Maria Gabriella Sagheddu
Encyclopedia
Blessed Sister Maria Gabriella Sagheddu was a Trappist
nun
. She was born in Sardinia
in 1914 and died of tuberculosis
in the Trappist monastery of Grottaferrata
in 1939. Because of her spiritual devotion to Christian
unity, she was beatified by pope John Paul II in 1983.
Sagghedu was born into a family of Sardinian shepherds in 1914, in the eastern costal town of Dorgali
. She was said to be obstinate as a child, but was also known to be loyal and obedient.
Motivated to deepen her piety after the death of her sister, she enrolled in a Catholic youth group called "Azione Cattolica
" when she was eighteen. She began to catechise the local youth, help the aged, and intensify her prayer life. By this time, she had overcome her childhood stubbornness and become known for being gentle and thoughtful.
, near Rome
, on the Italian mainland
. The abbess of the monastery throughout Sagheddu's time there was Mother Pia Gullini, whose enthusiasm for ecumenism
(a fruit of the efforts of Father Paul Couturier
) was transmitted to Sagghedu. Devoted to this cause, she offered herself as a spiritual sacrifice for the unity of the Christian church
during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
of 1938. She then immediately fell ill with tuberculosis, and after suffering for fifteen months, died on April 23, 1939. Significantly, the Gospel
reading for that Sunday included the words, "There will be one flock and one shepherd. (John 10:16)"
to her, and for calling her to unity with him. These sentiments caused her to attempt a full and complete response to God because of these gifts, finding peace in this complete response. Like most other Catholic
figures known for holiness, she found rest from anxiety through a complete and trusting abandonment of herself to the will of God.
After her death, it was noted that in her Bible, Chapter 17 of St. John's
Gospel had become yellowed and worn from being often read. In this chapter, Jesus
prays to the Father
on behalf of his disciples. Of particular significance are verses 11 and 21, in which Jesus prays "that they may be one, as we also are (John 17:11)," and "that they all may be one, as thou, Father, in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me (John 17:21)." These verses are commonly used for a motto of the ecumenical movement, given the pan-Christian appeal of the Bible
, the direct expression of Jesus' will for the unity of his disciples, the connection between Christian unity and successful evangelisation
, and the affirmation by Jesus himself of his own divinity and unity with God the Father.
Sister Maria Gabriella saw Christian disunity as wounds to the body of Christ, an image often used to demonstrate the negative effects of sectarianism. Most likely resulting from her understanding of the Catholic theology relating to Jesus' crucifixion
, she offered her life to God as a sacrifice for the unity of the Church. John Paul II, in his encyclical Ut Unum Sint
, says this:
Sagheddu was declared blessed
by Pope John Paul II on Sunday, January 25, 1983, at the conclusion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, the same observance which motivated Sagheddu's decision to offer her life to God. By doing so, the Pope both affirmed the holiness of her actions and set her up as a role model for Christians to follow, especially as relates to ecumenism.
Her body is located in the "Chapel of Unity" at the Trappist Monastery of Our Lady of St. Joseph at Vitorchiano
, near Viterbo
. This is the current home of same monastery in which she had lived.
The information in this article was derived mainly from the following sources:
TRAPPIST
TRAPPIST is Belgian robotic telescope in Chile which came online in 2010, and is an acronym for TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope, so named in homage to Trappist beer produced in the Belgian region. Situated high in the Chilean mountains at La Silla Observatory, it is actually...
nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
. She was born in Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
in 1914 and died of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
in the Trappist monastery of Grottaferrata
Grottaferrata
Grottaferrata, Italy is a small town and comune in the province of Rome, situated on the lower slopes of the Alban Hills, 20 km south east of Rome. It is bounded by other communes, Frascati, Rocca di Papa, Marino, and Rome.-History:...
in 1939. Because of her spiritual devotion to Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
unity, she was beatified by pope John Paul II in 1983.
