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| Ven. Rosa Maria Serio - Iconografa B. Tenore |
The thief comes only in order to steal, kill, and destroy.
I have come in order that you might have life - life in all its fullness. Jo 10,10
Rosemary Serio was
born in Ostuni in the southeast of Italy on August 6, 1674 the day of the Feast
of the Lord’s
Transfiguration. Her parents were Antonio Serio - a professor of medicine, and
Francesca Spennati. Rosemary’s christening name was Romana. She had seven
sisters and many brothers.
Romana’s oldest sister,
Magdalene, wanted to become a nun and live at the nearby Convent of Fasano
which had been recently set up.
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| St. Mary Magdalene of Florence |
Soon the community
had outgrown the limits allowed by the Constitutions of St. Theresa, so the
mother superior Cherubin adecided toadopt the Constitutions of St. Mary Magdalene of Florence OCarm (1694) for their rules. In 1698 they obtained the
papal cloister for it.
The nuns gladly
accepted Magdalene Serio, but with one request – that she would also
allow her second sister, Romana, to enter too. On October 1st 1690 Romana
received the Carmelite habit, and took the name of Rosemary (and then she added
“of St. Anthony” in honor of her father).
The Mother Superior
- Sister Cherubina of St. Joseph, and the Novice mistress were amazed by the
spiritual maturity of Sister Rosemary. All through her novitiate, they
continually gave her mortification.
The nuns gladly
accepted Magdalene Serio, but with one request – that she would also
allow her second sister, Romana, to enter too. On October 1st 1690 Romana
received the Carmelite habit, and took the name of Rosemary (and then she added
“of St. Anthony” in honor of her father).
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| Madre di Dio "Bruna" - Iconografa B. Tenore |
The
Mother Superior - Sister Cherubina of St. Joseph, and the Novice mistress were
amazed by the spiritual maturity of Sister Rosemary. All through her novitiate,
they continually gave her mortification.
On an outbreak of
pestilence which killed most of the population of Fasano, Rosemary’s superiors
asked her to intercede with the Lord in order to protect the monastery. On that
outbreak none of the nuns were affected by the plague.
She was deeply
discerning God’s presence, and she prayed with an extraordinary intensity.
Her Superior called
a panel of theologians to examine her. Even though they declared themselves ‘satisfied’ with her
conduct, Sr. Cherubina postponed Rosemary’s oblation for further four
months to test her again, and to allow her parents to be present at the
ceremony. Finally, on the Feast of Epiphany, Sister Rosemary was professed nun.
On an outbreak of
pestilence which killed most of the population of Fasano, Rosemary’s superiors
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| Fasano - Chiesa matrice |
asked her to intercede with the Lord in order to protect the monastery. On that
outbreak none of the nuns were affected by the plague.
She was deeply
discerning God’s presence, and she prayed with an extraordinary intensity.
Her Superior called
a panel of theologians to examine her. Even though they declared themselves ‘satisfied’ with her
conduct, Sr. Cherubina postponed Rosemary’s oblation for further four
months to test her again, and to allow her parents to be present at the
ceremony. Finally, on the Feast of Epiphany, Sister Rosemary was professed nun.
Rumors on this nun
and her sanctity reached the General Vicar, and when a well-known confessor of
cloistered nuns was passing by Fasano, the General Vicar asked him to interview
Sister Rosemary.
He wrote a letter
to the local bishop, and the General Vicar immediately ordered Rosemary to be
imprisoned in the farthest cell away from the others, and to be fed only on
bread and water. The entire monastery was in shock, but Sister Rosemary
accepted this injustice with obedience. Finally she was released from her
prison and she was able to return to the community.
At the age of
twenty-five she was named Novice Mistress and by the age of twenty-eight she
was unanimously chosen as Prioress (even if there were many other older sisters
then her).
Sister Rosemary accepted the
role of Prioress at the condition that an older nun would be named over her: in
this way, the older nun would have been able to charge her in the name of
obedience.
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| Fasano - Ex Carmelo S. Giuseppe, grata del coro |
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| Fasano - Ex Carmelo S. Giuseppe facciata |
On September the
8th - on Our Lady’s Birthday, she took charge of the monastery. Even if she was elected twice for
the first three year terms, she continued to be elected by the other sisters
who had to go to Rome each time for a dispensation.
Her prayer
continued even as Prioress especially on the greater feasts of the liturgical
year.
Four days before
she died she gave an exhortation to the sisters and for the next few days she
could be heard whispering: "Holy, holy, holy". This was the last thing
she said before she died on May 9th 1726 at 11pm at 52 years old. She had
been a religious for 36 years.
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