September 4
Saint Rose of Viterbo
Virgin, Preacher
Miracle Worker
(1233-1251)
“If Jesus could be beaten for me, I can be beaten for Him. I do what He has told me, and I must not disobey Him.”
Saint Rose of Viterbo
Saint’s Life Story
Her Early Life
Around 1233, Rose was born of poor and pious parents, in Viterbo, Italy, located some 62 miles northeast of Rome. From birth, Rose was filled with grace. Before she could walk, her parents would find her kneeling before Jesus in His tabernacle, praying before sacred images.
Legend has it, that at the age of three, she miraculously brought her aunt back from death by laying her hands upon her and calling out her name. At the age of seven, she professed her intention to live the life of a hermit, devoting herself to penance and fasting.
Illness and Recovery
During an illness when she was eight years old, Rose is said to have had a vision or dream of our Lady. In this vision she was told that she was to be clothed in the habit of Saint Francis of Assisi and must enter the Third Order of Saint Francis. However, she was to continue to live at home and to set a good example to her neighbors by both word and work.
After the Blessed Mother appeared to Rose on her sickbed, Rose suddenly exclaimed to those gathered beside her: “All of you here, why do you not greet the Queen of the world? Do you not see Mary, the august Mother of my God, coming forward? Let us go to meet her, and prostrate ourselves before her majesty!”
Rose miraculously recovered, and donned the habit of the Third Order Franciscans. She thought more and more about the sufferings of our Lord and the thoughtless ingratitude of sinners.
Another Vision
Shortly after, our Lord appeared to her on the Cross, wearing the crown of thorns on His head and bleeding profusely from all His wounds.
Rose, aghast at the sight, called out: “O my Lord, who has reduced Thee to this state?”
Our Lord replied, “My love, my deep love for men has done this.”
“But,” asked Rose, “who has so pierced and torn Thee?”
“The sins of men have done it,” was our Lord’s answer. “Sin, sin!” cried the saint, and she scourged herself to make atonement for the sins of the world.
Preacher at 12
By the time Rose was 12, the young “hermitess” was already a marvel to her fellow townsmen. At that time, the town of Viterbo was completely under the domination of the anti papal imperial party. Rose now began to preach in the streets, urging that the Viterbians not submit further to Emperor Frederick’s soldiers garrisoned there, but oust these enemies of the Pope.
As Rose continued to denounce the Ghibellines, supporters of the Emperor, her father grew worried. He told her that he would thrash her if she even left the house. She replied, “If Jesus could be beaten for me, I can be beaten for Him. I do what He has told me, and I must not disobey Him.”
Exiled
The father, persuaded by the parish priest, withdrew his threat. For two years, Rose kept defending this cause, with increasingly popular success. In 1250, the local Ghibellines branded her a public enemy and demanded her execution. The mayor rejected the death penalty, but he did send Rose and her parents into exile.
Prophesied Emperor’s Death
Even at Soriano, Italy, the nearby village to which they fled, Rose pursued her public denunciations. Here, she carried the same message to neighboring towns. On December 5, 1250, she is said to have prophesied that the excommunicated Frederick’s days were numbered. He died eight days later.
Converted a Sorceress
In Vitorchiano, a sorceress there had greatly influenced the citizens of this hillside town. So, Rose set about her public preaching once more. Her exhortations moved the people but failed with the sorceress herself.
Undaunted, Rose had an immense wooden pyre built in the public square and climbing to the top, she had it set on fire. For three hours she stood unscathed in the midst of the devouring flames singing the praises of God. Sincerely moved by the miracle, the repentant sorceress fell to her knees.
Rejected at the Convent
After the death of Emperor Frederick, Viterbo returned to papal jurisdiction and Rose and her parents went home. Not long afterward she asked to be admitted to the local convent of St. Mary of the Roses run by the Order of the Poor Clares. The abbess refused to receive her because being poor, Rose could not bring with her the required “dowry.”
Rose responded, “You will not have me now, but perhaps you will be more willing when I am dead.”
