St. Mary Di Rosa
Died: 1885
Saint Mary (Paula) Di Rosa December 15 The pounding on the barricaded door of the military hospital sent every heart thudding in terror. In the middle of the war in Brescia (Italy) in 1848, the wounded, sick, and those who cared for them knew what that pounding meant. The shouts from beyond the door came from soldiers, not obeying any command but their inner desire to destroy and plunder. Who could do anything to stop them? The only people here were some Sisters, the Handmaids of Charity, who devoted themselves to helping the sick. The doctors had not even wanted them there. The doctors wanted medical people who were secular and military, not nuns. And in the face of this new danger they were even more useless! Worse than useless -- because that Paula (as she was known) di Rosa was actually moving to open the door!
When the door swung wide, the soldiers saw their way blocked with a great crucifix held by Paula di Rosa and two candles held by two of the six sisters who stood by her. Suddenly their frenzy to destroy disappeared, and full of shame before this display of courage and faith, they slunk back into the shadows.
Throughout her life, Paula di Rosa was never afraid to open the door on a new opportunity to serve God, especially when she was unsure of what lay beyond. People who didn't know her well must have thought she was too frail and delicate for these ventures, but she came armed not only with her faith but boundless energy, intelligence, and hunger to serve.
Born in 1813, she had tackled enormous projects from the time she was seventeen, arranging retreats and special missions for her parish and setting up a women's guild. Because of all she accomplished, when she was only twenty-four she was asked to be supervisor of a workhouse for poor girls. After two years, she became concerned because there was no place for the girls to go at the end of the day. Night held special dangers for these girls and Paula wanted to give them a safe place to stay. The trustees refused to provide that place. For Paula the choice was easy -- she once said that she could never go to bed with a clear conscience if she had missed the chance to do some good. So she quit the workhouse to set up a boardinghouse for poor girls while helping her brother with a school for the deaf.
At 27 she stood before another door. She was appointed superior of the Handmaids of Charity, a religious society whose purpose was to dedicate all their time and attention to the suffering in hospitals. With her friends Gabriela Bornati and Monsignor Pinzoni, she won the respect of those who thought of these "handmaids" as intruders.
Then in 1848, her whole life seemed to fall apart. First she lost Gabriela and then Monsignor Pinzoni died, leaving her without the support and friendship she had come to depend on. War started in Europe and her homeland was invaded. Facing that kind of grief and turmoil, many others would have crawled into bed and pulled the covers over their head. But Paula had always seen opportunity in everything that came her way. War meant that many would be wounded and displaced by the war so she and her sisters went to work at a military hospital and even went out to the battlefield to give spiritual and physical comfort to the wounded and dying.
She died in 1855, going through the final door, unafraid and joyful to be joining her Lord forever.
In Her Footsteps :Mary di Rosa would go out at a moment's notice if she felt that someone needed her help. The next time someone you know needs your aid, don't put off helping and make excuses. Drop what you are doing and give them what they need.
Prayer : Saint Mary, you weren't afraid to take new opportunities. It's frightening when we are asked to do something that is different or new. We would rather stay in our safe and comfortable routines. Help us to embrace each obstacle in our path as a new opportunity to serve God. Amen
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Saint Mary Di Rosa I have chosen you to be my patron saint. Please pray for me and my family. Amen.
St. Mary Di Rosa, Please intercede for me as you have done ever since.
please pray for Jacob that he finds the right path, for his mother that doctors can slow the progression of her disease and for all cancer patients that they deal with her disease with grace and dignity. Thank you.
St.mary Di Rosa please pray for me and my family god bless you
Amen
Dear St.Maria Di Rosa!,Your dedicated,brave and courageous services to the sick especially wounded in war field is areal service to God as our Lord taught.Help me Oh! Dear Saint, to behave bravely, to do good to the society.May God be glorified with more illumination in the 200th.year of your birth,in force now.Amen
I was looking for saints name for my daughter she is getting her conformation soon and this st mary de rosa kinda fits her she always wants to help the people and her family, she is very caring person she helps people she dont even know in public. She always give what she can money to help another person in need . So i pray that st mary di rosa to pray for all of us our family to be strong like her.
i may be doing some work with her for my confirmation and name . she sounded really brave. what is her color and her symbol?
Such a courageouslady. She is an inspiration for me to keep pressing forward in my faith.
Dear St. Mary Di Rosa, Help me to face upto the challenges in life bravely and with fortitude as you have done!
from this saint's life example, help us Lord to do our part in pursue a saint life, helping and loving each other and our planet.
Many Japanese are afraid to become jobless. In contrast, they riot to drown fear of unemployment because they have not authentic faith. Their faith is in chaos.Perhaps,they would not know St. Mary Di Rosa, a contributor to the poor. Many of them have a fear of knowing the truth because they are sweeping many sins under the carpet. St. Mary Di Rosa, forgive them. They don't know anything and you too. Thank you, Catholic Online, for giving me wisdom.
St mary Di Rosa, pray for us that we achieve your godly ways of life and we ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
St. Mary Di Rosa, how I love to imitate and emulate your extraordinary values. I notice that we ordinary people have great callings, but unlike you most of us are self-satisfied, contented and secure with ourselves, in what is called our comfort zone. Dear Saint of practical virtue, help us to see that in every obstacle there is opportunity to serve God. All you came with was " faith" and "boundless energy, intelligence and a hunger to serve". You rightfully said the you could "never go to bed with a clear conscience" if you had "missed the chance to do some good". Today we read about your life, reflect on its heroic virtue and honour you in our hearts. You must do something for us, poor earthlings on our struggle to know God and serve Him. Pray for us in God's presence, ask graces for us, give us answers in all the personal turmoils we go through. Amen.
excellent article on st. maria de rosa
i used her for my saint - project at school since she has the same name as my god mother (kinda). she is a cool saint.
From the story i believe that she loves challenges and God gave her more challenges that keeps leading her to him
Yesterday my wife & I saw a bag-man with all his belongings in a shopping parking lot. At my wife"s suggestion, we stopped and gave him a small tarp to cover his cart.
On the way home we passed a lady wity a walker sitting by the side of the road in the rain. We stopped to inquire if we could help her. She simply said she was waiting for a ride. We couild have helped.
St. Mary Di Rosa pray for us!
what is she the patron saint of ?
What is her symbol / Shield ?
When was this published? It was kinda helpful though i just need the bibliography!!!