St. Agnes of Montepulciano

St. Agnes of Montepulciano (28 January 1268 – 20 April 1317) was a Dominican prioress in medieval Tuscany, who was known as a miracle worker during her lifetime. At the age of nine, she convinced her parents to allow her to enter a Franciscan monastery of women in the city known as the “Sisters of the Sack”, after the rough religious habit they wore. They lived a simple contemplative life. She received the permission of the pope to be accepted into this life at such a young age, which was normally against Church law. In 1288 Agnes, despite her youth at only 20 years of age, was noted for her devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and deep life of prayer, and was elected as the prioress of the community. There she gained a reputation for performing miracles; people suffering from mental and physical ailments seemed cured by her presence. She was reported to have “multiplied loaves”, creating many from a few on numerous occasions, recalling the Gospel miracle of the loaves and fishes. She herself, however, suffered severe bouts of illness which lasted long periods of time. Agnes died on 20 April, 1317, at the age of 49. When her body was moved years after her death to the monastery church, it was found to be incorrupt. In 1435 her remains were moved to the church of San Domenico, Orvieto, Italy.