Saint of the day, February 25 – Zeale
Born into Italian nobility in Naples, Bl. Maria Adeodata Pisani was raised by her grandmother. When she was 10 years old, her grandmother died, and Maria was sent to a boarding school.
February 25 – Bl. Maria Adeodata Pisani
Born: 1806
Died: 1855
Nationality: Italian
Vocation: religious
Attributes: religious habit, crucifix, bible
Beatification: 2001 by Pope St. John Paul II
Born into Italian nobility in Naples, Maria was raised by her grandmother. When she was 10 years old, her grandmother died, and Maria was sent to a boarding school.
Though she had received several marriage proposals, Maria entered the Benedictines of St. Peter’s Monastery at the age of 21, taking the name Maria Adeodata. She professed her solemn vows two years later.
After serving as a seamstress, sacristan, porter, teacher, and novice mistress, Maria was eventually elected abbess in 1851. Due to heart problems, she retired from her duties in 1853, and she died at the age of 48 shortly after receiving Communion.
Maria was known for her sanctity, love of the poor, and mortification. Her best-known writing is a collection of her personal reflections entitled “The Mystical Garden of the Soul that Loves Jesus and Mary.”
Bl. Maria Adeodata Pisani, pray for us.
