Rome Bucket List #1 - St. Agnes of Assisi

In exactly 6 months, I will be going to Rome, Italy for the second time, and this time, I get to go with my younger sister! I am ridiculously excited, so I'm starting a bucket list of things I would like to do to make this trip even better than the last one. 

Number 1 on the bucket list is very important to me, because I totally missed it last time.

A few months ago, I learned that there is a saint called St. Agnes of Assisi, who was the youngest sister of St. Clare of Assisi. I was shocked and wondered how I'd never heard of this before. I mean, I love St. Clare and St. Francis! Worse, I was IN Assisi, and I pretty much walked right past St. Agnes' tomb! She's buried in the Church of St. Clare, along with Clare and their mother, Blessed Hortulana and their other sister, Beatrice. 

St. Agnes was one hardcore saint. Sixteen days after Clare left to form a new order of nuns, Agnes (who was only 15) followed her. Well, her relatives were not pleased about this, so they went after her to carry her home by force. But when they tried,  her body became so heavy, they couldn't move her. The family decided this must be a sign from God, and to let the girls be. But you can read all about it here!

When I go back to Assisi, after I freak out over seeing the incorrupt body of the saint I'm named after again (St. Clare is seriously very beautiful), I am going to find St. Agnes' tomb. I am going to kneel in front of it and pray that nothing will keep me from following God's will for my life. She fought for her vocation, and I will fight for mine. Although I'm called to marriage, not religious life, and I think its unlikely that my family would come after me and try to carry me off on my wedding day, I really admire St. Agnes and I want to imitate her. She followed the holy example of her sister, and wouldn't let anyone pressure her into doing something God didn't want her to. 

That can be very hard to do. 

(Sts. Clare and Agnes of Assisi)

source

Bucket List: officially started.