| St. Maria Matilda De Mattias, A.S.C. | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 4, 1805 Vallecorsa, Province of Frosinone, Italy |
| Died | August 20, 1866 (aged 61) Rome, Italy |
| Honored in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Beatified | 1 October 1950 by Pope Pius XII |
| Canonized | 18 May 2003 by Pope John Paul II |
| Major shrine | Chapel of the Precious Blood, General Motherhouse of the Sisters Adorers, Rome, Italy |
| Feast | 20 August |
| Attributes | Foundress |
Maria Matilda De Mattias, A.S.C., (February 4, 1805 – August 20, 1866) is a saint from Italy in the Roman Catholic Church and was the founder of the religious congregation of the Sisters Adorers of the Blood of Christ.
Contents |
De Mattias was born 4 February 1805 in Vallecorsa, in the Province of Frosinone, Italy, to a religious and upper-class family which valued education. She was the second of four children of Giovanni de Mattias and Ottavia de Angelis. Although women during her time did not normally receive a formal education, she was able to teach herself how to read and write. In her mid-teens, she was withdrawn and focused more on her looks than Religion. However, at the age of 16 she was inspired by a mystical vision and began to break out from her sheltered upbringing.
Inspired by a sermon of Saint Gaspar del Bufalo, C.PP.S., founder of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, who visited her town in 1822, De Mattias decided that she would devote her life to caring for the needy and spreading the word of God. Through his preaching of devotion to the Precious Blood of Jesus, she was drawn to see this mystery of Christ's life as a model for self-sacrifice. On March 4, 1834, at the age of 29, under the guidance of del Bufalo's successor, the Venerable John Merlini, C.PP.S., she founded the Congregation of the Sisters Adorers of the Blood of Christ to advance this service.
Mother Matilda spent over 30 years travelling throughout Italy to help establish communities of her Sisters. This involved treks ranging from walking long distances to taking treacherous on donkeys. She was so eager to proclaim the mystery of Jesus' redemptive love shown through his shedding of his Precious Blood that she would preach in towns wherever she went, becoming known in central Italy as "the preaching woman".
Her communities were often very poor, sometimes not even having food in their cupboards, but they were always willing to share whatever they had with the poor among whom they lived. During her lifetime, the Congregation established over 70 communities throughout Europe.
De Mattias died in Rome on August 20, 1866 and was buried in Rome’s Campo Verano Cemetery, in a tomb donated by the Blessed Pope Pius IX.
On 28 June 1896, the required waiting period after De Mattias's death at that time, the process for her canonization was begun at the request of Mother Caterina Pavoni, A.S.C., her successor as Superior General of the Congregation then.
She was beatified October 1, 1950 by Pope Pius XII, at which time her remains were transferred to the Chapel of the Precious Blood at the Congregation's General Motherhouse in Rome. She was canonized on May 18, 2003 by Pope John Paul II, with her feast day set as 20 August, the anniversary of her death.
Today the Sisters of the Congregation which Maria De Mattias founded work around the world. In addition to Italy, there are about 300 Sisters in the United States. Communities are also established in Bolivia, Brazil, China, Guatemala, Liberia, South Korea and Vietnam. In October 1992, five Sisters Adorers from the United States were murdered during a civil war then raging in Liberia.[1]