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| Santa Candida la Vecchia, ora pro nobis |
According to tradition, Santa Candida was an elderly Neapolitan woman suffering from a serious illness. Upon meeting San Pietro Apostolo while he was passing through Naples on his way to Rome, she implored him to heal her in exchange for her conversion to Christianity.
Moved by her request, he drew water from a nearby well and immersed her in it. Instantly cured, she brought San Pietro to her sick friend Aspreno, who suffered from terrible migraines. Repeating the miracle and curing him of his headaches, Candida and Aspreno both converted to the Faith.
Sant’Aspreno became a disciple of San Pietro and was later appointed the first bishop of Naples. He built the Chiesa San Pietro ad Aram, which still houses the altar used by San Pietro during his time in Naples. Santa Candida died a martyr in 78 AD during the reign of Emperor Vespasian.
In celebration, we're posting a prayer in Italian to Santa Candida di Napoli. The accompanying photo was taken at the Reale Cappella del Tesoro di San Gennaro inside the Duomo di Napoli. Evviva Santa Candida!
Preghiera
O Signore fa che per l’intercessione dei tuoi santi, l’umanità ritorni alla pratica della fede cristiana per una nuova evangelizzazione di questo terzo millennio a lode e gloria del tuo nome ed il trionfo della Chiesa. Amen
