Julian of Norwich

Julian of Norwich (born 1342, probably Norwich, Norfolk, England—died after 1416; feast day May 13 [also celebrated on May 8]) was a celebrated English Christian mystic and hermit whose Revelations of Divine Love (or Showings) is considered one of the most remarkable documents of medieval religious experience. She spent the latter part of her life as a recluse (anchorite) in a cell at St. Julian’s Church (for which she is named) in Norwich.

Nothing is known of her pre-anchorite life, including her real name. However, she lived during a time of religious and political turmoil in England, including the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381, and she witnessed the ravages of the Black Death. Though none of these events are mentioned in her writings, the consolations that she expresses seem to have been informed by them.

On May 13, 1373, Julian was healed of a serious illness after experiencing a series of visions (or “showings,” as she called them) of Christ’s suffering and of the Blessed Virgin Mary, about which she wrote two accounts; the second, longer version was composed 20 or 30 years after the first. Unparalleled in English religious literature, Revelations spans the most profound mysteries of the Christian faith—such as the problems of predestination, the foreknowledge of God, and the existence of evil. The clarity and depth of her perception, the precision and accuracy of her theological presentation, and the sincerity and beauty of her expression reveal a mind and personality of exceptional strength and charm.

Among the most famous quotes from Revelations is a response that Julian said she received from Jesus to her question about the necessity of sin: “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.”

Never beatified, Julian is honored in the Roman Catholic Church on the unofficial feast day of May 13; the Church of England honors her on May 8. A modern chapel in the Church of St. Julian has been dedicated to her memory.