BL. MADDALENA MORANO, VIRGIN - 26 MARCH

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN MARCH

Saints celebrated on the 26th of March

Prayer to the Angels and the Saints

Heavenly Father, in praising Your Angels and Saints we praise Your glory, for by honouring them we honour You, their Creator. Their splendour shows us Your greatness, which infinitely surpasses that of all creation.

In Your loving providence, You saw fit to send Your Angels to watch over us. Grant that we may always be under their protection and one day enjoy their company in heaven.

Heavenly Father, You are glorified in Your Saints, for their glory is the crowning of Your gifts. You provide an example for us by their lives on earth, You give us their friendship by our communion with them, You grant us strength and protection through their prayer for the Church, and You spur us on to victory over evil and the prize of eternal glory by this great company of witnesses.

Grant that we who aspire to take part in their joy may be filled with the Spirit that blessed their lives, so that, after sharing their faith on earth, we may also experience their peace in heaven. Amen.

BL. MADDALENA MORANO, VIRGIN 

Maddalena Caterina Morano was born in Chieri, in the province of Turin, on the November 15, 1847. 

Maddalena wanted to teach, and when she was 17, she gained her teacher’s certificate. She began teaching at Montaldo Torinese. She did this with diligence and competence for fourteen years, earning the respect and esteem of the entire neighbourhood. 

Finally, Maddalena took her spiritual director’s advice and, after having bought a home for her mother with her savings, went to speak to Don Bosco, who directed her towards Mornese, where Mother Mazzarello happily welcomed her. She immediately began teaching. 

PERPETUAL VOWS

In 1880, she consecrated herself to God through perpetual vows, and asked the Lord for the grace “of staying alive until she had become a saint.” In 1881, at the request of the archbishop of Catania, Maddalena was invited to direct the new work at Trecastagni, where three teachers were working. For four years, she was in charge, taught, washed, cooked, was catechist but was especially a witness to the point where the girls were always calling, asking: we want to be like her!

"ONE GLANCE TO EARTH AND TEN TO HEAVEN"

After a pause of a year in Turin, where she was in charge of the F.M.A. community at Valdocco, she was sent to Sicily as Visitor, directress and novice mistress. Hers was the task of founding new communities and forming holy Sisters. Constantly with “one glance to earth and ten to heaven,” she opened schools, oratories, hostels and workshops everywhere on the island. 

NUMEROUS VOCATIONS

Numerous vocations came, attracted by her zeal and the community spirit she created around her. Her multiple apostolates were welcomed and encouraged by the Bishops. At Catania, they gave her all the catechetics to look after, the foundation of new oratories and the Teacher’s College. She was very devoted to St Joseph and Mary Help of Christians.

Sr Morano died of cancer at Catania on March 26, 1908. At her death in 1908, there were 18 houses in Sicily, 142 Sisters, 20 novices and 9 postulants. She was beatified on November 5, 1994.

(Information from Salesian Missions -

https://salesianmissions.org/about-us/who-we-are/about-st-john-bosco/our-history/history-of-the-salesians/bl-maddalena-morano-1994/)