ST. MAPLEE entered the chnrcb, kneeled down before the altar of St. Peter, laid down the precious burden and died. By her own wish, she was bnried in her cilicium with no other covering except a thick layer of ashes. She was soon afterwards seen in glory by the nnns; and when the house took fire, she appeared among the flames and saved the church and infirmary from destruction. Otber miracles attested her holiness. AA.SS.y Appendix. Bucelinus. Henriquez, Lt/ta. Ferrarius. St. Maflee, Mactaflede. Baillet. St Magdalene (1), Mary Magda- lene. B. Magdalene (2) of Como, May 13, + 1465, O.S.A. Abbess of Bmnate. Daughter of the chief magistrate of Como, Nicoolo or Livio Albrizzi. This ancient and influential family had for their device, a gate and a lion, the branch to which Magdalene belonged added to this a wheel in token of their special devotion to Catherine (1 ). Her parents, Niccolo and Margarita, rejoiced to see early proofs of devotion and conscien- tiousness in their child. In 1409, while she was still a very young girl, a famine desolated the city and neighbourhood of Como; numbers of beggars, emaciated by starvation and disease, wandered through the streets helplessly parading their rags and dirt. Magdalene^s chari- table heart was deeply touched by their distress. One day while her father was out she called in one of the beggars and with his assistance distributed amongst a number of these wretched creatures a great chest full of beans. Presently Niccolo came home and informed his daughter that he had just sold the beans for a large smn of money. Magdalene felt sure he would be very angry when he found that they were no longer there, and the discovery could not be delayed as the purchaser was expected immedi- ately. It was a common thing for fathers to be very violent with their children. The girl was terrified. In her distress she began to pray aloud. Niccolo he^/r- ing but scarcely understanding what she wd, ran to the cliest and found it brimful of beans. When her parents were dead, Magda- lene, with the approbation of her Con- fessor, decided to take the veil in the convent of St. Margaret, outside the walls of Como. It had long been ren- dered famous by the sanctity of two noble sisters, Liberata (5) and Faustina (13). Magdalene turned her steps to- wards this convent, intending to ask for admittance there. On the way a myste- rious voice called her by name and bade her go instead to Brunate, a little place on a hill not far from Como, honoured as the resort of two famous bishops who had become hermits there. Uncertain of its origin, Magdalene did not obey this call; but when it was repeated a second and a third time, she acknow- ledged it as a divine command, and entered the cloister of St. Andrew at Brunate. Here she soon became abbess and the fame of her holiness attracted devout women to her community. With the help of Blanche, duchess of Milan, she succeeded in having her convent placed under the rule of the Hermits of St. Augustine, and this arrangement was confirmed by a boll of Nicholas lY. in 1448. The community was extremely poor, so that the nuns were sometimes obliged to beg in Como ; and sometimes in bad weather they had to stay all night in the houses of charitable persons there. To avoid this inconvenience, Magdalene had a branch house built in Como, to which a few of the nuns removed while she remained at Brunate with the ma- jority. Ono day the cellarer told her it was dinner time and there was no bread in the house. Magdalene who always had unbounded trust in God, said, Never mind, call the sisters to the table." No sooner were they seated than the porteress cntere<l with a great basket full of the very best bread. She said she heard a knock at the door, and found this basket on the step. Another time they suffered dreadfully from heat and drought. The wells were dry and the trees and plants were withered for want of rain. One of the nuns came to Magdalene and said her thirst was almost beyond endurance. Magdalene took her into the garden. There they knelt down and the abbess prayed that God would lighten their sufferings. They looked
