Saint Who?
Saints Who Promoted the Rosary
Saint Rosa Venerini
Laywoman († 1728)Feast: May 7
Rosa Venerini was born in Italy in 1656. Around age twenty, she entered a Dominican community. But her father died suddenly, so she returned home to help her mother. Here she soon began a small rosary group, inviting women to her house to pray.
The rosary group became the point of discovery for her life’s work. In these meetings she realized the young women in attendance were woefully ignorant. With life’s heavy burdens to carry, they did not know their faith or even how to pray. Rosa and some friends decided to do something. Ringing a bell in the streets, they invited the girls and young women of Viterbo to come for catechism class, prayer, and instruction in practical skills, reading, and writing. She soon opened the first public school for girls in Italy.
Though her methods were criticized as unconventional, she had great success in transforming the character of her students. She went on to establish over forty schools. Her group of teachers grew into a quasi-religious community, known as the Pious Teachers. When Pope Clement XI visited her school in Rome, he remarked, “with these schools you will sanctify Rome.” After her death, the community would become a formal religious congregation. She was canonized by Benedict XVI in 2006.
Beloved Father, may the rosary lead me
through life’s sorrows to your full
and beautiful plan for my life.
