St. Rose of Viterbo was a most courageous young girl, even challenging Emperor Frederick II.

St. Rose of Viterbo was born in the spring of 1234, at a time when Emperor Frederick II was oppressing the Church and many were faithless to the Holy See. [Frederick II had many delusions of grandeur and was perhaps the first of the truly great and evil tyrants of Christendom. He greatly desired to be an absolute monarch. On several occasions, he attempted to destroy the Pope by military force, yet fortunately sufficient lords came to the aid of the pope that he was unsuccessful each time, although he did cause untold damage and forced the pope to flee for his life. He was so evil that he was excommunicated four times and Pope Gregory IX went so far as to publicly call him the Antichirst.]

A MIRACULOUS CHILDHOOD
Rose was born to poor but pious parents. As an infant, Rose at once seemed filled with grace. With tottering steps she sought Jesus in His tabernacle. When she was scarcely three years old, she knelt before sacred images, listened attentively to pious talk, and retained all she heard. At this tender age, she even raised her maternal aunt back to life! How pure and fervent must her prayer have been to have been so powerful!

By the tender age of seven, she was living a completely penitential life as a recluse and had dedicated herself to mortifications. One coarse habit covered her flesh; fasts and disciplines were her delight. She was so austere that her health deteriorated rapidly and she neared death.

Yet the Blessed Mother appeared to her and healed her. On that occasion, she received her special mission directly from the Mother of God, who instructed her to enroll herself in the Third Order of St. Francis and to preach penance to Viterbo. At this time, Viterbo was in the grip of Frederick II and filled with political strife and prey to heresy. Rose's greatest desire was to defend the rights of Holy Mother Church.

ROSE VS. THE EMPEROR
Thus, in obedience to Holy Mary, Rose donned the Franciscan habit when she was hardly ten years old and strove to imitate her spiritual Father, St. Francis, in all things. She went down to the public square at Viterbo, with Crucifix in hand, and called upon the inhabitants to be faithful to the Sovereign Pontiff. She vehemently denounced all his opponents. So great was her love for Christ and her disdain for human respect, that in the middle of the market places, in front of the churches, and along the byways, she never hesitated to accost her faithless brethren and exhort them to penance and true fidelity to Christ. So great was the power of her word, of her examples, and of the miracles which accompanied them, that after two years, the Imperial party, in fear and anger, banished this young twelve year old girl from the city. When God is for us, who can be against us? When a twelve year old can strike terror in the hearts of imperial authorities, we know the power of God is at hand!

Unphased, she took refuge in nearby Soriano nel Cimino and continued to preach. Upon her banishment by the imperial prefect, on Dec 5, 1250, she prophesied the speedy death of Frederick II for his affronts against God and His holy Vicar. Frederick was in full health and at the peak of his political and military strength, yet within a week he suddenly died after suffering a terrible attack of dysentery. On Dec 13, 1250, Rose's prophecy was fulfilled!

ROSE VS. THE DEVIL
Thereafter she traveled to Vitorchiano, a town near Viterbo which had fallen under the influence and control of a sorceress, who had perverted the townspeople during the chaos caused by Frederick II. This woman received her power from occult practices and was known by all as a fearsome witch. Rose secured the conversion of the entire town by challenging the witch. Rose willingly agreeing to be burned alive in a funeral pyre, which was built and stoked by the sorceress. However, she stood for three hours, unharmed in the middle of the raging inferno. This miracle was well attested to by numerous witnesses and is recorded in the official papal Acta Sanctorum. Even the sorceress abandoned her black arts and converted to the True Faith. Rose continued to preach fidelity to the Supreme Pontiff and penance until Pope Innocent IV was brought back in glorious triumph to Rome and papal power was restored to Viterbo in 1251. Only then was Rose able to return home to a quiet and simple life, which she so greatly desired.

MORE REJECTION
In order to live an even more disciplined and penitential life, Rose asked to enter the Poor Clare monastery of St. Mary of the Roses. However, these daughters of St. Francis who all took a vow to love Lady Poveryy, refused Rose admittance on account of her being too poor! She could not provide the required dowry. (One can only imagine the dreadful state of religious life and leadership in that monastery.) She humbly submitted to this decree from the poor Clares and in turn prophesied that she would nonetheless be allowed to enter the monastery posthumously. She retired to a small cell in Viterbo at her father's house, which be built for her beneath a stairway. There she prepared for her end in solitude. She died one year later, on 6 March 1252 AD, when she was but seventeen years old.

CANONIZATION
The process for her canonization was opened that same year by Innocent IV, who was understandably grateful for her aid. She appeared in glory to his successor, Alexander IV, and bade him translate her body. He found her body according to the vision she had given him. It was still incorrupt, strikingly beautiful as if still in the flower of life, and more fragrant than the most aromatic perfumes. He then ordered that her body be taken to the Monastery of St. Mary of the Roses, which was renamed in her honor! On the 4th of September a great procession accompanied her body to the monastery. Thus, not only did she finally enter the monastery as she desired and prophesied, but she remained there, and it bore her name thereafter! Her canonization was not completed until 1457 by Pope Callistus III - the same pope who canonized for St. Vincent Ferrer! Her incorrupt body continued to receive the pious veneration of the faithful for centuries, including an annual processions on her feast day - September 4th.

BRIEF REFLECTION
St. Rose lived but seventeen years, saved the Church’s cause, and died a Saint. We have lived, perhaps, much longer, and yet with what result? Every minute something can be done for God. Let us be faithful to our prayer and penance. Let us persevere - perhaps God will use our humble efforts to help our Diocese and Church as he used St. Rose to help Rome and the entire Mystical Body of Christ. But we must persevere in prayer, penance and be up and about His holy duties.

St. Rose of Viterbo, ora pro nobis!