Hyacintha Mariscotti
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| Saint Hyacintha Mariscotti | |
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 Saint Hyacintha Mariscotti |
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| Born | 1585 in Vignanello, Italy |
| Died | 30 January 1640 in Viterbo |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholicism |
| Canonized | 1807 by Pope Pius VII |
| Feast | 30 January or 6 February, in Rome |
 Saints Portal |
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Saint Hyacintha Mariscotti or Hyacintha of Mariscotti was a religious of the Third Order of St. Francis and foundress of the Sacconi. She was born in 1585 of a noble family at Vignanello, near Viterbo in Italy and died 30 January, 1640, at Viterbo. Her feast is 30 January; in Rome, 6 February (Diarium Romanum).
Her parents were Marc' Antonio Mariscotti (Marius Scotus) and Ottavia Orsini. At Baptism she received the name Clarice and in early youth was remarkable for piety, but, as she grew older, she became frivolous, which not even the almost miraculous saving of her life at the age of seventeen could change, nor her education at the Convent of St. Bernardine at Viterbo, where an older sister had taken the veil.
At the age of twenty she set her heart upon marriage with the Marquess Cassizucchi, but was passed by in favour of a younger sister. Disappointed, she at last joined the community at St. Bernardine, receiving the name Hyacintha, but admitted that she did this only to hide her chagrin and not to give up the luxuries of the world. She kept her own kitchen, wore a habit of the finest material, received and paid visits at pleasure.
For ten years, she kept up this life, in defiance of her vows, but at the same time, retained a lively faith, was regular in her devotions, remained pure, always showed a great respect for the mysteries of religion, and had a tender devotion to the Blessed Virgin. At length she saw the folly of the past and brought about a complete change in her life. She made a public confession of her faults in the refectory, discarded her costly garments, wore an old habit, went barefoot, frequently fasted on bread and water, chastised her body by vigils and severe scourging, and practised mortifications to such an extent that the decree of canonization considers the preservation of her life a continued miracle. She established two confraternities, whose members were called Oblates of Mary or Sacconi. One of these, similar to our Society of St. Vincent de Paul, gathered alms for the convalescent, for the poor who were ashamed to beg, and for the care of prisoners; the other procured homes for the aged.
This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913.
