Maria De Mattias
Encyclopedia
Maria Matilda De Mattias, A.S.C., (February 4, 1805 – August 20, 1866) is a saint
from Italy
in the Roman Catholic Church
and was the founder of the religious congregation of the Sisters Adorers of the Blood of Christ
.
, in the Province of Frosinone
, Italy, to a religious and upper-class family which valued education. She was the second of four children of Giovanni de Mattias and Ottavia de Angelis. Although women during her time did not normally receive a formal education, she was able to teach herself how to read and write. In her mid-teens, she was withdrawn and focused more on her looks than Religion. However, at the age of 16 she was inspired by a mystical vision and began to break out from her sheltered upbringing.
, who visited her town in 1822, De Mattias decided that she would devote her life to caring for the needy and spreading the word of God. Through his preaching of devotion to the Precious Blood of Jesus, she was drawn to see this mystery of Christ's life as a model for self-sacrifice. On March 4, 1834, at the age of 29, under the guidance of del Bufalo's successor, the Venerable John Merlini, C.PP.S., she founded the Congregation of the Sisters Adorers of the Blood of Christ to advance this service.
Mother Matilda spent over 30 years travelling throughout Italy to help establish communities of her Sisters. This involved treks ranging from walking long distances to taking treacherous on donkeys. She was so eager to proclaim the mystery of Jesus' redemptive
love shown through his shedding of his Precious Blood that she would preach in towns wherever she went, becoming known in central Italy
as "the preaching woman".
Her communities were often very poor, sometimes not even having food in their cupboards, but they were always willing to share whatever they had with the poor among whom they lived. During her lifetime, the Congregation established over 70 communities throughout Europe.
De Mattias died in Rome on August 20, 1866 and was buried in Rome’s Campo Verano Cemetery, in a tomb donated by the Blessed
Pope Pius IX
.
was begun at the request of Mother Caterina Pavoni, A.S.C., her successor as Superior General
of the Congregation then.
She was beatified
October 1, 1950 by Pope Pius XII
, at which time her remains were transferred to the Chapel of the Precious Blood at the Congregation's General Motherhouse
in Rome. She was canonized on May 18, 2003 by Pope John Paul II
, with her feast day set as 20 August, the anniversary of her death.
Today the Sisters of the Congregation which Maria De Mattias founded work around the world. In addition to Italy, there are about 300 Sisters in the United States
. Communities are also established in Bolivia
, Brazil
, China
, Guatemala
, Liberia
, South Korea
and Vietnam
. In October 1992, five Sisters Adorers from the United States were murdered during a civil war
then raging in Liberia.
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
and was the founder of the religious congregation of the Sisters Adorers of the Blood of Christ
Adorers of the Blood of Christ
The Adorers of the Blood of Christ are a Catholic religious order founded by St. Maria De Mattias in 1834, their post-nominal letters are A.S.C.The order operates Newman University in Wichita, Kansas....
.
Early years
De Mattias was born 4 February 1805 in VallecorsaVallecorsa
Vallecorsa is a comune in the Province of Frosinone in the Italian region Lazio, located about 90 km southeast of Rome and about 20 km south of Frosinone, in the Monti Ausoni area.Economy is based on olive production.-History:...
, in the Province of Frosinone
Province of Frosinone
The Province of Frosinone is a province in the Lazio region of Italy, with 91 comuni . Its capital is the city of Frosinone. It has an area of 3,244 km², and a total population of 489,042 .The Province was established by Royal Decree on 6 December 1926 with territories belonging to Lazio...
, Italy, to a religious and upper-class family which valued education. She was the second of four children of Giovanni de Mattias and Ottavia de Angelis. Although women during her time did not normally receive a formal education, she was able to teach herself how to read and write. In her mid-teens, she was withdrawn and focused more on her looks than Religion. However, at the age of 16 she was inspired by a mystical vision and began to break out from her sheltered upbringing.
Religious life
Inspired by a sermon of Saint Gaspar del Bufalo, C.PP.S., founder of the Missionaries of the Precious BloodMissionaries of the Precious Blood
The Missionaries of the Precious Blood form a community of priests and brothers within the Latin Church, one of the 23 sui iuris churches which make up the universal Catholic Church. The Society was founded by Saint Gaspar del Bufalo in 1815...
, who visited her town in 1822, De Mattias decided that she would devote her life to caring for the needy and spreading the word of God. Through his preaching of devotion to the Precious Blood of Jesus, she was drawn to see this mystery of Christ's life as a model for self-sacrifice. On March 4, 1834, at the age of 29, under the guidance of del Bufalo's successor, the Venerable John Merlini, C.PP.S., she founded the Congregation of the Sisters Adorers of the Blood of Christ to advance this service.
Mother Matilda spent over 30 years travelling throughout Italy to help establish communities of her Sisters. This involved treks ranging from walking long distances to taking treacherous on donkeys. She was so eager to proclaim the mystery of Jesus' redemptive
Redemption (theology)
Redemption is a concept common to several theologies. It is generally associated with the efforts of people within a faith to overcome their shortcomings and achieve the moral positions exemplified in their faith.- In Buddhism :...
love shown through his shedding of his Precious Blood that she would preach in towns wherever she went, becoming known in central Italy
Central Italy
Central Italy is one of the five official statistical regions of Italy used by the National Institute of Statistics , a first level NUTS region and a European Parliament constituency...
as "the preaching woman".
Her communities were often very poor, sometimes not even having food in their cupboards, but they were always willing to share whatever they had with the poor among whom they lived. During her lifetime, the Congregation established over 70 communities throughout Europe.
De Mattias died in Rome on August 20, 1866 and was buried in Rome’s Campo Verano Cemetery, in a tomb donated by the Blessed
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
.
Legacy
On 28 June 1896, the required waiting period after De Mattias's death at that time, the process for her canonizationCanonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
was begun at the request of Mother Caterina Pavoni, A.S.C., her successor as Superior General
Superior general
A Superior General, or General Superior, is the Superior at the head of a whole religious order or congregation.The term is mainly used as a generic term, while many orders and congregations use other specific titles, notably:* Abbot general...
of the Congregation then.
She was beatified
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
October 1, 1950 by Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
, at which time her remains were transferred to the Chapel of the Precious Blood at the Congregation's General Motherhouse
Motherhouse
The term motherhouse is used by religious Orders and religious congregations to designate the principal house or community for that group. It can be either for the entire institute or for a region....
in Rome. She was canonized on May 18, 2003 by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
, with her feast day set as 20 August, the anniversary of her death.
Today the Sisters of the Congregation which Maria De Mattias founded work around the world. In addition to Italy, there are about 300 Sisters in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Communities are also established in Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
and Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. In October 1992, five Sisters Adorers from the United States were murdered during a civil war
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
then raging in Liberia.