Aurelia Imperiali Caracciolo (1646-1725): donna salentina della misericordia

In 1743 Ignazio Maria Vittorelli, representative of the Jesuit hagiography, wrote a book dealing with the lives of Teodora Costanza Caracciolo, Aurelia Imperiali and Beatrice Caracciolo, all charismatic figures within their community. Aurelia's long existence was based on merciful charity. The consolatory power of her word and her doing, her sober morals, her intense religious belief and her enriching piety attracted the attention of the subjects. She was able to keep together the moments in which marriage duties, maternity, loneliness coincided with the community's obligations and the role she played, taking part to the social game with kindness and sobriety, building an excellent ethical model. All her initiatives showed the certainty that the needs were the images of Christ, and therefore they represented the privileged means of approaching God. Her life represents an apology of the Christian action of a powerful woman that dedicates her entire life to reach the aim; it is a way of laical holiness, a "spirituality of service" tended to recognize God in everything, as Ignazio del Loyola teaches us. Aurelia saw the Absolute in every traits of everyday life, succeeding in considering the existence beyond the immediate present, increasing the value of the virtues of acceptance and forgiveness, of compassion and charity and favouring the service to those who need spiritual action.