St. Fina "Seraphina"
St. Fina or Seraphina, Virgin A.D. 1253 The old town of San Geminiano in Tuscany treasures with special veneration the memory of Santa Fina, a young girl whose claim to be recognized as a saint lay in the perfect resignation with which she accepted bodily suffering. She was born of parents who had seen better days but had fallen into poverty. The child was pretty and attractive. Poor as she was she always kept half her food to give to those who were worse off than herself. As far as possible she lived the life of a recluse at home, sewing indeed and spinning during the day, ;but spending much of the night in prayer. Her father seems to have died when she was still young and about the same time Fina was attacked by a sudden complication of diseases. Her head, hands, eyes, feet and internal organs were affected and paralysis supervened. She lost her good looks and became a miserable object. Desiring to be like our Lord on the cross, for six years she lay on a plank in one position, unable to turn or to move. Her mother had to leave her for hours while she went to work or beg, but Fina never complained. Although in terrible pain she always maintained serenity and with her eyes fixed upon the crucifix she kept on repeating,"It is not my wounds but thine, O Christ, that hurt me".
Fresh trouble befell her. Her mother died suddenly and Fina was left utterly destitute. Except for one devoted friend Beldia she was now so neglected that it was clear she could not live long, dependent on the casual attentions of poor neighbors who shrank from contact with her loathsome sores. Someone had told her about St. Gregory the Great and his sufferings, and she had conceived a special veneration for him. She used to pray that he, who was so much tried by disease would intercede with God that she might have patience in her affliction. Eight days before her death as she lay alone and untended, Gregory appeared to her and said, "Dear child on my festival God will give you rest". And it came to pass when her body was removed from the board on which it had rested, the rotten wood was found to be covered with white violets. All the city attended the funeral and many miracles were reported as having been wrought through her intercession. In particular she is said as she lay dead, to have raised her hand and to have clasped and healed the injured arm of her friend Beldia. The peasants of San Geminiano still give the name of Santa Fina's flowers to the white violets which bloom about the season of her feast day of March 12th.
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Dear St. Seraphina, thank you for your suffering, innocence & help for others; please pray for the rest of us & God Bless our new Pope Francis. Help him to be safe & protected by the love of our Lord God forever, Amen.
Sweet St Seraphina pray for us. I continue to pray for the souls of my parents departed from this life. In the lives they led, I saw their fidelity to God. I witnessed their struggle to give us an education, especially our Faith education. Their desire for our betterment was life-long. I praise and thank God for their lives of sacrifice. May their souls rest in peace. Amen.
Dear Saint,
Kindly pray all those people who are suffering from various illness and have no one to care for them. I earnestly entreat thy divine mercy to help my uncle Vargeese, who is suffering greatly due to his old age and his only daughter Meena who is blind. They are staying alone in one house without any help abandoned by his son and daughter-in-law. Kindly strengthen and support them and give them the grace to suffer patiently hoping to be comforted in heaven. Visit them in your love and share their pain so that they may feel happy and peaceful. Amen.
Dear Saint Seraphina
Please pray & intercede for my daughter, Gabriella Seraphina, that she will be healed of her affliction and that she will find her way in life that is pleasing to God. I love her so very much.
Thank you. Amen
st fina please heal my daughter who has been suffering for over 1 year with a fungus on her foot which swells up her leg and her nails too and she suffers from rash on her hands please intercede for us her healing thank you lord for her birth she is a joy to me always
St Fina -- please pray for healing for my sister, Janice, of epilepsy, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Please pray for Jacob that he finds peace and the right path, for Michelle that doctors are able to slow the progression of her dementia and for all cancer patients that they deal with their disease with grace and dignity. Thank you dear Lird for making me cancer free.
St. Seraphina, Thanks for your intercession and prayers. Now I have realized the value of suffering, as a means to experience the immense Love of God!
Sounds like Beldia and the mother are also saints. Bless their souls. Makes many of my problems look small.
St.Fina "seraphina" may god rest your soul you had a very hard life on earth
may you be happy now in heavenly peace
I ask you in faith two pray two god for me and my family
may god bless us
Amen
I love Saint Seraphina and would love to have her novena prayer card. Does anyone know where I can buy one?
Oh St. Fina help me in my trying of the Lord on me. amen
Dear St. Fina, please pray for me to bear all the hardships in my life gracefully.
I first learned of St. Seraphina when I visited San Gimignano several years ago. I was drawn towards her and her story immediately. I just can not fathom how such a young girl was so devout and trusting. What a lesson for us all. Beautiful name, beautiful child, beautiful story.
how timely to have received this today. I am in pain through MS and i pray to god almost 24/7
- See how He answers? Never ever lose your faith in God -He is always there
Sweet St. Fina of San Gimignano, how timely it is for me that I read about your amazing, astounding and abounding acceptance of your suffering. I think that you are a unique saint, who has taught me one important thing. Last week I was grieving to think of my dying mother's sufferings, her toil, turmoil and her silent tears as she laying on her death bed. It is an image that unfolds right in front of my eyes, so often, that it makes me grieve. But your untold sufferings and more importantly your saintly acceptance of the slow death you experienced helps heal me. Dear sweet saint Fina, an image of you shows you holding the city in your arms. I have had the pleasure to visit the quaint city nestled in the Tuscan countryside, out of which stand 13 towers. I recall simply enjoying the view. Thank you for giving me the privilege of having been there. Dear saint Fina receive my mother in her new heavenly abode and give her a sweet smile from me today. Amen.
how timely to have received this today. I am in pain through MS and i pray to god almost 24/7
- See how He answers? Never ever lose your faith in God -He is always there
O Lord,please give me unshakable faith like St.Fina when I pass through bad days
Amen.
i love this name! and i love the story! this is my confirmation name!
This is amazing, and im going to use it for my confirmation :))