Blessed Caterina Cittadini (1801-1857)

Born in Italy, she grew up in an orphanage run by sisters, where she developed a strong faith. As an adult Caterina taught at a girls’ school in Somasca in 1824. When she and her sister felt a call to religious life, their spiritual director recommended that they start their own. In 1826 they rented a house and opened a boarding school for girls. Caterina taught religion and managed the school, which became a success. More schools of this kind arose. To help organize the work and lives of her companions, she wrote the beginnings of a new rule similar to that of religious orders. In 1850 she obtained permission to build a private oratory to keep the Blessed Sacrament at her boarding school. In 1851 she applied for approval of her new religious family. In 1854 her bishop encouraged her work, and told her to write the rules of the new order; her first attempt, based on the Constitution of the Ursulines of Milano was rejected. A second attempt was accepted on 17 September 1854 under the title Orsoline Gerolimiane (Ursuline Sisters of Somasca). On 14 December 1857, six months after her death, the bishop of Bergamo gave his approval; the order achieved papal recognition on 8 July 1927. The order’s mandate is to teach, and to care for the abandoned; today they work in Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Brazil, Bolivia, India, and the Philippines. She was beatified in 2001 by Pope John Paul II. (Adapted from saints.spqn.com)