Rome (Italy). On 8 March, International Women’s Day, the anniversary of the death of the Servant of God Sister Rosetta Marchese, VII Mother General of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians is celebrated.
Mother Rosetta was a woman firmly rooted in Jesus, eager to make her love known to everyone, especially the young people. In her life as an educator, teacher, assistant, formator, Councilor, and Mother General, she followed a path of conformation to Jesus up to the offering of her life for the holiness of the Institute, for priests, for the salvation of youth. Like Mary, she made her life a gift of love and spiritual motherhood. In her we contemplate one of the masterpieces with which the Holy Spirit has enriched the Institute and the Church.
An excerpt of her life given in service to the FMA Institute is here reported, during the years lived as the Provincial of the Roman Province of S. Cecilia:
“Sister Rosetta Marchese, since 1961 Animator of Jesus of Nazareth Community of Rome, was appointed Provincial of the Province of St. Cecilia in 1965. Mother Rosetta is a person of great organizational skills. She also takes care of the spiritual and cultural formation of the sisters. The Roman Province is vast and rich in works; more than 600 FMA carry out activities in favor of promoting girls and evangelization. The shortage of staff makes itself felt: elderly nuns and few vocations increase the educational and evangelizing needs.
Mother Rosetta, a wise and far-sighted woman, intends to review the situation of the Province in constant discernment, to encourage restructuring and extraordinary maintenance works; strengthen religious and Salesian formation; accompany in particular the young women who reveal signs of a vocation to religious life; protect the health of the sisters, and qualify staff at all levels.
After the Special General Chapter of 1969, Mother Rosetta tries to implement the main changes suggested by the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council for religious communities, liturgical reform, catechesis, and pastoral mission. From the reports of the Provincial Visits one can see her great attention to all aspects of community life. It reads: “To all a word of appreciation and an exhortation to increase ever more the mutual capacity for welcome … simplicity, the ardor of love for the Lord, zeal for the salvation of souls, the exclusive search for the glory of God animate us always in every action” (cf. Book of the visits of the Superiors, Archive Rome Mary Help of Christians, year 1970).
During the period of government and animation of Mother Rosetta, the houses tended to decrease slightly, and in 1971 the highest number of sisters was reached: 654 Daughters of Mary Help of Christians.
The increase in staff and the distance of the houses in the territory of the five Regions make the Provincial’s work particularly tiring. The General Council, then, studying the Italian reality, reflects and approves the decision to divide the provinces that are too large, including St. Cecilia Province. Thus, at the end of Sister Rosetta Marchese’s six-year term, the Roman Province of St. Agnes was born, based in Jesus of Nazareth Institute in Via Dalmazia, Rome (Italy).”
Profile Mother Rosetta Marchese
On 1 July 2019 the Cause of Beatification and Canonization of the Servant of God Mother Rosetta Marchese, FMA was initiated.
On January 31, 2020 the Edict for the Cause of Beatification of the Servant of God Mother Rosetta Marchese, FMA, was made known.