She returned home and lived in a private cell in her father’s house. Here, Rose increased her prayer for the faith of the Catholic Church and demonstrated great zeal for the Lord. Several young women came to live with her and Rose instructed them in the faith.
Her Death
As just a young teenager on March 6, 1251 in Viterbo, Italy, Rose died. She had prophesised her own death (of what is now believed to have been a heart defect). Her dying words to her parents were: “I die with joy, for I desire to be united to my God. Live so as not to fear death. For those who live well in the world, death is not frightening, but sweet and precious.”
Rose was originally buried in the small parish church of Santa Maria in Poggio located in Piazza della Crocetta in central Viterbo. In 1257, recognizing her sanctity, Pope Alexander IV ordered her body to be laid to rest in the very convent that had previously rejected her and at which time, it was renamed in her honor. Her feast days are celebrated on March 6 and September 4, which commemorates the translation of her relics in Viterbo and is particularly celebrated by the Franciscan order.
The church burned down in 1357, but her incorrupt body was preserved and was carried through the city in a procession every year. That tradition continues today with an annual festival in Viterbo that features dozens of men carrying a giant platform through the city on Sept. 3, the night before her feast day.
Born: Around 1233 in Viterbo, Italy
Died: March 6, 1251 in Viterbo, Italy
Beatified: Not Known
Canonized: 1457 by Pope Callistus III
Feast Day: September 4
Patron Saint: Exiles; People Rejected by Religious Orders; Tertiaries; Viterbo, Italy
Reflection
From a young age, Saint Rose of Viterbo displayed a fervent love for Christ and the Virgin Mary. Despite facing opposition, she fearlessly preached repentance and called people to greater faith, even at a time when the political and religious climate was hostile. She was particularly devoted to the poor and sick, showing that true holiness is expressed in love and service.
Are you willing to stand up for what is right, even when it is unpopular? Do you trust in God’s plan, even when you face struggles or rejection? Saint Rose of Viterbo’s life reminds us that holiness is not measured by age or status but by our willingness to say “yes” to God in every moment.
Prayers
Saint Rose of Viterbo,
You burned with love for Christ from a young age, boldly proclaiming His truth with courage and devotion.
Even in the face of opposition and exile, you remained steadfast in your faith, trusting always in God’s providence.
Intercede for us so that we may have the strength to stand firm in our beliefs, the compassion to serve those in need, and the humility to trust in God’s will for our lives.
May your example inspire us to live with greater holiness and love for Christ, so that we, too, may bring His light into the world.
Saint Rose of Viterbo, pray for us! Amen.
Saint Links
A Dictionary Of Saintly Women, Volume 1 by Agnes B. C. Dunbar – St. Rose of Viterbo
Aleteia – St. Rose of Viterbo: A fearless teen who proclaimed truth to the politicians of her day
America Needs Fatima – Saint Rose of Viterbo
AnaStpaul – Saint of the Day – 4 September – St Rose of Viterbo (c1233 – 1251)
Catholic Insight – Saint Rose of Viterbo and San Marinoh
Catholic Online – St. Rose of Viterbo
CatholicSaints.Info – The Story of Saint John Baptist de la Salle, by Father Silas Barth, O.F.M.
Dynamic Catholic – Saint Rose of Viterbo
Editions Magnificat – Saint Rose of Viterbo Virgin (1235-1252)
Franciscan Media – Saint Rose of Viterbo
Heralds of the Gospel – St. Rose of Viterbo – Mercy and Intransigence Flowing from Ardent Love
Melanie Rigney – Rose of Viterbo
New Advent – Cleary, G. (1912). St. Rose of Viterbo. In The Catholic Encyclopedia
Rev Butler’s Lives Of The Saints Complete Edition – Saint Rose of Viterbo, Virgin
Roman Catholic Saints – Saint Rose of Viterbo
Secular Franciscan Order Mission of Australia – Saint Rose of Viterbo
St. Rose of Viterbro Catholic Church, Longview Washington – Who is St. Rose?
University of Notre Dame – St. Rose of Viterbo
Video Link
Cradio Saint of the Day: Saint Rose of Viterbo – YouTube (CatholicSaints.Info)