When words are supported by marvels of the heart, stories flow out and like full-fledged torrents, foam, sing and surge upwards. And that is what happened for the witnesses who were asked to tell about events in the life of Maria De Mattias during the process leading to her canonization.
S. Filomena Palombi
Many times she said would like to infuse God’s spirit in all the people, that she would like to shed all her blood for Him.... [ … ]
S. Nazarena Longo
She was filled with the spirit of faith as was made know in her words, actions and her whole way of life. [ … ]
Her teaching was extraordinary, full of faith. People were moved to tears and gave up their sinful ways. Those who were already moved to love of God, became even more fervent and tended even more to perfection. Those who could not become religious women, formed rules to be observed in their homes, similar to the rules of the Institute, that they constantly observed.
S. Nazarena Vecchini
Because of her faith and trust in God, she left her upset family and her father’s excessive benevolence in order to carry out the purpose of the Foundation, that is the good of souls, for whom she would have given her blood and her life, even for only one person, as she used to say. Her trust in God was demonstrated especially in the fact of her coming here where she was not known, without financial means, because she only brought a little money with her. She had no one giving her support and when she undertook the building of the little church she did not have the money to complete the job. Yet she was never discouraged but always trusted in God.
Through the conferences she gave and by her modest and dignified behavior she clearly showed that her mind was always turned toward God.
She endured all the adversities with a strong spirit and gladly forgave those who offended her, being ready to do something good for them. When she was under tribulation, or being opposed or persecuted she used to smilingly say, “I needed this,” or “May God’s will be done.”
S. Filomena Zaccardi
The servant of God’s hope showed in all her actions and was not based upon the reflection of her abilities or that of her sisters, or in general human reasons, but mainly in God’s help. [ … ]
S. Caterina Pavoni
Her hope was not disconnected from a healthy fear that should infuse the consciousness of human brokenness. She used to say, “My daughters, pray for my soul so that it does not happen that after having exhorted you toward the good, that I am lost.” And when saying that, she often cried. She used to say, “What will happen to me if God’s mercy does not help me?
Filippo Merluzzi
When she spoke about God she was so fervent that she was not embarrassed to stand on the communion step and publicly encourage all the people to love God with all their strength and to prefer giving up their lives rather than to offend God. She would preach for an hour at a time to the great numbers of people who came to the church to hear her. She was so fervent when she spoke of God that her face would light up and the people would be so moved that some of the women cried, which I myself witnessed several times.
S. Nazarena Vecchini
Her love for God was so vibrant, first of all in doing everything she did, in enduring all the opposition, pain and calumnies because of her love for God and she would add that she desired to be consumed by love for God.
S. Nazarena Longo
She loved the Lord in an extraordinary way and above everything else. She revealed this especially in talks she gave, in her orations that would last long hours and, in short, in the way she acted.
S. Pia Ansini
She frequently exhorted us regarding our main duty, making us reflect that the souls of the girls represented the price of Jesus’ Blood. Therefore we should try every way and means to get their tender minds to understand God’s love for them. This was our work for the salvation of their souls.
S. Filomena Palombi
To inflame us to love God she told us that God is so good and loves us so much like a tender Father. I would always then try to stay as close to her as possible because her fervid way of speaking about God enthralled me.
S. Celeste Palombi
That she loved God above everything else and with all her might could be seen by the way she spoke about God. She often had us repeat, “My God, give me your love.” It was enough to hear her talk to know that she was all enflamed with love for God. [ … ]
S. Giacinta Palombi
The way the Vernerable loved God was the way she loved her neighbor, whom she would call “my dear neighbor.” She showed this love through her great concern in opening the schools to teach the poor people and do good for their souls.
She tenderly loved her sisters and they loved her in return. However, at the same time she made herself feared and obeyed.
S. Annunziata Iezzi
When the Foundress knew that the poor people needed something, she tried in every way possible to help them. At times she tore the community linens in half to share them with those in need. When she did not have what was needed to help the many who came to her, she would go to the town priest to ask for what was needed to help. [ … ]
To summarize, she was everything to everyone and only last of all did she think about herself.
S. Marianna Palombi
She was so inflamed by love of God that when she spoke about this topic she would go on and on and she wanted everyone to love God. She exhorted by saying “Talk about God often, make him know to everyone so that everyone will love God.” She especially encouraged us to do it in the schools.
S. Caterina Pavoni
Her love for evangelical poverty was unique. In her room there was nothing other than a small bed, a writing table and two chairs upon which she used to keep her few linens. The only ornament in the room was a bronze crucifix on the small table and two or three small, inexpensive devotional pictures that she had hanging on the wall. Her clothes were worn out, poor and patched, but neat and clean. The sisters were careful never to leave her two blouses at the same time because she would have given one of them to the poor.
S. Luisa Abri
God’s servant showed a great spirit of poverty in everything by saying that Jesus Christ was born poor and also when he died, he had to be wrapped in a borrowed sheet and placed in a tomb belonging to Nicodemus. She never stopped telling us sisters to observe poverty and she said, “We must imitate the poor Jesus.” In school she wanted the poor to be at the heart of our service rather than the rich because the rich could provide for themselves while the poor did not have the necessary means to do so.
S. Anna Maria Galluzzi
She was very humble. She never talked about herself and she used to call herself “Jesus’ ragamuffin,” and she said that Jesus ruled her Institute and all the glory belonged to Him. And when she spoke about the success of our houses, she exhorted us above all to thank the Lord, since all glory and merit belonged to him. She never failed to encourage the sisters to always work more and more for the salvation of souls.