Exorcist Diary #348: The City of Saints

Some locations are particularly full of demons, especially if great evil was perpetrated in that place. Thus when a family complains that their house has demons, we will ask about the history of the place, looking for possible openings to evil. A person with some spiritual sensitivities will be especially aware of an infestation of demons and will likely have a reaction such headaches, nausea or generally feeling sick. As an example, being in a former Nazi concentration camp where countless innocent souls were executed, will likely be difficult for a spiritual sensitive to endure for long.

Similarly, there are particularly holy places which seem to overflow with a sense of holiness and peace. For example, monasteries are often steeped in decades of prayer. It is not an accident that people flock to them for retreats, as well as other holy sites such as those with Marian apparitions. These places are not uncommonly places of pilgrimage, and the faithful find them particularly conducive to prayer and an encounter with the Holy.

I am currently in Lucca, Italy. It is a great place to pray. Little wonder! There are at least eight canonized saints buried in this small city-- an intense concentration of saints. Here are three of the more well-known:

St. Gemma Galgani, the "Flower of Lucca," is known for her many mystical graces including regular visions of Jesus and Mary, miracles associated with her life and intercession, and her intense love for the passion of Jesus. She had the full stigmata which bled profusely on Fridays. Her remains are found in the Sanctuary of Saint Gemma in Lucca (as well as in Spain). She is the patron saint of students, pharmacists, paratroopers, those who have lost parents, those suffering from back pain, headaches, migraines and those struggling with impurity. Recently, in honor of the anniversary of her receiving the stigmata on June 8th, there was a procession of St. Gemma's relic from the Sanctuary to the house where she received the wounds of Christ.

[In the sanctuary St. Gemma Galgani, photo by author]

St. Elena Guerra was just canonized October 20, 2024 and is buried in the Church of St. Augustine in Lucca. She founded the community of sisters known as the Oblates of the Holy Spirit, and was a teacher and friend of St. Gemma. She fostered a devotion to the Holy Spirit including directly intervening with Pope Leo XIII to promote this devotion, which he did. He issued the encyclical Divinum illud munus ("On the Holy Spirit") and established a novena to the Holy Spirit to be prayed between the Feast of the Ascension and Pentecost. St. Elena is called the "Apostle of the Holy Spirit."

[In the church of St. Augustine, St. Elena Guerra, photo by author]

St. Zita, a 13th century saint, came from a poor family and served as a domestic for the Fatinelli family in Lucca for 48 years. She was known for her diligence, faith and care for the poor. There are many miracles associated with her care for the poor including turning water into wine and multiplying bread. She is the patroness of domestic workers, housekeepers, waitresses, and household chores. She is entombed under an altar in the Basilica of San Frediano in Lucca (which has three other saints). On April 27th of each year, the people bake bread and bring flowers to the basilica in her honor.

[St. Zita in the Basilica of San Frediano, photo by author]

In addition to the several religious communities currently residing in Lucca including the Sisters of St. Gemma, the Passionist Fathers and Sisters, and the motherhouse of St. Elena's community- Oblates of the Holy Spirit, there is a working Carthusian monastery of hermits at Farneta just outside of Lucca.

During WWII there were a number of monks, religious, priests and seminarians martyred for the faith by the Nazis including 12 Carthusian hermits who harbored persecuted Jews inside the monastery. There is a plaque outside the chancery wall in Lucca commemorating a total of 28 priests, religious and seminarians who were killed, further making Lucca a holy place-- "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church." Here is the plaque:

[Lucca martyrs plaque, photo by author]

Little wonder that Lucca is a great place to pray. It is truly "The City of Saints." It is steeped in holiness and the blood of martyrs.

But one also needs to take time off from spiritual exercises to relax and to eat. The Tuscan town of Lucca is home to wonderful restaurants with local Tuscan and Lucchese dishes. It is also a beautiful walled city at the foothills of the mountains. And as someone who tries to be frugal, Lucca is MUCH cheaper than Rome. Food and lodgings are much more affordable.

It is a particular grace to be in such holy sites, and I plan to return. But we remember that God is everywhere. He hears our prayers and graces us no matter where we happen to be. In fact, God calls many of his people to live in the center of the "world" to bring holiness and the Gospel to the abode of mammon. Christian living in such difficult circumstances is its own kind of martyrdom. And, as with the great martyrs, God will give them the strong graces needed to withstand the daily assaults of the Evil One, and to live a holy life.

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