Biography and life of Blessed Juana de Signa
Blessed Joan of Signa was born in the city of Siena, Italy, on March 13, 1347. She was the daughter of the nobleman Guido di Signa and his wife Margherita. At sixteen, she consecrated herself to God as a consecrated maiden and moved to the convent of San Domenico Maggiore in Siena. She there she lived a life of prayer and fasting, dedicating herself to works of charity.
At the age of twenty, Blessed Juana had a dream in which Saint Dominic appeared to her and told her to move to the Santa Caterina da Siena convent in Rome. She so she did it, and she there she stayed for the rest of her life.
During her stay in Rome, Blessed Joan witnessed the papal schism and the siege of Rome by the French. Amidst the chaos, she remained faithful to the Roman Catholic Church and fervently prayed for peace. She also helped care for the wounded and sick during this difficult time.
After the papal schism, Blessed Joan returned to Siena to visit her family. While she was there, she had another dream in which Saint Dominic told her to return immediately to Rome to care for Pope Gregory XI during her last illness. So she did Blessed Joan, and she managed to arrive just in time to be with the Pope as she died.
After the death of Pope Gregory XI, Blessed Joan returned to Siena again to visit her family. However, she soon felt that she must return to Rome to be with the new Pope Urban VI during the papal schism that followed the death of Gregory XI. Once again, she managed to arrive just in time to be with the Pope as he died.
After the papal schism finally ended, Blessed Joan returned permanently to the convent of Santa Caterina da Siena in Rome, where she spent the rest of her days praying and fasting for the intentions of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church. She died on March 13, 1396—exactly 49 years after her birth—surrounded by her fellow nuns and blessed by Pope Boniface IX before her death.
Prayer to Blessed Joan of Signa
O Saint Anthony,
that you help the poor,
you already love men,
you want everyone well;
second sentence
O Blessed Joan of Signa,
You who are a holy woman,
We ask you to help us
To overcome our difficulties.
We want to be better people
But sometimes it's so hard...
Only you can give us the strength and courage,
To keep going and not give up.
Amen.
important things you did
– Joan of Signa was a religious and erudite woman.
– Juana de Signa helped found the Descalzas Reales convent in Madrid.
– Joan of Signa translated numerous religious texts from Latin into Spanish; in this sense, she is considered an important reference for those studying the history of translation, similar to other examples such as Blessed Maria Teresa Ledochowska.
– Joan of Signa was a fervent defender of the Catholic reform.
– Juana de Signa was excluded from the convent in 1539 for opposing the ordination of women.
– In 1540, Juana de Signa left the convent and retired to live in a small town near Madrid.
– Despite her retirement, Joan of Signa continued to be active in religious and intellectual life, translating and copying religious texts.