-   The Poor Clares of Nocera, Italy, had the good fortune of having Saint Alphonsus di Ligouri  as a Retreat Master. The visits of the saint became more common after he retired to the  Redemptorist convent in Nocera, which was near the monastery of Poor Clares.  One wonders how often he came to preach or to give spiritual direction.  His The True Spouse of Jesus Christ contains in written form the meditations of a lifetime:
“The principal effect of the Sacrament of the Eucharist is to preserve in the soul the life of grace. Hence, it is called bread, for as earthly bread supports corporal life, so this heavenly Bread preserves the life of the soul.”          
                                     -  Ch. XVIII, page 565