Blessed Maria Adeodata Pisani

Also known as

Maria Adeodata
Teresa Pisani

Memorial

25 February

Profile

Daughter of Baron Benedict Pisani Mompalao Cuzker and Vincenza Carrano. Her father was rich, noble, Maltese, and an alcoholic, so the girl was raised by her grandmother. Her father was involved in a revolt, and exiled to Malta in 1821; Adeodata and her mother joined him in 1825.

Benedictine novice at age 21. She renounced her wealth and title when she took her final vows. Cloistered nun for the rest of her life. Seamstress, sacristan, porter, teacher, and novice mistress. Abbess in 1851 to 1853, her ill health forcing her to end her service early. Noted for her sanctity, her love of the poor, self-imposed austerities, and ecstacies so complete that she was seen to levitate.

Born

29 December 1806 at Naples, Italy

Died

25 February 1855 from heart problems at the Benedictine monastery at Mdina, Malta

Beatified

9 May 2001 by Pope John Paul II; her beatification miracle occurred on 24 November 1897 when abbess Giuseppina Damiani from the Monastery of Saint John the Baptist Subiaco was suddenly healed stomach tumour following her request for Maria Pisani's intervention; her Blessed Maria's Cause was delayed for years due to lack of funds, and political problems between Malta and Italy

Canonized

pending; if you have information relevant to the canonization of Blessed Maria, contact
   Monasteru San Pietru
   Triq Villegaignon
   Mdina RBT 12, MALTA

Additional Information

Kirken i Norge norwegian
L'Osservatore Romano

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Readings

Born in Italy of a Maltese father, Sister Maria Adeodata Pisani came here at the age of nineteen, and spent most of her life as a splendid figure of Benedictine religious consecration in the Monastery of Saint Peter. I know that some of the Sisters of the Monastery were not able to come here, but are following this ceremony on television. To you, dear Sisters, I send a very special blessing on this happy day.

Prayer, obedience, service of her Sisters and maturity in performing her assigned tasks: these were the elements of Maria Adeodata’s silent, holy life. Hidden in the heart of the Church, she sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching (cf. Luke 10:39), savouring the things that last for ever (cf. Colossians 3:2). Through her prayer, work and love, she became a well-spring of that spiritual and missionary fruitfulness without which the Church cannot preach the Gospel as Christ commands, for mission and contemplation require each other absolutely (cf. Novo Millennio Ineunte, 16).

Sister Adeodata’s holy example certainly helped to promote the renewal of religious life in her own Monastery. I therefore wish to commend to her intercession a special intention of my heart. Much has been done in recent times to adapt religious life to the changed circumstances of today, and the benefit of this can be seen in the lives of very many men and women religious. But there is need for a renewed appreciation of the deeper theological reasons for this special form of consecration. We still await a full flowering of the teaching of the Second Vatican Council on the transcendent value of that special love of God and others which leads to the vowed life of poverty, chastity and obedience. I commend to all consecrated men and women the example of personal maturity and responsibility which was wonderfully evident in the life of Blessed Adeodata.

-Pope John Paul II during the beatification Mass for Blessed Maria

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