause, recently received the blessing for this effort from Abbess Maria Louisa Ferrante.  Her feast is celebrated November 20.

And the question is why do we have the relic of this unknown Benedictine?  Our benefactor was an Oblate of Mount Angel Abbey, so most probably either the then Abbot or Father Thomas gave it to him. Now she is in our care and added to our reliquary cabinet in chapel.

You can obtain  prayer cards of Blessed Fortunata to distribute in your parish or prayer group. The cards have an image of a short biography, and a prayer for her intercession. To obtain prayer cards for Bl Maria Fortunata Viti, email 

Fr. Odo Recker, O.S.B.  fortunata@mtangel.edu