Bl. Maria Teresa Fasce

  Posted on January 17, 2019  by admin  No comments

Born: 27 December 1881 Torriglia, Genoa, Kingdom of Italy

Died: 18 January 1947 (aged 65) Cascia, Perugia, Italy

Venerated: in Roman Catholic Church

Beatified: 12 October 1997, Saint Peter’s Square, Vatican City by Pope John Paul II

Feast: 18 January, 12 October (Augustinians)

Patronage: Against breast cancer

Blessed Maria Giovanna Fasce (27 December 1881 – 18 January 1947) was an Italian Roman Catholic professed religious of the Augustinian nuns in the religious name of “Maria Teresa”. Fasce served in various leadership positions in her convent in Genoa and was noted for the establishment of an orphanage and spreading the charism of Saint Augustine and Saint Rita of Cascia. Fasce was beatified at Saint Peter’s Square on 12 October 1997.

Life

Maria Giovanna Fasce was born on 27 December 1881 in Genoa to the middle-class Eugenio Fasce and his second wife Teresa Valente. She had seven siblings and her oldest sibling was Luigia. Her relations dubbed her as “Marietta”. Her mother died in 1889 which prompted her oldest sister Luigia to take care of Fasce.

Fasce taught catechism to children and grew to love the charism of Saint Augustine. She also met her confessor Father Mariano Ferriello in Genoa who encouraged her to learn of the Augustinian figures and pursue her vocation. She also became aware of the life of Saint Rita of Cascia and travelled to Rome in 1900 when Pope Leo XIII canonized her – this was the most important event of her life thus far and solidified her desire to become a nun. She expressed this intention to her relations who took the news bad and her brothers in particular were negative about it. Her oldest sister Luigia accepted this but did not understand Fasce’s reasoning for living in a primitive place like Cascia. She applied for admission to a Ligurian convent but was rejected much to her surprise. The Abbess Giuseppina Gattarelli said that she believed Fasce was unable to handle the rigors of the monastic life. Fasce reapplied and was accepted in 1906.

On 22 June 1906 she entered the convent of the Order of Saint Augustine (she received the habit on the night of 25 December 1906) and made the profession of her initial vows on 25 December 1907 in the religious name of “Maria Teresa”. She became quite disillusioned due to the convent’s decline and returned home in June 1910 for a period of deep reflection. Her time at home saw her affirm her desire to be in the monastic life and returned to the convent in May 1911 and later made her solemn vows on 22 March 1912. She was appointed as novice mistress on 17 July 1914 at the time of World War I and was then vicar of her convent from 1917 until 1920. The unanimous decision of the convent’s leadership saw her made abbess on 12 August 1920 and she held that post until her death.

In 1923 she began the circulation of the newsletter “Dalle Api alle Rose” (first edition published 22 May 1923) in order to promote the almost unknown chapel that contained the remains of Saint Rita of Cascia and desired bringing people to God through the saint she admired. Fasce suffered from a malignant tumor on her right breast and had to undergo two operations on it. She referred to her tumor as her “treasure” that was the most beautiful gift that Jesus Christ had given her. She suffered from diabetes and asthma and also became overweight which caused walking difficulties – fellow nuns also had to move her in a chair later in her tenure.

Her goal was the construction of a girl’s orphanage which began construction in 1925 and finished in 1938 though she had to depend on donations and work was slow due to the bad economic climate and the onslaught of World War II. She referred to the orphan girls as her “bees” and the first girl to be admitted into the new orphanage was Edda Petrucci.
Fasce died in 1947. Her remains were placed next to Saint Rita of Cascia.

Beatification

The beatification process commenced in the Diocese of Spoleto-Norcia in an informative process that commenced on 5 August 1968 and concluded its business on 5 June 1971. Fasce was titled as a Servant of God on 5 August 1968 under Pope Paul VI once the process commenced. The Congregation for the Causes of Saints validated the process on 6 May 1988 in Rome.

The postulation sent the Positio dossier to the C.C.S. for further assessment at which point theologians met and approved its contents on 17 January 1995 while the C.C.S. themselves followed suit on 6 June 1995. Pope John Paul II proclaimed Fasce to be Venerable on 11 July 1995 after confirming that the late religious had lived a model Christian life of heroic virtue.

The miracle needed for her beatification was investigated in the Italian diocese of its origin and received C.C.S. validation on 17 March 1995 while a medical board approved the miracle on 30 November 1995; theologians also voiced their approval on 24 January 1997 while the C.C.S. did so as well on 18 March 1997. John Paul II approved the miracle on 7 July 1997 and beatified her on 12 October 1997.