In the Church of San Sigismondo in Bologna, Italy, the remains of an eleven-year-old girl have been preserved for centuries. Beneath a wax figure depicting her in religious dress rests Blessed Imelda Lambertini, a young Dominican whose extraordinary death followed her very first Holy Communion.
Born in Bologna around 1322, Imelda showed a love for the Eucharist from an early age. She wanted desperately to receive Jesus in Holy Communion, but children at that time had to wait until they were older.
At about nine years old, Imelda entered a Dominican convent near Bologna. She joined the sisters in prayer and continued asking permission to receive the Eucharist. Each time, she was told she must wait.
Then, according to Dominican tradition, an amazing thing happened. On May 12, 1333, Imelda remained praying in the chapel after Mass while the other sisters departed. Suddenly, a consecrated Host appeared suspended in the air above her head, surrounded by light.
When the priest was summoned, he recognized the extraordinary sign and gave Imelda her First Holy Communion.
The sisters allowed her to remain in prayer afterward. When they returned, they found her still kneeling, with a peaceful expression on her face. But Imelda had died.
Tradition holds that her joy at finally receiving Our Lord was so great that she died in an ecstasy of love.
Today, her remains are enshrined in Bologna's Church of San Sigismondo beneath a wax representation of the young girl. Blessed Imelda was beatified in 1826 and is honored as the patroness of First Communicants.
This amazing story should make us think about our own reception of Holy Communion.
Do we approach the Eucharist with anything like the longing Imelda had when she was waiting to receive Jesus for the very first time?
Blessed Imelda longed to receive Jesus with her whole heart. Grow in your own love for Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament with How to Be His: A 33-Day Dedication to Our Eucharistic Jesus. Through daily reflections and prayers, this devotional invites you to approach Holy Communion with renewed faith and devotion. Discover this book at The Catholic Company and begin your 33-day dedication here.
