Wife, Mother, Mystic and Prophetess

Elisabetta was born of noble and well-off family In the historical center of Rome, in via Tor dei Conti, not far from the Coliseum, on November 21, 1774. She was the daughter of Tommaso and Teresa Primoli. Her family was well off, of deep Christian convictions and diligent in the education of their children. At 21 years of age, on January 10, 1796, Elisabetta married Cristoforo Mora, a young lawyer and son of Francesco Mora, a renowned doctor of the town.

A few months into the marriage, Cristoforo became jealous of his wife. He became controlling in a troublesome manner and also interfered with the visits of the relatives. Then, little by little, his feelings for Elisabetta began to change into resentment and indifference. In the first five years of the marriage, Elisabetta gave birth to four daughters, of whom two died and two survived, Marianna and Lucina.

During this time, Cristoforo, began an extramarital affair with a woman of modest conditions, to which he gave not only his love but also his time and his money. He deceived his wife, Elisabetta, and deserted his family, reducing it to destitution, and he squandered his family’s fortune. His wife and the two daughters fell into extreme poverty.

To the physical and psychological violence of her husband, Elisabetta responded with absolute fidelity. In 1801 a mysterious illness brought her to death’s door. She was cured in an inexplicable way and had her first mystical experience.

Elisabetta, to pay creditors and to safeguard the good name of her husband, was compelled to sell her jewelry and, even, her wedding garments. She continued to care for her daughters and the daily chores of the home with utmost care. She also dedicated much time to prayer, to the service of the poor and assisting the sick. She dedicated special care to families in need. She was ridiculed by Cristoforo for her “pious” behavior, but continued to pray for him.

Friends and even her confessor advised Elisabetta to separate, but Elisabetta never lost heart. For the sake of Christ, Elisabetta considered the salvation of her husband and of her daughters and used this misfortune for spiritual profit. Elisabetta was convinced that “nobody can be saved all alone, and that God has entrusted to everyone, the responsibility of the salvation of others in order to carry out his project of love”. This is the story of a woman betrayed, however, Elisabetta understood what it meant to be a Christian. She knew that God entrusted Cristoforo to her through the Sacrament of Marriage and that she had the responsibility to carry this cross to salvation. She could not leave it, because God had entrusted it.

Set afire from the love of God in the Holy Trinity, and supported by a strong intimate relationship with Jesus, her love for Cristoforo grew with more intensity every day. Elisabetta desired more and more to be united to Cristoforo through God to help him reach his eternal destiny and salvation.

Elisabetta came to know and to understand profoundly the spirituality of the Trinitarians and joined the secular Third Order, responding with dedication to the vocation of the family and secular consecration.

The fame of her “holiness”, the echo of her mystical experiences and of her “miraculous power” quickly spread throughout Rome and its surrounding neighborhoods. However, none of this changed her poor life style, marked by great humility and a generous spirit of service to the poor and those fallen away From God. She continually offered herself for the Pope, the Church, her city of Rome and the conversion of her husband.

And so, with her life of heroic faithfulness to God and her absolute dedication to the Sacrament of Marriage, Elisabetta died. On February 5, 1825, on a cold and rainy night, while being cared for by her two daughters, Lucina and Marianna, she entered the light of the Holy Trinity as if in a sweet slumber. Cristoforo rushed to her death bed to utter these words: “Today we have lost a great bride and mother.”

Elisabetta’s wish had come true… for the seed of conversion was sprouting in her husband’s soul. In 1834, Cristoforo became a Conventual Franciscan and died as a priest of September 9, 1845 in the Franciscan church at Sezze, Italy.

Visions and prophecies

“On the Feast of St. Peter, 29th of June, 1820, whilst I was praying,” … Blessed Elizabeth says, “for the wants of the Church and the conversion of sinners, amongst whom I am the first, I was ravished in spirit, and drawn very near to God. Through an infinite light I was so intimately united to Him that I lost all sentiments of myself. The sweet impressions of the love of God replenished me with an inexpressible joy and satisfaction. My soul, however, remained calm in these tokens of Divine kindness.

“Then it seemed to me to behold the heavens opening, and St. Peter, prince of the Apostles, coming down, surrounded with great glory and by a numerous escort of heavenly spirits, singing canticles. St. Peter was dressed in his pontifical robes and held in his right hand the pastoral staff, with which he used to draw upon the Earth an immense cross; at the same time the angels sang these words of the Psalmist, Constitues eos principes super omnem terram— you will constitute them princes over the whole Earth.

“After this, the holy Apostle touched with his staff the four extremities of the cross, from which sprung up four beautiful trees loaded with blossoms and fruits. These mysterious trees had the form of a cross, and were surrounded by a splendid light. Then I comprehended in the depth of my soul that St. Peter had produced these four symbolic trees to the end that they may serve as a place of refuge to the little flocks of the faithful friends of Jesus Christ, and in order to preserve them from the fearful punishment which shall convulse the whole Earth. All good Christians shall then be protected under these trees, together with all those religious persons who shall have faithfully preserved in their hearts the spirit of their order.”

Taken from: francismary.org. Blessed Elizabeth Canori Mora: Wife, Mother, Mystic and Prophetess. Article By Shirley Aaron; February 6, 2019

“In 1816, Our Lady appeared to Blessed Elizabeth on Christmas Day with the Christ Child in her arms. Elizabeth was struck by the deep sorrow of the Blessed Mother’s countenance and asked Our Lady what could be the cause of such sorrow, “Behold, my daughter, such great ungodliness.” Blessed Elizabeth then saw “apostates brazenly trying to rip her most holy Son from her arms. Confronted with such an outrage, the Mother of God ceased to ask mercy for the world, and instead requested justice from the Eternal Father. Clothed in His inexorable Justice and full of indignation, He turned to the world.”

