Blessed Elena Aiello

Elena Aiello (10 April 1895 – 19 June 1961) was an Italian religious sister and the founder of the Minim Sisters of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Aiello joined the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood but was forced to leave due to grave health that soon kept her confined to her home where she began experiencing visions of both Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary as well as saints such as Francis of Paola. Her beatification was celebrated on 14 September 2011. Elena Aiello was born on 10 April 1895 during Lent in Cosenza to Pasquale Aiello (22 February 1861 – 16 November 1955), a tailor, and Tereseina Paglilla (d. 1905) as the third of eight children, one died at one. She received her baptism from Father Francesco Benincasa on 15 April in the church of San Domenico as "Elena Emilia Santa Aiello", with her godmother being Maria Genise. During the Procession of Rogations, her mother said that if she had a daughter she would name her in honour of Saint Helena. Her eldest sibling was Emma (b. 1889) and so followed Fernando (b. 1892), Evangelina Isabella Rosina (b. 1896), Elisa Emilia Geltrude (b. 1898) and Ida (b. 1903) in addition to two others. Aiello made her First Communion on 21 June 1904 (the Passionist priest Timoteo presided over that event) after a spiritual retreat in preparation for that and she and some other girls later obtained permission to wear a penitential belt. En route to receive the belt she had an accident that saw two front teeth lost but she put them in her handkerchief and continued on the path to receive it despite the pain. Another occasion saw her inhale water from a glass she had in her hand while laughing and this caused a constant cough for over fourteen months at night and her voice volume decreased due to this; treatment made it worse. Aiello begged that the Madonna heal her and she came to her in a vision at night and assured her that it would be so. Her mother died in 1905.