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Daughter of Baron Benedict Pisani Mompalao Cuzker and Vincenza Carrano.
Her father was rich, noble, Maltese, and an alcoholic, so the girl was
raised by her grandmother. Her father was involved in a revolt, and exiled
to Malta in 1821; Adeodata and her mother joined him in 1825.
Benedictine novice at age 21. She renounced her wealth and title when she
took her final vows. Cloistered nun for the rest of her life. Seamstress,
sacristan, porter, teacher, and novice mistress. Abbess in 1851 to 1853,
her ill health forcing her to end her service early. Noted for her
sanctity, her love of the poor, self-imposed austerities, and ecstasies so
complete that she was seen to levitate.
Born: 29 December 1806 at Naples, Italy
Died: 25 February 1855 from heart problems at the Benedictine
monastery at Medina, Malta
Beatified: 9 May 2001 by Pope John Paul II; her beatification
miracle occurred on 24 November 1897 when abbess Giuseppina Damiani from
the Monastery of Saint John the Baptist Subiaco was suddenly healed
stomach tumor following her request for Maria Pisani's intervention; her
Cause was delayed for years due to lack of funds, and political problems
between Malta and Italy
Canonized: pending
Readings
Born in Italy of a Maltese father, Sister Maria Adeodata Pisani came here
at the age of nineteen, and spent most of her life as a splendid figure of
Benedictine religious consecration in the Monastery of Saint Peter. I know
that some of the Sisters of the Monastery were not able to come here, but
are following this ceremony on television. To you, dear Sisters, I send a
very special blessing on this happy day.
Prayer, obedience, service of her Sisters and maturity in performing her
assigned tasks: these were the elements of Maria Adeodata’s silent, holy
life. Hidden in the heart of the Church, she sat at the Lord’s feet and
listened to his teaching (cf. Lk 10:39), savoring the things that last for
ever (cf. Col 3:2). Through her prayer, work and love, she became a
well-spring of that spiritual and missionary fruitfulness without which
the Church cannot preach the Gospel as Christ commands, for mission and
contemplation require each other absolutely (cf. Novo Millennio Ineunte,
16).
Sister Adeodata’s holy example certainly helped to promote the renewal of
religious life in her own Monastery. I therefore wish to commend to her
intercession a special intention of my heart. Much has been done in recent
times to adapt religious life to the changed circumstances of today, and
the benefit of this can be seen in the lives of very many men and women
religious. But there is need for a renewed appreciation of the deeper
theological reasons for this special form of consecration. We still await
a full flowering of the teaching of the Second Vatican Council on the
transcendent value of that special love of God and others which leads to
the vowed life of poverty, chastity and obedience. I commend to all
consecrated men and women the example of personal maturity and
responsibility which was wonderfully evident in the life of Blessed
Adeodata.
-Pope John Paul II during the beatification Mass for Blessed Maria
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