I recall learning about a married couple who separated (though not divorced) so that one or the other could enter religious life and was later canonized. I can’t remember the names, though.
I believe that you are referring to Cornelia Connelly (1809-1879), who along with her husband Pierce, an Episcopalian minister, converted to the Catholic Church. Pierce Connelly decided he wanted to become a Catholic priest but, in those days, there was not a special dispensation for a convert to be ordained while sharing common life with his wife. In order to accommodate his vocation, Cornelia founded the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, becoming a nun.
Pierce’s vocation did not last. He eventually left the priesthood and the Church altogether, denied Cornelia contact with their three children, and tried to pressure her into abandoning religious life to resume common life with him and the children. She refused to be blackmailed and entrusted her children’s future to God. She has not yet been canonized, but a cause of canonization has been opened for her and she has been declared to be a Venerable.
DISCLAIMER: Catholic Answers has turned over the archive to Catholic-Questions.org and no longer owns, manages, or moderates the forums. For additional apologetics resources please visit www.catholic.com.
