ON THE HOLY VIRGINS LIBERATA AND FAUSTINA, AT NOVARA IN ITALY.
Around the Year 580.
PrefaceLiberata, Virgin at Novara in Italy (S.) Faustina, Virgin at Novara in Italy (S.)
[1] At Novara in Cisalpine Gaul, the feast of the holy Virgin Liberata is observed on this day, as the Roman Martyrology records. Concerning her also Bellinus, Maurolycus, and Molanus in his Additions to Usuardus: "On the same day, S. Liberata, Virgin." Others join her sister Faustina; The feast of these Saints, 18 January. Galesinius: "At Novara, the holy Virgins Liberata and Faustina." Wion, Menardus, and Dorganius agree. Concerning Faustina in particular, Ferrarius in his general Catalogue of Saints: "At Novara in Insubria, S. Faustina, Virgin, and sister of S. Liberata." Baronius in his Notes on the Martyrology cites the Records of the Church of Como; Galesinius the Breviaries of Aquileia and Como; Ferrarius further the Lessons of the Church of Piacenza: and the latter reports that these Virgins are venerated together at Como, Piacenza, and Verona.
[2] Augustinus Valerius, in his book on the Bishops and Saints of Verona, records the following about them: "The feast of S. Libera the Virgin is celebrated in the Church of Verona according to ancient custom under a simple office on 21 April, as in all the ancient Calendars of the city of Verona, elsewhere on 21 April, especially from the Calendar of the Martyrology of the Cathedral Church, where it says: '11th before the Kalends of May, S. Libera, Virgin.' Whence it is gathered that S. Libera was not a Martyr, although in certain Calendars she is described as Virgin and Martyr. The same is confirmed from her life written in an ancient book of parchment, S. Liberata was not a martyr: covered in red leather, in small folio, of 48 leaves, at folio 39, at the monastery of S. Euphemia at Verona. In an ancient Breviary of parchment of the church of S. Bartholomew on the Mount, she is likewise called only a Virgin. Hence it is also clear that it is false that S. Libera was the mother of the one whom S. Syrus raised from the dead at Verona when he was traveling to Pavia, as someone has left written, since S. Libera is celebrated as a Virgin. She has a church, which was formerly called the church of S. Syrus. This blessed Virgin had a sister, S. Faustina: and both led a monastic life near the city of Como, as in the aforesaid history."
[3] "Among the people of Como and Brescia she is called Liberata, and they celebrate her feast as well as that of S. Faustina: but some on 18 January, others on 11 April, according to their custom. Called Libera. By Francesco Corna, in the book mentioned above, she is called Liberata in the vernacular. Hence it has come about that since in the old Veronese vernacular one said S. Libera for S. Liberata, and S. Consola for S. Consolata, in Latin too S. Libera was said for S. Liberata. Usuardus, printed at Louvain in 1568, has thus under the 18th of January: 'On the same day, S. Liberata, Virgin.'"
[4] "Above the main door of the church itself, to the west, there is an image of a Bishop in episcopal vestments, which is held to be the image of S. Syrus; on whose right and left sides are two images of holy women with diadems on their heads, painted in the year of the Lord 1366 on the 20th of April: Images of both. which are held to be the images of the sisters SS. Libera and Faustina. In a parchment tablet in the church of S. Libera, where are described the ancient Indulgences of the year 1338, an Indulgence is granted not only on the feast of S. Libera but also on that of S. Faustina: from which it is most clearly gathered that S. Libera was the same as S. Liberata, sister of S. Faustina, and that both were Virgins only. Indeed, by the tradition of those who celebrate her feast in that same church, she is celebrated as a Virgin only. There also exist two verses at the head of her ancient image on the wall of the church attesting to this:
'Libera, Virgin of God, by your prayers and kindly compassion, Be mindful of me, delivering me from a malignant death.'"
[5] At Mantua, on 16 January, as Ferrarius attests, S. Libera is venerated in her own church; and he judges her to be this Liberata of Como. But on 21 April the same Ferrarius in the general Catalogue of Saints: "At Verona, S. Libera, Virgin." Wion: "At Verona, the sisters SS. Libera and Faustina, Virgins and professed nuns." Dorganius records both on the same day. And Wion indeed considers that their translation is commemorated on this day, since the feast is celebrated on 18 January. The same Wion, however, and from him Menardus and Ferrarius in the general Catalogue, on 21 March: "At Verona, Translation of the sisters SS. Liberata and Faustina, Virgins and professed nuns." The author of the life writes that a twofold translation was made: the day of the first is unknown; the second occurred on 13 May. Ferrarius in the general Catalogue, 14 May: "At Como, Translation of the holy Martyrs Protus and Hyacinth, and the holy Virgins Liberata and Faustina."
[6] Her life. The ancient life cited by Augustinus Valerius we have not yet been able to obtain. What we give was written in Italian by Francesco Balarini in part 3 of the Annals of Como. A somewhat shorter version was published by Ferrarius in the Catalogue of the Saints of Italy, and by Abraham Bzovius in volume 14 of the Annals at the year 1317, no. 8, where he treats of their translation. Silvanus Razzi briefly mentions Liberata in volume 1 on women illustrious for sanctity.
