Recently made Venerable are two sisters who founded the Benedictine Sisters of Divine Providence.
GIUSTINA SCHIAPPAROLI and MARIA SCHIAPPAROLI were born inCastel San Giovanni , Italy
GIUSTINA SCHIAPPAROLI and MARIA SCHIAPPAROLI were born in
In 1847 they started to care for abandoned children and orphans, beginning with a small school. Because of their work and great trust in Divine Providence, they were loved by the people and by the clergy. In 1850 the Bishop of Tortona, Giovanni Negri, accepted their religious profession and gave them “canonical” status.
The small religious family grew and were strengthened by the two foundresses who welcomed all the children and the youth who knocked at the door of the “Cenobio of the Benedictines”, as it was called. A spirit of family was the foundation stone of the educative work of the foundresses.
One virtue which characterized the life of Maria was humility. She lived a life of silence, secret prayer, and faithful obedience to the rules of her more dynamic and energetic sister, Mother Giustina, superior of the new Institute, even though she was the elder. She shared with her the hard works and the responsibility of the foundation. She was called the “Holy Shadow” .
At Voghera and Vespolate, where she was a superior, she was the “little servant of all”, attentive and dedicated in serving the sisters and the children. She had great confidence in Divine Providence. Venerable Maria died in 1882 at Vespolate, where she was buried.
Virtues which characterized the life of Giustina was charity, humility and heroic strength. She was the driving force for the foundation of the Benedictine Sisters of Divine Providence. With the children , the postulants, and sisters she showed maternal charity, which later in her life caused her great pain and suffering. Venerable Giustina died in 1877 at Voghera.
Both foundresses had a great devotion to the Eucharist as well as the Mother of God.
At present the Benedictine Sisters of Divine Providence operates in Italy , Albania , Romania , Brazil , Bolivia , Paraguay , Mexico , Argentina , India , Guinea-Bissau , Kenya , and Malawi