On November 5, 2022, Bl. Maria Carola Cecchin was solemnly beatified in a Meru, Kenya, in a ceremony presided over by Cardinal Antoine Kambanda, the Archbishop of Kigali, Rwanda.
Cecchin was born in Italy in 1877 and joined the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph Benedetto Cottolengo in 1896.
She requested to be sent to the missions in 1905 and was sent to Kenya shortly thereafter.
Cecchin faithfully served the poor in Kenya until her death in 1925.
According to Vatican News, Cardinal Kambanda related at the beatification ceremony that Cecchin had "absolute trust in God’s loving care and came to this land to be a witness of that, so that we too may acquire the same faith and trust that frees us from all fear and calls us to faithfulness to God."
He further mentioned that she loved "so much the Lord that she desired to become his hands, to reach out to the poor. She trusted him so much that she accepted all the hardships and trials life had in store for her."
According to Nation, Mother Elda Pezzuto explained, "She had lived her last five years in harsh conditions but she generously continued to serve the people … She remains a model of missionary life for she was respectful of the culture of the people of Kenya and was able to spread the gospel in this country."
Catholics in Kenya continue to be inspired by Bl. Maria Carola Cecchin's life and frequently turn to her for intercession.
