The Catholic Defender: Saint Crescentia Hoess

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Crescentia was born in 1682, the daughter of a poor weaver, in a little town near Augsburg.

She spent play time praying in the parish church, assisted those even poorer than herself and had so mastered the truths of her religion that she was permitted to make her first Holy Communion at the then unusually early age of 7.

In the town she was called “the little angel.”

As she grew older, she desired to enter the convent of the Tertiaries of Saint Francis. But the convent was poor, and because Crescentia had no dowry, the superiors refused her admission.

Her case was then pleaded by the Protestant mayor of the town to whom the convent owed a favor. The community felt it was forced into receiving her, and her new life was made miserable. She was considered a burden and assigned nothing other than menial tasks. Even her cheerful spirit was misinterpreted as flattery or hypocrisy.

Conditions improved four years later when a new superior was elected who realized her virtue. Crescentia herself was appointed mistress of novices. She so won the love and respect of the sisters that, upon the death of the superior, Crescentia was unanimously elected to that position.

Under her, the financial state of the convent improved and her reputation in spiritual matters spread. She was soon being consulted by princes and princesses; bishops and cardinals too sought her advice. And yet, a true daughter of Francis, she remained ever humble.

Four years after her entrance to the convent, a new mother superior noticed her great piety and littleness of spirit. She lessened her load and continued to watch as Crescentia moved throughout her days, filled with joy and love, even for those whose abuse she suffered.

In 1717, in recognition of Crescentia’s tremendous personal holiness, the mother superior named her the new mistress of novices.

Bodily afflictions and pain were always with her. First it was headaches and toothaches. Then she lost the ability to walk, her hands and feet gradually becoming so crippled that her body curled up into a fetal position. In the spirit of Francis she cried out, “Oh, you bodily members, praise God that he has given you the capacity to suffer.” Despite her sufferings she was filled with peace and joy as she died on Easter Sunday in 1744.

Crescentia suffered from headaches and then paralysis, but they did not steal her joyful spirit.   She died on Easter Sunday in 1744.  She was beatified in 1900 and canonized by Pope Saint John Paul II in 2001.

Her great peace and interior joy never left her as her eyes remained fixed on God and she passed into eternity on Easter Sunday in 1744. The little girl, dreaming of God at her loom, had been exalted.

She was beatified in 1900 and canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2001. The liturgical feast of Saint Crescentia Hoess is celebrated on June 15.

Although she grew up in poverty and willingly embraced it in her vocation, Crescentia had a good head for business. Under her able administration, her convent regained financial stability. Too often, we think of good money management as, at best, a less-than-holy gift. But Crescentia was wise enough to balance her worldly skills with such acumen in spiritual matters that heads of State and Church both sought her advice.