Saint of the Day: Bl. Chiara Bosatta

Religious Sister (1858-1887)

Her life

+ Dina Bosatta was born in Pianello del Lario, Como, Italy.

+ After being educated by the Canossian Daughters of Charity and entered their community, but left a short time later, recognizing that she was not called to their way of life.

+ After returning home, she joined the Daughters of Mary, serving in a hospice for the poor, serving the elderly and children.

+ In 1878, she helped Saint Luigi Guanella establish a new community of sisters that came to be known as the Daughters of St. Mary of Providence. It was as this time that she took the religious name “Chiara.”

+ Blessed Chiara served as the community’s superior until her death on April 20, 1887. She was beatified in 1991.

For prayer and reflection

“The Lord is my inheritance; he is good to those who seek him.”—Antiphon for the Canticle of Zechariah from the Common for Religious (Liturgy of the Hours)

Spiritual bonus

On this day we also remember the martyr Blessed Anastazy Jakub Pankiewicz. A Franciscan priest and founder of the Antonian Sisters of Christ the King, he was arrested in 1941 as part of the Nazi’s oppression of Poland and died on May 20, 1942, in the concentration camp at Dachau. He was beatified with other Polish Martyrs of World War II in 1999.

Religious Life

The Daughters of St. Mary of Providence: www.dsmpic.org

Prayer

Merciful and provident Father, Blessed Chiara Bosatta, Virgin, was filled with Your Spirit of love, uniting it with the contemplation of Christ crucified and service to the needy and abandoned. Grant through her intercession, that we may love you with complete faith and serve you with an active charity among the most needy brothers and sisters. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

(from the website of the Daughters of St. Mary of Providence)
Saint profiles prepared by Brother Silas Henderson, S.D.S.