SAINT OF THE DAY APRIL APRIL 6

Blessed Juliana of Mont Cornillon

Also known as

• Juliana of Mount Cornillon
• Juliana of Liege

Profile

Orphaned at age 5. She and her sister Agnes were raised by the nuns at the convent of Mount Cornillon. Juliana read the works of Saint Augustine and Saint Bernard while she was still very young. Augustinian nun at Liege, Belgium in 1206. Worked with the sick, and in the convent's hospital. Prioress of the convent at Mount Cornillon in 1225.

Received visions from Christ, who pointed out that there was no feast in honour of the Blessed Sacrament. Based on this, she promoted the additional of what became the feast of Corpus Christi. The messages she received led to being branded a visionary, and accused of mismanagement of hospital funds. An investigation by the bishop exonerrated her; she was returned to her position, and he introduced the feast of Corpus Christi in Liege in 1246.

On the bishop's death in 1248, Juliana was driven from Mount Cornillon. Nun at the Cistercian house at Salzinnes until it was burned by Henry II of Luxembourg. Anchoress at Fosses.

Friend of Blessed Eva of Liege, who worked for the acceptance of the new feast. The office for the feast was later written by Saint Thomas Aquinas, and was sanctioned for the whole Church by Pope Urban IV in 1264. The feast became mandatory in the Roman Church in 1312.

Born

1192 at Retinnes, Flanders, Belgium

Died

• 5 April 1258 of natural causes
• buried at Villiers, France

Beatified

1869 by Pope Blessed Pius IX (cultus confirmed)

Representation

Augustinian nun holding a monstrance.