REPARATRIX SISTERS SERVANTS OF MARY

Mother Elisa and Mother Margherita lived a secluded life in Vicenza (Italy) under the spiritual direction of Fra Giovanni Dalla Costa of the Servants of Mary of the Shrine of Monte Berico.

The first step

The initiation of our Congregation

Their spiritual life become deeper and deeper, despite the lack of a community structure. The meeting with the Order of the Servants of Mary allowed them to assimilate their long history and living spirituality. This experience was a relevant event for their future life linked to the Order of the Servites

Vidor ExperienceMonsignor Giovanni Battista Mander had gather in Vidor (Treviso) some young girls to form a community of religious to help him in his institutions: the boarding school for boys and the kindergarten. Elisa and Margherita were recommended by Father Giovanni M. Dalla Costa, to join this small community.

On February 11, 1891 the two moved to Vidor and joined the community of Monsignor Mander. The kindergarten, which before had much to be desired, is now in a stable situation, with the satisfaction of all the people, and the number of children is increasing from day to day.

The first request to the OrderOn October 15 she expressed her desire and dream to Fra Giovanni Angelo M. Pagliai, Secretary of the OSM Prior General as she wrote: “Our desire to become real servants of Our Lady of Sorrows is becoming more and more intense […] we hope that Our Lady of Sorrows would grant the fulfillment of our desires, since it was our constant aspiration to belong to an Order placed under her wonderful protection”.But unfortunately on November 3 they received the first refusal.The year 1892 marked the stage of the Religious Family Founded by Mo. Elisa Andreoli

Foundation Day

On July 12, 1900 the four sisters: MargheritaFerrarretto, Elisa Andreoli, AgneseVimercati and Carmela Regonesi, wearing the habit of the Tertiary of the Servants of Mary made the Profession with the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. This is celebrated as the Foundation Day of the Congregation.

Vidor the place of Foundation

The aggregation to the Order of the Servants of Mary

On January 19, 1910 the Lord offered to the community a great gift: the religious family was officially aggregated to the Order of the Servants of Mary as an autonomous Congregation by the new Prior General, Father Giuseppe M. Lucchesi, and with bishop of the diocese of AdriaMsgrBoggiani.

Mother Elisa received this news with a joy that cannot be measured as were 17 years that the sisters were praying to God and to Our Lady for this favor, 17 years that Elisa humbly was asking the General Fathers to be aggregated and 17 years that she wept for the negative replies.

As a sign of sincere gratitude to the Lord and Our Lady of Sorrows she asked to all the sisters of the Congregation to sing their Magnificat as a thanksgiving for the grace received.