Juliana Falconieri grew up among saints. Her uncle, St. Alexis Falconieri, was one of the seven founders of the Servite order. The priest who taught her as a child and acted as her spiritual director was St. Philip Benizi, one of the early superiors of the Servites. Inspired by the holiness around her, Juliana decided to affiliate herself with the Servites as a nun. Juliana added works of charity to the Servite way of life by going out into the streets of Florence to help the sick, the helpless, and the abandoned.
Because of her own struggle with sickness, St. Juliana became the patron of people suffering from any type of chronic illness. During the last years of her life, she was plagued by an undiagnosed stomach ailment. Eventually the illness proved fatal. As she lay dying, she was seized by such a severe bout of vomiting that the attendant priest deemed her unable to receive Holy Communion. Instead, at Juliana’s request, he covered her chest with a corporal (a linen cloth) and laid the consecrated host over her heart. According to the story, the Eucharist vanished a few moments later.
Kim Dollar
Dear,dear Erin,I know you cannot sleep,or eat,or even think at this point.It has been a thoroughly exhausting time for you and your precious little man. Please don’t loose heart now,you, and your mom,have seen all the ups and downs,the ravages of drugs,,the rotten luck,and the short straw..And yet Ashton fights on! Please don’t let anyone tell you that he cannot hear you because I KNOW he can,the hearing is the last sense to go-so …Tell him all your hopes and dreams for him,how brave he has been,and we all are praying that the angels and the saints are there with you now,to hold you up,and sustain you through it all.
I only knew you as an infant,and have never had the pleasure of meeting your beautiful boy,I’ve only known him through you and your mom,but even so my heart breaks for him,and you and the things you’ve already been through,and the rest of his life and the things that the world will never know about Ashton Tyler Carley-Trent
the queen
Erin, think of you and sweet Ashton daily. Prayers for you.
Ana Reder
Our love and prayers are with you Erin as they are always and especially now. I remember our Santa’s Breakfast together with all our children. I held sweet baby Ashton close to me and felt the joy only a child who believes in the magic of Christmas can radiate. His eyes, so large and full of sweet mamma-love. He got to have you as his mom. Our hearts are round and full for you and our sorrow reaches the sky. Love you so. Ana, Bob, Emma & Nora