Page:A Dictionary of Saintly Women Volume 1.djvu/485

B. LUCY 471 the body. The place was called in her honour, Mont Ste. Lncie and Mont de la Vi^rge. The wood that she planted at her hermitage has a peculiar scent found nowhere else. Other miracles are re- corded of her, bat the most remarkable is that Lonis XIQ. having heard that her aid had been successfnlly invoked by several barren women, brought his queen, Anne of Austria, there, in 1638, after twenty-three years of marriage. She descended into the cave and sat in the saint's chair and soon became the mother of Louis XIY. Childless women still sometimes climb up Mont Ste. Lucie, descend into the grotto and sit in St. Lucy's chair, in the hope that she will send them children. She was canonized early in the 12th century by Henry, bishop of Verdun, brother of Stephen, king of England. AAJSS. Butler. Martin. B. Lucy (12), Sept. 12, + 1130, a nun at Calatagirona in Sicily, and after- wards at Salerno, where she died. Pro- bably same as Lugt (16). AA.SS. B. Lucy (13) of Stifonte, Dec. 13, Nov. 7. 12th century. Order of Ca- maldolL Founder of the convent of Stifonte near Bologna. She was a good and beautiful girl, lived piously in Bologna and held in great veneration the sacred relics with which that city had been enriched by its holy bishop, St. Petronio. Like many others, she was stirred up to greater fervour of devotion by the fame of the revival of religion and the founding of the Order of Hermits of Camaldoli by St. Eomo- aldo. Under the influence of this en- thusiasm, Lucy and some of her friends left their homes and built a church in honour of St. Christina, with a little hermitage for themselves on the hill of the seven fountains (SetteFontijCorrxL'pied into Stifonte). The example of their holy poverty and other virtues drew many persons to attend the services in their church, and soon Lucy discovered that a young nobleman came every day and stood under the window through which she, from her hermitage, heard mass, apparently for no more devout purpose than to gaze at the fair young nun. She called to mind the words of the bishop who had placed the sacred veil on her head : " Let it separate your eyes for ever from the eyes of men," and she was careful to give no answering glance ; but still he came, and she found it expedient to take means that he should not see her. When he found that his love was quite hopeless and reflected that she was to him *' a thing enskied and sainted," he left his native place and wandered in new countries and amongst barbarous people. Just then all Christendom was horrified by the news that the Holy Sepulchre was in the hands of Mohammedans, and they began to take the cross and stream eastward for the liberation of the tomb of the Lord. Lucy's lover joined the crusaders, and it happened that the very day he left Europe was the day of Lucy's death ; but he did not hear of it. He went to the wars, praying his guardian angel to oiSer to Lucy, in case of his death, that heart which he had left in the church at Stifonte. He was not one of those who courted martyrdom, but when he found himself a prisoner and was told that his last hour was come, unless he would accept the religion of his captors, he had no idea of renouncing the faith of Christ, so turned his heart to his lady-love, saying, " Lucy, if thou still livest on earth, sustain with thy prayers him who has loved thee so much : if thou art in heaven, ask of the Lord that I may be delivered from my cruel enemies or may have courage to die like a Christian soldier." Immediately, with the tears of earnestness on his cheeks and the fetters on his feet, he fell into a deep sleep. When he awoke he heard the sound of church bells, and found himself at the gate of the monastery of Stifonte, still wearing his chains, and Lucy, more beautiful than ever, was standing before him. He exclaimed, '* Lucy ! dost thou still live ? " and she answered, " I live the life eternal ; go, lay thy fetters on my tomb and thank God that thy prayer was heard. Be assured that I love thee with perfect charity ; if thy love is per- fect, thou shalt see my imperishable beauty and share with me the joys of heaven." Lucy was known to be a saint, and