St. Juliana was born into a storied family of the Florence nobility in 1270. Her uncle, St. Alexis Falconieri, was one of the seven founders of the Servite Order for men. Inspired by her uncle’s holy example, Juliana decided at a young age to dedicate herself to God in religious life as well.

In 1285, she became a third order Servite and lived with her mother until she passed away. Upon her mother’s death, Juliana and her companions moved in to their own communal house in 1305.

Juliana dedicated herself to care for the poor and sick. A popular story of her life says that she used her own mouth to suck infection out of the sores and wounds of patients languishing in the hospital.

In the midst of her constant care for the poor, Juliana made time to spend lengthy hours in prayer with God. She often entered into ecstasy during her prayer time, as the drawing to the left shows.

Juliana directed the sisters of the Servite order until her death in 1341. On her deathbed, Juliana was too ill to receive the Holy Eucharist, as she kept vomiting violently. She asked the priest to lay the host on her breast. The host disappeared, Juliana’s body quieted, and she passed away peacefully. St. Juliana is the patron saint of those suffering from bodily ills.

St. Juliana Falconieri, founder of the Sisters of the Servite Order—pray for us!

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Image Credit: Courtesy of the British Museum