LIFE
Written in Italian by Francesco Balarini.
Liberata, Virgin at Novara in Italy (S.) Faustina, Virgin at Novara in Italy (S.)
Author: Francesco Balarini.
[1] The holy Virgins Liberata and Faustina had as their father a certain John, a most noble man, lord of the castle and town of Genesino, situated in the Cottian Alps; over which to the south the ridges of those same Alps tower, The homeland and parent of the holy Virgins, while to the north the Po waters the wide-stretching plain: along which merchants were already then accustomed to travel by the Claudian road from Gaul into Italy. But these are not the Cottian Alps which Strabo places in Cisalpine Gaul; they are rather a part of the Apennines, in which also the town of Bobbio is situated; and they are now called the Mountains of Piacenza, as Paul the Lombard and Merula write. I, 2, c. 18.
[2] The occasion of their conversion. The pious sisters had seen a certain woman weeping inconsolably over the death of her husband: moved therefore by that grief, they resolved to abstain from marriage themselves and to embrace a holier rule of life. Accordingly, without their parent's knowledge of this plan, Their flight. they took precious ornaments of gold and silver, and with the religious Priest Marcellus as companion, they made for Como, a city three days' journey distant. At first the parent took this badly, not because he wished to call them back from the worship of God and a more austere life, but fearing lest that sudden and secret flight had proceeded from youthful levity; Their constancy tested by their father. which indeed, under the appearance of good, very often impels imprudent youth to undertake such ventures, from which little or no advantage can be reaped, as late repentance shows. Having therefore written a letter with remarkable expression of paternal love, he admonishes them to take the utmost care lest this plan had been seized upon with a sinister end, by the fraud of the devil. Let them rather return home, to be given in a noble and wealthy marriage. But if that resolution was deeply fixed in their souls and truly inspired by the divine Spirit, then indeed let them press forward steadfastly in what they had well begun, and tirelessly complete the heavenly journey they had voluntarily undertaken: nothing more pleasant could happen to him. When, however, from their letter he was certain that these plans had come from God in the first place and were deeply imprinted, being exceedingly wealthy, he assigned them ample revenues, so that they might conveniently build a monastery and support themselves.
[3] Let parents learn not rashly to recall children from a religious vocation when they perceive that it has been inspired by God: for otherwise they provoke divine vengeance upon themselves; Children should not be recalled from religious life: and it is lawful for children (as even S. Jerome exhorts) to tread upon father and mother in order to fly to the service of God; and often fatal outcomes await children when they resist a divine vocation. Nor should they be compelled. Nor indeed should one, whether driven by avarice, which is the service of idols, or by any other human consideration, compel by threats, blows, or other means, especially timid and simple girls, to embrace the religious life unwillingly (even though the state of virginal purity seems far to surpass that of marriage), so as to confine those whom they themselves have begotten in a perpetual cloister, not to say prison, under the strictest discipline, with no regard for the scandal and present danger into which those souls are cast -- souls that surpass in value all mortal things by far. This is certainly a matter exposed to the reproaches of the heretics who now assail the Church. 1 Cor. 7:38. Nor let them object to me that saying of the Apostle: "He who gives his virgin in marriage does well; and he who does not give her does better." For it is well established in the school of the sacred Doctors that this is indeed the case if there is freedom to do what one wills, but not if consent is extorted from the Virgin by force. And indeed when heavenly wrath is provoked, then apostolic excommunication is incurred, threatened by the sacred Council of Trent, of which God will demand a strict accounting in that terrible judgment of the last day. And those to whom the care and censure of such matters pertains must also direct their attention to this, lest they be oppressed with a punishment equal to those wicked men who are more savage than any beast.
[4] To return to our subject: at that time the Church of Como was governed by S. Agrippinus, its thirteenth Bishop, before whom the holy sisters pronounced their vow of perpetual virginity, The holy Virgins build a monastery; and received the habit and rule of the then still recent Benedictine family: and with their father providing the funds, they established an oratory in the name of the Virgin Mother of God Mary, which was afterward dedicated to S. Ambrose, and is situated at the very walls of the city.
[5] Another new one. But when many pious companions gathered to them, they migrated to another place outside the city, where they built an excellent convent, whose church, consecrated to S. John the Baptist, is today called S. Margaret's. Here, after the holy Virgins had led a most holy and most austere life for many years, renowned also for miracles, They die. they finally attained the desired end of their labors: and Faustina indeed, the younger by birth, departed this life on 15 January, three days after Liberata, around the year 580; both were buried in the same church of S. Margaret.
[6] But at the time when there was war between the Milanese and the people of Como, their holy bodies were brought into the city and placed in the Cathedral basilica of S. Mary, Their relics are translated; under Bishop Guido, about the year 1096. No specific day was recorded, because that translation was not made with any public celebration. Then, 221 years later, they were solemnly placed under the high altar of the same church, when Leo Lambertengus was Bishop, in the year 1317, on 13 May. Again. The Church celebrates their feast on 18 January.
Notes