Saint Maria Francesca of the Five Wounds. Protector of the family and unborn life

Valerio Lessi guides us, in a simple and engaging way, to discover the figure of the “Santarella” of the Spanish Quarters, now regarded as the patron saint of the family and unborn life. Her life includes, in fact, episodes that testify to her closeness to the family: women considered infertile who had children, and spouses reconciled through her work of reconciliation. The story of Maria Francesca - a saint much loved in Naples, the city of which she is co-patroness - is marked by suffering, human cruelty, and adverse circumstances in which, however, the final word belongs to a loving and merciful Wisdom. She, who bore in her name and in her own flesh the signs of Jesus’ Passion, accepted the call to conform her life to the Crucified Christ, and from this sacrifice of love came her victory. Hers is a path of holiness that continues to move and attract people.