Early life
Dorgali
thumb|250px|[[Giants' grave]] of Sa Ena e Thomes.Dorgali is a comune in the Province of Nuoro in the Italian region Sardinia, located about 230 km northeast of Cagliari and about 38 km east of Nuoro in the Seaside Supramonte mountain area.Economy is mostly based on the vine and wine...
. She was said to be obstinate as a child, but was also known to be loyal and obedient.
Motivated to deepen her piety after the death of her sister, she enrolled in a Catholic youth group called "Azione Cattolica
Azione Cattolica
The Azione Cattolica Italiana, or Azione Cattolica for short, is a widespread lay Roman Catholic association in Italy.-History:...
" when she was eighteen. She began to catechise the local youth, help the aged, and intensify her prayer life. By this time, she had overcome her childhood stubbornness and become known for being gentle and thoughtful.
Later life
At about twenty or twenty-one, she decided to consecrate her life to God as a nun. She departed Sardinia for the Trappist monastery in GrottaferrataGrottaferrata
Grottaferrata, Italy is a small town and comune in the province of Rome, situated on the lower slopes of the Alban Hills, 20 km south east of Rome. It is bounded by other communes, Frascati, Rocca di Papa, Marino, and Rome.-History:...
, near Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, on the Italian mainland
Italian Peninsula
The Italian Peninsula or Apennine Peninsula is one of the three large peninsulas of Southern Europe , spanning from the Po Valley in the north to the central Mediterranean Sea in the south. The peninsula's shape gives it the nickname Lo Stivale...
. The abbess of the monastery throughout Sagheddu's time there was Mother Pia Gullini, whose enthusiasm for ecumenism
Ecumenism
Ecumenism or oecumenism mainly refers to initiatives aimed at greater Christian unity or cooperation. It is used predominantly by and with reference to Christian denominations and Christian Churches separated by doctrine, history, and practice...
(a fruit of the efforts of Father Paul Couturier
Paul Couturier
Paul Irénée Couturier was a French priest and a promoter of the concept of Christian unity. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.-Early life and career:...
) was transmitted to Sagghedu. Devoted to this cause, she offered herself as a spiritual sacrifice for the unity of the Christian church
Christian Church
The Christian Church is the assembly or association of followers of Jesus Christ. The Greek term ἐκκλησία that in its appearances in the New Testament is usually translated as "church" basically means "assembly"...
during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is an international Christian ecumenical observance kept annually between 18 January and 25 January. It is actually an octave, that is, an observance lasting eight days.-Beginnings:...
of 1938. She then immediately fell ill with tuberculosis, and after suffering for fifteen months, died on April 23, 1939. Significantly, the Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
reading for that Sunday included the words, "There will be one flock and one shepherd. (John 10:16)"
Philosophy
She was moved by a profound feeling of thanks to God for imparting his graceDivine grace
In Christian theology, grace is God’s gift of God’s self to humankind. It is understood by Christians to be a spontaneous gift from God to man - "generous, free and totally unexpected and undeserved" - that takes the form of divine favour, love and clemency. It is an attribute of God that is most...
to her, and for calling her to unity with him. These sentiments caused her to attempt a full and complete response to God because of these gifts, finding peace in this complete response. Like most other Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
figures known for holiness, she found rest from anxiety through a complete and trusting abandonment of herself to the will of God.
After her death, it was noted that in her Bible, Chapter 17 of St. John's
John the Evangelist
Saint John the Evangelist is the conventional name for the author of the Gospel of John...
Gospel had become yellowed and worn from being often read. In this chapter, Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
prays to the Father
God the Father
God the Father is a gendered title given to God in many monotheistic religions, particularly patriarchal, Abrahamic ones. In Judaism, God is called Father because he is the creator, life-giver, law-giver, and protector...
on behalf of his disciples. Of particular significance are verses 11 and 21, in which Jesus prays "that they may be one, as we also are (John 17:11)," and "that they all may be one, as thou, Father, in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me (John 17:21)." These verses are commonly used for a motto of the ecumenical movement, given the pan-Christian appeal of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, the direct expression of Jesus' will for the unity of his disciples, the connection between Christian unity and successful evangelisation
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
, and the affirmation by Jesus himself of his own divinity and unity with God the Father.
