Maria Lorenzo Longo
| Maria Lorenza Longo | |
|---|---|
| File:Longo-Retrat.jpg | |
| Born | 1463 Lleida |
| Died | 1542 Naples |
| Nationality | Spain |
Maria Lorenza Longo or María Lorenza Longo; Maria Longo; Maria Llong (1463 – 1542) was a Spanish nun who founded the Capuchin Poor Clares.
Biography
Longo was born in Lleida in 1463. She joined the Franciscans and she founded both a house to care for prostitutes and a hospital. She wanted to go on a pilgrimage but she had a vision that revealed that she should create a women's monastery called Santa Maria in Gerasalamme.[1] She wanted to re-establish the original concepts of religious simplicity, selfless poverty and the austerity of St. Francis of Assisi and Saint Clare of Assisi. This re-establishment followed the lead set by Matteo da Bascio when he founded the order of the Capuchin monks. Longo's new order was organised by the Capuchins. Her new order took the habits of the Capuchin monks . Like the monks, the nuns wore a simple brown tunic knotted with a cord at the waist and a short cape. The only addition for nuns was a wimple and a black veil.[2]
During her lifetime the first group was copied around Italy attracting funding from female philanthropists.[1] Her idea to launch an order of St Clare's is seen as a move to establish the fundermental principles established by St Clare of Assisi in 1212.[3]
Longo died in Naples in 1542.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Capuchine Nun, British Museum, Retrieved 3 December 2015
- ↑ Poor Clares, Encyclopedia Brittanica, Retrieved 3 December 2015
