Lesser-known saints

I love to learn about the lesser-known saints - or, to be more accurate, saints not so well-known in the English-speaking world. Today I was reminded by an entry on Facebook about this one from a Sicilian family (I quote from Wikipedia):

'Maria Candida of the Eucharist (born Maria Barba; 16 January 1884 – 12 June 1949) was an Italian Roman Catholic professed religious of the Discalced Carmelites. Barba desired to become a professed religious in her adolescence but her parents forbade this and she was forced to wait two decades to realize her dream; she entered the order after her parents died, though she alienated her brothers in the process. They refused to ever see her due to their resentment of her decision. Barba became a noted member of her convent in Ragusa and she served as prioress for an extensive period in which she fostered a rigid adherence to the order's rule so as to live the fullness of its charism. Her devotion to the Eucharist was a focal point for her spiritual thinking and her own life and she wrote to an extensive degree on the Eucharist and its importance.

The beatification process opened on 15 October 1981 and she became titled as a Servant of God while she later became titled as Venerable on 18 December 2000 upon the confirmation of her life of heroic virtue. Pope John Paul II beatified Barba in Saint Peter's Square on 21 March 2004.'

The theme of entry into a convent against the wishes of a Catholic family has been repeated throughout history and it is a very strange one. We are such contrary creatures that often cannot see what is good for us!