Juliana of Norwich

About Juliana of Norwich

Julian of Norwich was an English mystic and anchoress whose "Revelations of Divine Love" is the first book in English known to be written by a woman. At age 30, while seriously ill, Julian experienced 16 visions of Christ's Passion. After recovering, she became an anchoress—walled into a cell attached to St. Julian's Church in Norwich. For the rest of her life, she contemplated her visions, writing two versions of her Revelations. Julian's optimistic theology emphasizes God's love, Christ as mother, and her famous saying: "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well." Though not formally canonized, she is widely venerated.