Maria Domenica Mantovani

Maria Domenica Mantovani co-founded the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Holy Family, with Blessed Giuseppe Nascimbeni. The first of four children, she was born in Castelletto di Brenzone, Italy, on 12 November 1862. Her family’s poverty prevented her from attending school beyond the elementary level, but her lack of education was counteracted by her natural intelligence, her openness and her common sense. Even from an early age, Maria Domenica dedicated much of her attention to prayer and to all that had to do with God. This religious and Christian sensitivity and wealth of grace was the fruit of the witness of her family: humble, hard-working, honest and rich in faith. When she was 15 years old, Blessed Giuseppe Nascimbeni arrived in Castelletto, becoming its parish priest in 1885. From then on, he became Maria Domenica’s ...