St. Mary Di Rosa

St. Mary Di Rosa, born Paola Francesca di Rosa on November 6, 1813, in Brescia, Italy, was the founder of the Handmaids of Charity. Her early life was marked by significant responsibility, as she began managing her father's household and estates at a young age. Following her mother's death when Paola was eleven, she was educated by the Visitation Sisters but soon returned home to assist her father. Her dedication to caring for the girls working in her father's mills earned her respect and laid the groundwork for her future charitable work.

In 1836, during a cholera epidemic in Brescia, Paola transformed into a dedicated nurse, caring for the afflicted and establishing homes for orphaned girls and deaf and mute women. This marked the beginning of her full-time commitment to serving others. In 1840, she founded the community that would become the Handmaids of Charity, officially approved by Pope Pius IX in 1850. The congregation focused on caring for the sick and wounded, including soldiers during the wars in northern Italy. Maria Crocifissa di Rosa, as she came to be known, passed away on December 15, 1855. She was beatified in 1940 and canonized by Pope Pius XII on June 12, 1954. Her legacy as a patron of hospitals and a model for charitable service continues to inspire today.