Sr. Maria was a very open woman, capable by her humility and freedom to hide the baggage of her culture of origin, to place herself in docile acceptance of the Argentine culture.Sr. Maria was a very open woman, capable by her humility and freedom to hide the baggage of her culture of origin, to place herself in docile acceptance of the Argentine culture.To respond the call for renewal of the Church initiated by the Second Vatican Council, she was sent as a pioneer to Argentina with a young group of missionary Adorers. From that moment on, she invested her intuition and creativity in a style of evangelization with an ecclesial character that has always distinguished the presence and activity of the ASC in Argentina. Sr. Maria gave a strong impulse to Catechesis where she was sent.  At Villa Bosch, she used the most updated methods of the Argentine Dioceses and introduced Family Catechesis in the School: “the children learn the things of God in the family, around the table.” At the same time, with all the Sisters, always as a pioneer group she was involved in parish catechesis, liturgy and whatever was required.  Here, for her ministry as a teacher at all levels, she received from the Catholic Education Council of the Argentine Episcopal Conference, the “Divine Master Award” in recognition and gratitude.Sr. Maria was also at the forefront at the diocesan level, initiating the Catechetical Seminars in the Diocese of San Martin.  During her stay in Tandil, she did not lose courage, even though she had to travel many miles to support and start the Catechetical Seminars in the Diocese of Azul, animating as “Teacher” of the Catechists. Through the School, she embraced many children, young people, and families, with the aim of transmitting the Love of Jesus and His Precious Blood. Many activities were undertaken: in addition to the teaching of school subjects, she initiated sports competitions, musical events, offering the possibility for those who wanted to learn to play an instrument  to receive music lessons in the after-school hours. She opened the rooms of the College, giving children the opportunity to study languages such as English and Italian. Besides the numerous activities, there were also popular Missions in the city of Buenos Aires and in many Argentine Provinces.A year after the arrival of the Sisters in Argentina, she had a picture of Maria De Mattias painted and carried it in a procession on a truck, in the company of four girls from the Kindergarten dressed as angels (I was one of them). The procession started from the Pio XII School of the Josephite Fathers and reached the Parish of Carmen, ending at the new school of the ASC, which had only two rooms, and on whose grounds had been placed the first stone of the future school building.From the beginning, Sr. Maria was interested in the pastoral vocation. Together with the other Sisters, with the young people in formation, or just with the students of the School, she brought the message of vocational proclamation through the deepening of the calls in the Bible. She visited parishes where the parish priests allowed the proclamation of charism; she organized vocational retreats in the house of the Sisters, inviting all the girls she met in the different parishes. On those occasions she introduced them to Lectio Divina and Adoration, offering them an itinerary of human growth and transmitting love for the Blood of Jesus, shed out of love.Sister Maria was attentive to each sister whom she helped to grow in fullness as a consecrated woman. She had at heart their professional formation and their journey of human, psychological and spiritual growth. She gave her time to each one, listening with a mother’s heart to her sisters and to all those who approached her.
She lived as a woman of faith and deep missionary zeal. Her heart led her, without hesitation, to set out for Formosa, 1300 km away from Villa Bosch (she consumed only galetitas and café on the trip), to take care of the lives of the sisters who lived so far from the other communities.She lived as a woman of faith and deep missionary zeal. Her heart led her, without hesitation, to set out for Formosa, 1300 km away from Villa Bosch (she consumed only galetitas and café on the trip), to take care of the lives of the sisters who lived so far from the other communities.Sr. Maria harmonized her femininity, cultivating numerous friendships with the Pastors of the Church, bishops and priests, nuns and lay people. All this made her a woman whose harmony was also visible in the architecture of  the  Preciosísima Sangre College, admired for the originality of its almost circular structure, for its luminosity, for the details that reveal its broad vision of an educational space in the interaction of the city.Sr. Maria from Heaven, intercede for all of us, especially for your beloved Land of Argentina. We are proud to have had you as a sister.