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Mattia Nazarei was born on March 1, 1253 in Matelica, a charming small town of region Marche. In the same year, on August 11, Saint Clare died in Assisi, just few kilometres from Matelica. The name "Mattia" means in Hebrew: "given by God", and it was a perfect choice, a prediction of Her shining life. Mattia's parents were Guarniero Gentile and Sibilla Ottoni, they both belonged to noble, rich and religious families. After a merry childhood, her parents sought to force her into a marriage with a rich and noble young man, Pietro dei Conti Gualtiero, but Mattia firmly refused, because she had already answered to Christ's call.
She asked leave to enter a Poor Clares' convent, where her aunt was abbess but, unfortunately, the abbess was afraid of her father's reaction and tried to dissuade Mattia from taking hurried decisions. The young girl decided to follow St.Clare's and St.Agnes' courageous examples, bravely defying her family: she cut her hair and wore an old habit, praying Christ to help her, then she presented herself to the Community, declaring that she wanted to lead the religious life.
Her father had to resign himself to it and Mattia officially consecrated herself to Our Lord on August 10, 1271, the eve of St. Clare's feast. Even during Her novitiate, Her model behaviour won her sister's favour and they always tried to follow Her bright example. She unceasingly prayed, night and day, and always asked for the most menial tasks, in spite of her noble birth.
At the age of 26, she was appointed abbess of the convent and occupied this position until her death. She handled with skill her burden of responsibilities, gaining a great glory. Not only did the spiritual life of her sisters improve during her abbacy, but also their physical comfort, because Mattia was an intelligent and practical woman. Collecting offerings, she rebuilt the church and enlarged the convent, that was too small for holding the growing number of young girls that were carried away by Mattia's example and asked to join the Second Order of St. Francis. She was nicknamed "Mother of Charity", because her charity, love and compassion, especially toward the afflicted and miserable, knew no bounds. Her prayers and advice saved many souls from dangers. She made a secret pact with God, so she imposed upon herself voluntary penances, in exchange for the conversion of some inveterate sinners. Even behind the convent's grating, she spread her light, and all the people who could talk with her, always retained an indelible memory of this edifying experience.
Blessed Mattia died on December 28, 1320, and was declared Blessed by Clement XIII in 1765. Since then, new miracles occurred, therefore her case is under examination in Rome. Few hours before dying, she serenely predicted her death to her sisters: she gave them her blessing, urging them to observe Chastity, Obedience and Charity and exhorting them to love each other, because "God is love". Mattia promised to her sorrowful sisters: "I'm not going to abandon this convent, I'll always watch over it!".
When Mattia died, a large ray of light wrapped up her body, floodlighting the whole convent. She exhaled a scent of surpassing sweetness, filling the air all around. The rumor quickly spread to the town and her fellow-citizens ran to gaze at her for the last time, to touch her saint body and to cut small pieces from her habit.
Soon miracles occurred, for many people in ill health were cured. Against the public opinion, the nuns buried her in a private place, but people insisted on a more worthy tomb, that they could freely visit and where they could express their devotion to her. The sisters repented that they had interred her aside, and asked permission to exhume her. Mattia was exhumed eighteen days after her death, but her body was found to be incorrupt and exhaled a delicious odor. A learned physician, Mastro Bartolo, closely observed and touched Mattia's body, then he cut her skin, intending to embalm her. He stopped immediately, because a great deal of live blood came out from her veins. He said: "This is a miracle! A dead body can't give out blood in this way, all the more because it has been buried for so many days!". Consequently, Mattia's body was put inside a beautiful urn, placed in the "cornu epistolae" of the high altar, at a safe distance from the floor and sheltered by a grating (FIRST TRANSFER).
During the centuries, the rumour spread beyond the borders of the town, and a growing number of pilgrims came to visit the Blessed's body from every part of the country. In 1536, to find a better and more comfortable placing inside the convent's church, Mattia's urn was moved from her original place. (SECOND TRANSFER).
On December 22, 1758, it was moved again and placed under Saint Cecilia's altar, the present right side altar of the Church. (THIRD TRANSFER).
In 1765, when Mattia was declared Blessed, the altar's name was changed into "Blessed Mattia's altar". Her incorrupt body has always been in her church since January 15, 1320, with the exception of few days, from October 6 until December 31, 1811, when Napoleon's soldiery sacrilegiously stole her Blessed body and carried it to Macerata. In this occasion, it was exposed to the weather, so dampness and other damaging elements started a process of deterioration. Therefore, in 1973, F.Antonio Ricciardi, O.F.M.Conv., dealt with the delicate work of disinfection and preservation of the Blessed's body, putting an end to that destructive process, and avoiding further damages to Her flesh and Her bones. Finally, Bl. Mattia's body was put inside a new and more beautiful urn.
In 1536, during the "second transfer", a reddish sweat
began to pour from Mattia's body, and the Poor Clares tried in vain to wipe it
with linen towels.
Nowadays, her body and her relics still give out this liquid and, in 1972, the
forensic scientists of the University of Camerino attested that it is blood.
In 1756, 437 years after her death, the coffin was opened for some juridical examinations and a sweet scent came from her still incorrupt body. In 1758, during the third transfer, the blood sweat poured again from Mattia's body, and it soaked a lot of towels.
During the following years, her body was examined more than once, but always in the presence of ecclesiastical authorities and forensic scientists: the blood sweat appeared again, soaking towels, pieces of cloth, her wimple and her habit. These precious towels, drenched with her blood and cut in small pieces, are still distributed as relics, and sometimes the reddish liquid poured out from the dried bloodstains.