St. Stephanie

Blessed Stephanie was born in 1457 at Soncino, Italy. Her parents were devout and her father became a Dominican tertiary while she was a child. Blessed Matthew Carrieri, a Dominican friar, taught the little girl her catechism and predicted that she would be his spiritual heiress. Stephanie began having visions at age seven and made vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. When she was fourteen, Blessed Mathew died; he appeared to her after his death and she received the stigmata, which he had borne. The next year, Stephanie became a Dominican tertiary and later she founded a community of Third Order Dominican sisters. She was made abbess of the community. Many people sought her spiritual counsel, including Blessed Augustine of Biella, Saint Angela Merici and Blessed Osanna of Mantua. Stephanie lived a very austere life, practicing a nearly continual fast. She was gifted with prophesy and healing and she predicted her death. She died January 2, 1530. She was beatified in 1740.