St. Magdalene of Canossa

Wealth and privilege did nothing to prevent today’s saint from following her calling to serve Christ in the poor. Nor did the protests of her relatives, concerned that such work was beneath her. 

Born in northern Italy in 1774, Magdalen knew her mind—and spoke it. At age 15 she announced she wished to become a nun. After trying out her vocation with the cloistered Carmelites, she realized her desire was to serve the needy without restriction. For years she worked among the poor and sick in hospitals and in their homes, and also among delinquent and abandoned girls.

In her mid-twenties Magdalen began offering lodging to poor girls in her own home. In time she opened a school, which offered practical training and religious instruction. As other women joined her in the work, the new Congregation of the Daughters of Charity emerged. Over time, houses were opened throughout Italy.

Members of the new religious congregation focused on the educational and spiritual needs of women. Magdalen also founded a smaller congregation for priests and brothers. Both groups continue to this day.

She died in 1835. Pope John Paul II canonized her in 1988.

St. Anna Schaeffer

Anna Schäffer was born in Mindelstetten, Bavaria, on February 18, 1882. Her family lived in very modest circumstances. She received her First Holy Communion in 1894 and she offered up her life to the Saviour. 

At the age of 13 she began working in Regensburg. There, and she hoped to earn enough money to enter into a religious order since she wanted to become a missionary sister.

On February 14, 1901, as she was working in the laundry of her employer she fell into a cauldron of bleached hot water and her legs were severely burned. As a result she remained an invalid for the rest of her life. 

After she was released from hospital as an invalid in May 1902, her condition continued to worsen, confining her completely to bed. To her painful infirmity was added extreme poverty. 

She received the grace of being able to see her Guardian Angel. Each time she received Holy Communion she prayed to strengthen her weakness so as to receive Jesus more worthily. 

In the autumn of 1910, in visions, which she called "dreams", Anna first saw St Francis, then the Redeemer, who was ready to accept her sacrifice of reparation. From that time she bore the wounds of Christ. Later, in order to suffer in secret and to avoid any sensationalism, she asked the Lord to remove the visible stigmata. 

On 25 April 1923, Anna was permitted to live the events of Good Friday: her condition considerably worsened. Her legs became completely paralyzed; this was followed by painful cramps due to a stiffening of the spinal cord and also cancer. 

Pope John beatified her on March 7, 1999. In his homily John Paul II commented that: “we can see her life as a living commentary on what St Paul wrote to the Romans: ‘Hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us’ (Rom 5:5).” 

“The more her life's journey became a journey of suffering the more clearly she recognized that illness and frailty can be the lines on which God writes his Gospel,” the pope noted. 

“She called her sickroom a "workshop of suffering", to resemble the Cross of Christ ever more closely. She spoke of three keys to heaven: "The largest, which is made of crude iron and heavier than all the others, is my suffering. The second is the needle, and the third the pen. I want to work hard with all these keys every day, so that I can unlock the door of heaven," the pope added. 

“Her sickbed was the cradle of an extensive letter-writing apostolate. She used what was left of her strength to do embroidery work and in this way give joy to others. In her letters and in her handiwork her favourite motif was the heart of Jesus as the symbol of God's love,” John Paul II explained.

Blessed James Alberione

Blessed James Alberione (4 April 1884 – 26 November 1971), was an Italian Catholic priest, and the founder of the Society of St. Paul, the Daughters of St. Paul, The Pious Disciples of the Divine Master, The Sister of Jesus the Good Shepherd, The Sisters of Mary Queen of the Apostles, and other religious institutes, which form the Pauline Family. The first two groups are best known for promoting the Catholic faith through various forms of modern media^.

Fr. Alberione was born on 4 April 1884, in San Lorenzo di Fossano (Cuneo), then in the Kingdom of Italy. The Alberione family, made up of Michael Alberione, Teresa Allocco and their six children, were farmers. He was the fourth son of a peasant family and had a more delicate physical constitution than his brothers. At the age of sixteen, James entered the seminary of Alba, financially aided by his Uncle James, who was his godfather (where his name is derived). He and his father traveled to the seminary riding in an ox-driven cart. At the seminary of Alba, his spiritual director was Canon Francesco Chiesa, who is now a "Venerable"^.

