150 YEARS OF THE NAZARETH SISTERS

In the footsteps of Blessed Frances Siedliska in Rome (50)

Sr. M. Beata Rudzińska, CSFN

The Quirinale (1880) – The Sacramentines

In Frances Siedliska’s diary, under the date of April 5, 1884, we find the following information: “(…) on the way, we stopped at the church of the Sacramentine Sisters, where the Blessed Sacrament is always exposed,” followed by a description of the spiritual experience and grace that the Foundress received. I tried to determine which place this was, but it was not easy because several religious orders were referred to simply as “Sacramentine Sisters” over the centuries and had churches with perpetual adoration in various parts of Rome. It was only Sister Gabriela’s note in the Chronicle that there were Sacramentine Sisters in the neighborhood of their house on the Quirinal Hill that led me to the right, I hope, clue.

The Perpetual Adorers of the Blessed Sacrament, popularly known as the Sacramentine Sisters, were founded by Catherine Sordini – Mary Magdalene of the Incarnation in 1807 in Rome. In 1839, they moved to the Church of St. Mary Magdalene on Via del Quirinale, practically opposite the seat of the King of Italy. The church was founded by the Roman aristocrat Magdalena Orsini in the 16th century, as was the adjacent convent of cloistered Dominican nuns, where their founder died in the reputation of sanctity in 1605. Magdalena collaborated with Philip Neri, with whom she founded “workshops for girls” on the Quirinal Hill. St. Philip was also a confessor and preacher at the convent of St. Mary Magdalene.

The peaceful life of the Sacramentine Sisters, devoted to work and worship, was interrupted by the Italian government’s decision to demolish the church and convent in order to enlarge the royal gardens on the Quirinal Hill. A similar fate befell the nearby convent of the Capuchin Poor Clares “Corporis Christi” with the church of St. Clare. The reason for these actions was the visit of the last king of Prussia and German emperor Wilhelm II, planned for October 1888. For the young Italian state, this was a visit of such importance that, in addition to the new gardens on the Quirinal Hill, the facades of buildings along the route were renovated, new monuments were erected, and streets were decorated.

Today, the Sacramentine Sisters (better known as the Adorers) continue their mission in nine countries. They have the most convents in Italy, and their home in Rome is now located on Via del Casaletto. Their distinctive red and white habit has changed little since the 19th century. Recently, we saw one of the Adorers, Sister Maria Gloria Riva, in the media. On June 9, she led a meditation for Pope Leo and the Roman Curia on the occasion of the Jubilee of the Holy See.

The relationship between the Nazareth Sisters and the Sacramentine Sisters must have been so close that after Antonina Zatorska’s death, even though the Nazareth Sisters no longer lived at the Quirinal Palace, Frances asked the Sacramentine Sisters to give a place in their tomb for her first deceased sister. Today, the tombs of both congregations in Campo Verano are next to each other, just as their houses on the Quirinal Hill were before.

Photos:
Blessed Mary Magdalene (Katarzyna Sordini) – Public domain
Achille Pinelli, Church of St. Mary Magdalene, 1834 (the painting depicts Dominican nuns who still lived there that year) – Public domain
Quirinal Gardens – the site of the Church of St. Mary Magdalene – CSFN
Monument to Charles Albert, King of Sardinia, father of Victor Emmanuel, first King of Italy – CSFN