The Basics: Born January 26, 1802, in Italy; died November 11, 1855, in Italy; beatified September 21, 2008; feast day, November 11. Woman religious.
The Story: Maria Vincenza (born Luigia) was good at waiting.
She was the youngest of twelve children, but only three survived to adulthood. When she was twenty, her father, who ran a grocery-drugstore, died. That meant the young woman spent the next thirteen years at home, looking after her mother, helping to care for her brothers’ children, and doing volunteer work in Verona. A marriage offer came along, but Luigia felt called to consecrate her life to the Lord.
When she shared this call with her confessor, Father Charles Steeb (who also has been beatified), he counseled her to wait. Finally, he told her he believed the two of them were called to found the Institute of Mercy of Verona to minister to the elderly and to orphaned girls. Liugia embraced this call. She, Steeb, and a handful of young women began the process in 1840; it would be eight years before the women, then thirteen in number, would formally profess their vows and Luigia would become known as Maria Vincenza in religious life. The sisters served tirelessly in the city, including through several epidemics. Maria Vincenza died after a painful surgery aimed at removing a tumor.
What We Can Learn from Maria Vincenza: Let’s have the internal humility–and the faith–to wait on the Lord rather than rush headlong into what we think is right for us.
Maria Vincenza’s Wisdom: “The poor are our masters: let us love them and serve them as we would serve Jesus Christ Himself.”
To Learn More About Maria Vincenza: Visit the site for her congregation, the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of Verona.
To Learn More About Other Women Saints and Blesseds: Come back next week, or consider buying my book, Sisterhood of Saints: Daily Guidance and Inspiration.
