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Blessed Antonia Mesina was born in a small Italian town in Sardinia, Italy, in 1919. She was the second of her parents’ ten children.
Antonia’s mother had a serious heart condition, and eventually it became so serious that she became bedridden. So, after only four years of schooling, Antonia had to stop school to take over care of the house and her younger siblings.
This was a huge responsibility for someone so young, but Antonia accepted her new role with humility and joy and went about her work with diligence.
At the age of 10, Antonia joined Catholic Action, a lay apostolate that encourages Catholic influence in daily life and politics. Many saints have been members of this evangelization movement.
Antonia was a very passionate and dedicated member of Catholic Action. She always fulfilled her assigned duties and encouraged many of her peers to join. Through this work and in her daily life, she was a fantastic evangelist.
When Antonia was 16, she went out gathering firewood with a friend. While gathering firewood, a male teenager attacked her, attempting to rape her. Antonia’s friend ran for help while Antonia resisted the man. Eventually, the man became angry and began to strike Antonia with a stone, eventually striking her 74 times. She later died of her wounds as a martyr for purity.
Lessons From the Life of Blessed Antonia Mesina
Evangelizing and Growing in Virtue Despite Difficult Circumstances
Antonia was thrust into a great deal of responsibility at a young age. It would have been easy to become bitter about her circumstances and to let her poverty and lack of education hold her back from evangelizing.
Instead, Antonia didn’t allow her circumstances to hold her back; she used them to grow in virtue and became a great evangelist to her peers.
A Patron for Sexual Trauma Survivors
Blessed Antonia Mesina is a patron for survivors of rape, and so can be a great intercessor for those on the healing journey after sexual trauma.
Her life and death remind us that our bodies have immense dignity as temples of the Holy Spirit, even when they have been wounded or violated by others.
May she intercede for all sexual trauma survivors, helping them to remember God’s love and His presence in them.