Sister Maria Gabriella saw Christian disunity as wounds to the body of Christ, an image often used to demonstrate the negative effects of sectarianism. Most likely resulting from her understanding of the Catholic theology relating to Jesus' crucifixion
Crucifixion
Crucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
, she offered her life to God as a sacrifice for the unity of the Church. John Paul II, in his encyclical Ut Unum Sint
Ut Unum Sint
Ut Unum Sint is the incipit of an encyclical by Pope John Paul II of May 25, 1995. Encyclicals are referred to by their "incipit" or first few words...
, says this:
Praying for unity is not a matter reserved only to those who actually experience the lack of unity among Christians. In the deep personal dialogue which each of us must carry on with the Lord in prayer, concern for unity cannot be absent. Only in this way, in fact, will that concern fully become part of the reality of our life and of the commitments we have taken on in the Church. It was in order to reaffirm this duty that I set before the faithful of the Catholic Church a model which I consider exemplary, the model of a Trappistine Sister, Blessed Maria Gabriella of Unity, whom I beatified on 25 January 1983. Sister Maria Gabriella, called by her vocation to be apart from the world, devoted her life to meditation and prayer centered on chapter seventeen of Saint John's Gospel, and offered her life for Christian unity. This is truly the cornerstone of all prayer: the total and unconditional offering of one's life to the Father, through the Son, in the Holy SpiritHoly SpiritHoly Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
. The example of Sister Maria Gabriella is instructive; it helps us to understand that there are no special times, situations or places of prayer for unity. Christ's prayer to the Father is offered as a model for everyone, always and everywhere.
Beatification
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...
by Pope John Paul II on Sunday, January 25, 1983, at the conclusion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, the same observance which motivated Sagheddu's decision to offer her life to God. By doing so, the Pope both affirmed the holiness of her actions and set her up as a role model for Christians to follow, especially as relates to ecumenism.
Her body is located in the "Chapel of Unity" at the Trappist Monastery of Our Lady of St. Joseph at Vitorchiano
Vitorchiano
Vitorchiano is a comune in the Province of Viterbo in the Italian region Latium, located about 70 km northwest of Rome and about 7 km northeast of Viterbo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 3,690 and an area of 29.8 km².Vitorchiano borders the following municipalities:...
, near Viterbo
Viterbo
See also Viterbo, Texas and Viterbo UniversityViterbo is an ancient city and comune in the Lazio region of central Italy, the capital of the province of Viterbo. It is approximately 80 driving / 80 walking kilometers north of GRA on the Via Cassia, and it is surrounded by the Monti Cimini and...
. This is the current home of same monastery in which she had lived.
See also
- EcumenismEcumenismEcumenism or oecumenism mainly refers to initiatives aimed at greater Christian unity or cooperation. It is used predominantly by and with reference to Christian denominations and Christian Churches separated by doctrine, history, and practice...
- Catholic Church and ecumenismCatholic Church and ecumenismThe Catholic Church has been heavily involved in the ecumenical movement since the Second Vatican Council .- Before the Second Vatican Council :...
- Week of Prayer for Christian UnityWeek of Prayer for Christian UnityThe Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is an international Christian ecumenical observance kept annually between 18 January and 25 January. It is actually an octave, that is, an observance lasting eight days.-Beginnings:...
- Ut Unum SintUt Unum SintUt Unum Sint is the incipit of an encyclical by Pope John Paul II of May 25, 1995. Encyclicals are referred to by their "incipit" or first few words...
External links
An article by Dom Antoine Marie of the Abbey of St. Joseph of Clairval:The information in this article was derived mainly from the following sources: