Blessed Imelda Lambertini, 1322–1333

May 13

Blessed Imelda Lambertini lived when children couldn’t receive Holy Communion until they were twelve. She wanted to receive Jesus, but she was too young. When she was at Mass, she would pray and make a “Spiritual Communion.” Jesus would come into her heart. But she still wanted to receive the Body of Christ in Communion. She loved to pray, and would often go to a quiet corner of her house to do so. She decorated her prayer space with flowers and pictures. One day when she was eleven, she was praying at Mass. A beautiful light with a host in it appeared over her head. The priest knew that she was supposed to receive Communion that day.

Blessed Imelda’s parents were well known for their charity to the poor. She asked to be placed in a Dominican convent when she was a child. She was taught there by the religious sisters. Blessed Imelda is the patron of children receiving their First Communion.

Discuss: What is one message about Jesus you can share with someone?

Activity
Beautiful Light
Visual/Spatial, Bodily/Kinesthetic

Remind your child that Blessed Imelda Lambertini loved Holy Communion; she saw the host appear over her head with a beautiful light during prayer at Mass.

• Provide your child with gold tissue paper and a small paper plate. Have her/him cover the paper plate with the gold tissue paper, gluing it in place to create a paten. Then, using a second paper plate, have her/him make a round host. Have your child place the host on the paten.
• Encourage your child to share the story about Blessed Imelda with the rest of the family. Remind her/him to show how the host with a beautiful light appeared over Blessed Imelda’s head.