| The Daughters of Charity...
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The doors of the new house in
San Zeno opened on 8 May 1808 and was almost immediately crowded to overflowing. Classes
were organised shortly after and subsequently, assistance to the sick. Magdalene appointed
a superior to take charge of running the house. Girls who came to the house were taught reading, writing and arithmetic, as well as receiving practical instruction in housework and handicraft. Special attention was given to religious formation and prayers. The benefits of Magdalene's work soon became apparent. The diocesan bishop wrote that the problems of immorality and non-religion in such an infamous district had largely been overcome through Magdalene's efforts. Magdalene's reputation soon spread to Venice. There two priests had just opened a charity school for boys, and invited Magdalene to Venice to start a similar one for girls. Magdalene accepted and spent several months in Venice as a guest of the noblewoman Loredana Tron Priuli, who became her great friend and benefactress. Besides training prospective teachers on the techniques of pedagogy, Magdalene frequently went along the Zattere to collect ragged, poor girls and invite them to attend her school. She went to the extent of entering the filthiest houses to persuade mothers to accept the providential offer. At the same time, Magdalene's acquaintance with members of Venetian society was to prove useful when she established the second house of the Daughters of Charity there. In the meantime, the Institute in Verona had threatened to split into two groups, with one group advocating the cloistered life and the other an apostolic one. Magdalene felt it was time to draw up the Rules of the Daughters of Charity. Magdalene based the Rules on her many mystical experiences animated by the unlimited love of Christ on the Cross. In 1812 the Institute in Venice was established in rented premises in the district of Santa Croce. Soon after they moved into an ex-Augustinian monastery in Santa Lucia that was donated by the State. In that same year, war broke out between France and Austria and Venice was besieged. No food found its way into the city and its population lived in abject fear of violence and disease. Sustained by intense faith, Magdalene and her companions did their utmost to help the sick although they themselves were lacking in almost everything. Magdalene insisted on having the privilege of looking after the most repellent of the sick. The war ended in 1814 and Magdalene returned to Verona, planning to expand the Institute to Milan. This goal was achieved in 1816. The Lord soon granted some great consolations to Magdalene. First was the Laudatory Brief of Pope Pius VII, with approval of the Institute. A little later the Imperial Government, at the request of the Bishop of Verona and Patriarch of Venice, granted civil recognition and authorisation for members of the Institute to wear the habit. Ecclesiastical approval was also given by Verona, Venice and Milan for the Rules of the Institute. Magdalene had truly become the Foundress of the Daughters of Charity after much work and suffering. |
| Promoter of the Laity
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Magdalene opened the house in
Bergamo in 1820. There she started a course to train young girls to teach in the
countryside. Magdalene was the first to promote education of the people and encourage the
collaboration of the laity in the apostolic mission of the Church. Magdalene also established the Spiritual Exercises for noblewomen. Through these exercises she hoped to stimulate the sanctity of the nobility and to stimulate in them a sense of charity towards the poor. Lay women were enrolled as Tertiaries of the Daughters of Charity. They met on a regular basis to discuss their plans for expanding the mission and to deal with special cases. It was through the Tertiaries that the mission was brought to the multitudes and a minimum standard of competence was maintained for the training of teachers and nurses. |
