ON SAINT HELIENA, VIRGIN OF LAURINO IN ITALY.
CommentaryHeliena, Virgin of Laurino in Italy (St.)
BHL Number: 3800
By G. H.
[1] Paestum, a city of coastal Lucania, celebrated among the Poets for the singular excellence of most fragrant roses, in today's Principato Citeriore, was situated on the Paestan gulf, and once had an Episcopal see, which now, Paestum having been destroyed, has been translated to Capaccio, a recent city, commonly Capaccio Nuovo. In this diocese of Capaccio there are various towns listed by Ughelli in tome 7 of Italia sacra, column 663; and among them Lauretum, or Laurianum, commonly Lauriano, The Life is given, distributed into 3 Lessons, from a manuscript of Capaccio where was born Saint Heliena the Virgin, thence called Laurianensis, who is venerated on April 20: whose Life, transcribed from the Acts of the Church of Capaccio, and distributed into three Lessons which were wont to be recited in the Ecclesiastical Office at Matins, was once sent to us from Naples by Antonio Beatillo, Priest of our Society, and vigorous patron and cooperator of our studies. This Legend therefore of Saint Helena the Virgin of Laurino (for this title is prefixed) we here give, and it is of this sort.
[2] Lesson I. Since in the divine volumes is found: "A prophet is not without honor save in his own country," Blessed Heliena sprang not from a distinguished family, but from very humble parents at Laurino: Born at Laurino yet from her adolescence confirmed in the works of Christ, day and night, without interruption, she did not cease to serve God. Mark 6:4 Her parents, and kinsmen, and relatives, thinking her foolish, inflicted on her mockeries and many blows; and she poured forth a prayer to the Lord for them, saying: "Lord, vexed by her own pardon them, because they know not what they do." And lest the enticements of this world obscure her, and inflict on her some stain, she desired the retirement of a desert place; but because of the frailty of her body she feared to take the road; and so every day she besought her Creator that he would deign to send her counsel about this. Visited by an Angel An Angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and called her: "Heliena, handmaid of God." And she answering said: "Lord, who are you?" And he answered: "I am an Angel of God, sent to refresh you in your works, led away to a cave and to prepare your way. Come, follow me."
[3] she is nourished from the church Lesson II. And she with the greatest eagerness followed his steps; and he led her to a crypt, which is called a cave, near the granary of old Rofranum, where she stayed unknown for the space of one month; for it she works and she ate nothing else but once a day bread dipped in water, and raw legumes. When this came to the notice of the neighboring monastery, the monks of that place marveled greatly, and two religious men went up thither, and besought her that she would daily receive food from the church. She agreed to receive it under this condition, she shines with miracles that whatever she worked with her own hands, she wished to work for the use of the church. For religious men she made cowls and tiaras, and for shepherds she worked sclavinia (coarse cloaks). Now after her fame had been spread through the whole province, the sick from far distant parts came to her; and she imposed hands upon each, and they returned home in health.
[4] at her death the bells of themselves ring Lesson III. When the time of her life was finished, she migrated to the Lord, and the bells of the aforesaid monastery began, without hands pulling them, to ring strongly. The aforementioned monks of the place, struck with great fear, went up to her; and they found the prison-house of her body, an Angel admonishing desiring to receive it into their church with great exultation. But the Angel, who had led her thither, did not permit them to do this; but swiftly went to the Pontiff of Paestum, and admonished him in his sleep she is buried at Paestum on April 20 to carry thither honorably and religiously the holy body; and also showed him in his sleep where the most holy body lay. And waking from sleep, terrified with great fear, he quickly fulfilled the Angel's command, and with honest and modest men led the holy body to his Church, and with the greatest honor himself buried it on the 12th day before the Kalends of May. Her soul rejoices in the College of holy Virgins in the house of God, with the help of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be honor forever and ever. Amen.
[5] Bernardo Giustinian in the Life of Blessed Lorenzo Giustinian on January 8, number 24, explains the word sclavina thus: "He had a bed barely six feet in length, Time of her life with straw stuffing and a covering, which the ancients call cento and we sclavina." Would that it were equally easy to explain in what time the holy Virgin lived! Yet since the Bishop of Paestum, not of Capaccio, is named, it seems able to be said by probable conjecture that she flourished before the irruption of the Saracens into those regions, by which we believe Paestum to have been overthrown; and before the domination of the Norman Princes, under whom we scarcely doubt the Episcopate was restored and translated. Of the Bishops of Paestum, no one is known by his name except Laurentius, whom Ughelli writes to have subscribed the Roman Synod in the year five hundred: among the Bishops of Capaccio, the first designable from public Acts is Arnulfus in the said Ughelli, named in a certain Privilege of King Roger in the year 1126.