“At that moment all nature went into convulsions, the world lost its normal order and was filled with the most terrible calamity imaginable. This will be something so deplorable and atrocious that it will reduce the world to the ultimate depths of desolation.”

“One day, during an ecstasy, S. John the Baptist conducted her into an august and mysterious temple. The Blessed Virgin laid the Infant Jesus upon an Altar, and began to pray for the Church, supplicating her Divine Son to suspend the rigors of His Justice, and not to disperse the Ministers of the Sanctuary. She reminded Him that she was His Mother, and that, as His Mother, she hoped to be heard.

The Infant Jesus replied: ‘My justice will no longer support so many abominations. You are My Mother, but you are also My creature!’

With the august Queen of Heaven a multitude of Religious, united with their holy Founders, had also implored mercy. But scarcely had they heard the words of the Divine Infant, than they fell on their knees and adored the impenetrable decrees of the Most High. Then all the holy Religious offered to Him the incense of the good works of their respective Orders. The Infant God then raised His Hand, blessed them, and with them His faithful servant. The exile of the Sovereign Pontiff and the dispersion of the College of Cardinals took place very soon after this vision.

Another time three Angels conducted Elizabeth into a subterranean place where, in secret and in darkness, the impious were plotting the ruin of the Church. She there saw also persons covered with a mask of hypocrisy, who, under the specious pretext of doing good, secretly favored the designs of the agents of Hell. The Venerable Mother was penetrated by a feeling of horror in presence of a sight of which the idea would never have presented itself to her mind. To console her. Our Lord showed her the re-establishment of the Society of Jesus, through the intercession of S. Ignatius Loyola. She also saw a Father of the same Society, illustrious by his knowledge and virtue, who, in union with other Fathers, defended the rights of Holy Church, and many others who shed their blood for Jesus Christ.

Actuated only by her zeal for the Church, Elizabeth, in her humility, addressed ardent prayers to Our Lord to obtain a cessation of this persecution. At that moment the All-Powerful caused His Justice to shine forth, and exterminated these wretches in a manner so prompt and terrible, that during several days her mind was troubled. She felt throughout her whole body a most intense terror, and experienced for a long time an icy coldness which ran through all her limbs. The following vision made an impression upon her no less vivid.

The Church appeared to her standing before the throne of God, supplicating Him to spare her children, and especially the Priests, Secular and Regular. But the Most High refused to listen, and said to her: ‘Take the part of My Justice, and judge your own cause.’ At these words the Church took off all her ornaments, aided by three Angels, executioners of Divine Justice; reduced to this sad state, she became so weak that she could not support herself. Then Our Lord gave her a staff to support herself upon, and a veil to cover her head.

In her desolation she bitterly sobbed, and deplored the solitude in which her children had left her. Suddenly the Spirit of the Lord invested her with a bright and intense light, which, spreading itself in four different directions, accomplished great and wonderful things. In the mild rays of this glory, those who slumbered in error arose, and re-entered her bosom, surrounding her with homage and respect. The Church appeared more beautiful and resplendent than ever. Six of the principal Religious Orders appeared as so many firm and strong columns destined to sustain her.

But, before enjoying this triumph, she had to pass through evils so frightful, that Elizabeth’s Confessor was terrified by them. Desirous to avert them, he ordered his heroic penitent to go to S. Mary Major and make an entire offering of herself, of all the benefits she had received, and of those which she was to receive, in union with the offering of Jesus Christ upon the Cross. Elizabeth piously hastened to obey; and at the moment when she offered herself to Our Lord, two Angels descended from Heaven, received her offering in two chalices which they gave to S. Felix of Valois and S. John of Matha, who presented them to the Blessed Virgin, and she presented them to the Holy Trinity. The two chalices were placed before the throne of the Most High, and there remained to appease His just anger.

Our Lord confided to her His secrets ; she wept unceasingly at seeing Him prepared to discharge upon the world the weight of His anger. She would have wished to deliver men, at the price of all her blood, from the evils which threatened them. But her prudent Confessor told her not to oppose the designs of God, and to content herself with praying in conformity with His Holy Will. She did so, and Our Lord, showing that He was moved, said to her : “This is a prayer worthy of Me.” One day, however, the ardor of her zeal caused her to forget this rule. Having seen that God was about to show forth His Justice, she flew in spirit to the foot of His Throne, and incessantly prayed that He would stop His avenging arm. At that moment the chastisement would have drawn down upon many the loss of both body and soul.

One day she could not see, without extreme pain, so many persons of all ages and of every condition attach themselves to the perverse maxims of the world, and without shame outrage the God of all Majesty. In the ardor of her zeal to remedy this grave disorder, she offered herself to God to suffer all sorts of torments at the hands of men, and all kinds of vexations from devils. The Heavenly Father accepted her offering, and gave her the power of binding the devil who perverted so many souls, and of enclosing him in the abyss with the aid of two Fathers of the Order of the Holy Trinity.”

Sources

The Christian Trumpet: Previsions and Predictions about Impending General Calamities, The Universal Triumph of the Church, The Coming of Antichrist, The Last Judgment, and The End of the World. Gaudentius Rossi, published by KIC. Kindle Edition.

The Life of the Venerable Elizabeth Canori Mora,  by Mary Elizabeth Herbert, publ. London by R. Washbourne, 1878, pp101-104