On the night of 31 December 1900, the night that divided the 19th and 20th centuries, he prayed for five hours before the Blessed Sacrament and contemplating the future, felt that he was called to do something for the people of the new century.

On August 20, 1914, he put two teenagers, Desiderio Costa and Tito Armani, to work in a small pressroom under the guidance of a printer friend of his. Thus began the "Little Printing School of Typography" now known today as The Society of St. Paul whose purpose is to "Live and to Give Jesus Master the Way, the Truth, and the Life" through the most modern means of communications, press, cinema, television, radio and other modern media.

 

After founding the "Little Printing School" (now Society of St. Paul) he gathered a group of women in 1915; together with Venerable Mother Tecla Merlo, he founded the female counterpart of the Society of St. Paul, the Daughters of St. Paul.
More congregations and institutes followed after. Thus he founded:

• 1924: The Pious Disciples of the Divine Master (PDDM), with Servant of God Mother Maria Scolastica Rivata, the contemplative members of the Pauline Family whose members would be especially dedicated to Eucharistic Adoration, Liturgical Preparations, and Priestly Services.
• 1938: The Sisters of Jesus the Good Shepherd (also known as: "Pastorelle") works in schools and parishes by providing religious instruction
• 1957: The Sisters of Mary Queen of Apostles works and pray for vocations for the Pauline Family and to the Religious Life
• 1958: The Institute of St. Gabriel the Archangel (lay consecrated men whose apostolate is also that of the Society of St. Paul)
• 1958: The Institute of Mary of the Annunciation (lay consecrated women whose apostolate is also that of the Society of St. Paul)
• 1959: The Institute of Jesus the Priest (for diocesan clergy who would like to adopt the Pauline Spirituality to their ministry),
• 1960: The Institute of the Holy Family (for married couples) and
• 1918: The Association of Pauline Cooperators

Alberione served during the Second Vatican Council as a peritus (theological expert), participating in the private sessions during which the decrees of the Council were formed and shaped, for the approval of the Council Fathers in full session.

Alberione died of natural causes on 26 November 1971 at 6:26 p.m. in the Generalate House of the Society in Rome. He had received a personal visit by Pope Paul VI one hour before he died. He was buried in the sub-crypt of the Basilica of Mary Queen of the Apostles in Rome.
Alberione was declared venerable on 25 June 1996, and was beatified on 27 April 2003, by His Holiness Pope John Paul II.

St. Josephine Bakhita

Josephine Bakhita was a slave but her spirit was always free and eventually that spirit prevailed. 

Born in Olgossa in the Darfur region of southern Sudan, Josephine was kidnapped at the age of seven, sold into slavery and given the name Bakhita, which means fortunate. She was re-sold several times, finally in 1883 to Callisto Legnani, Italian consul in Khartoum, Sudan.

Two years later he took Josephine to Italy and gave her to his friend Augusto Michieli. Bakhita became babysitter to Mimmina Michieli, whom she accompanied to Venice's Institute of the Catechumens, run by the Canossian Sisters. While Mimmina was being instructed, Josephine felt drawn to the Catholic Church. She was baptized and confirmed in 1890, taking the name Josephine.

When the Michielis returned from Africa and wanted to take Mimmina and Josephine back with them, the future saint refused to go. During the ensuing court case, the Canossian sisters and the patriarch of Venice intervened on Josephine's behalf. The judge concluded that since slavery was illegal in Italy, she had actually been free since 1885.

Josephine entered the Institute of St. Magdalene of Canossa in 1893 and made her profession three years later. In 1902, she was transferred to the city of Schio (northeast of Verona), where she assisted her religious community through cooking, sewing, embroidery and welcoming visitors at the door. She soon became well loved by the children attending the sisters' school and the local citizens. She once said, "Be good, love the Lord, pray for those who do not know Him. What a great grace it is to know God!"

The first steps toward her beatification began in 1959. She was beatified in 1992 and canonized eight years later.