Preface of Our Foundress
to the Rule approved by Pope Leo XII,
on December 23, 1828
God in His Divine Goodness was pleased to single out this humble Institute in Verona in the year 1808. The weak instrument which He chose to use for this purpose was not yet fully aware of His Divine plans.
Coming into existence as a private endeavour and following the guidance of Divine Providence, the Institute spread little by little first to Venice, then to Milan and Bergamo.
Almost without thinking about it, one would say that coincidence and circumstances led the writer to obtain a sound establishment for it to ensure its existence.
The small efforts made by the writer were blessed by the mercy of the Lord. With the approval of the Sovereign and the Government, the Institute was canonically erected by both the Bishops of Venice and Verona, in the year 1819, and subsequently in Bergamo in 1820, in Milan in 1823 and finally in Trent in 1828.
In keeping with its name of Daughters of Charity, this Institute, from the very beginning, had Charity as its aim. In order to give charity its rightful priority the Institute chose the sanctification of its members as its first object, placing before them together with the fulfilment of the two Precepts of Charity, the special imitation of Jesus Crucified. Therefore, the Rules within this Institute are based on the practice of those virtues which radiated from Christ on the Cross.
As far as the practice of Charity towards our neighbour is concerned, the writer devoted herself to help those whose needs could be considered as the greatest at the time the Institute began.
These needs are the education and care of the poor young people through free schools and instruction; keeping the girls piously occupied and recollected on feast days, seeing to it that they adhere to the teaching of the Church, not only by instructing them in schools but also by taking them to the Doctrine classes in the Parish: assisting women in our houses and encouraging them also to attend the Parish Doctrine classes.
To render more help to the latter, the Institute took up visits to sick women in the hospitals. These were comforted, instructed, and as far as possible helped to receive the Sacraments with the right dispositions and to die a Christian death or, if God restored them to health, to be better grounded in the holy fear of God.
To facilitate the spreading of similar openings in the countryside, it was decided to receive young country-girls of good moral standing to be educated in the house of the Institute, so that, after being trained as teachers, they would, in their own villages, take care of the young and serve their Parishes in the teaching of Christian Doctrine.
Finally, since Charity does not exclude any category of persons and also to establish better the work mentioned above, the Institute began to receive those ladies who were willing to make their Spiritual Exercises in its houses. By making their retreats with the Daughters of Charity, they would easily become more interested in the welfare of the hospitals, attendance at Christian Doctrine, and in their villas and estates they would support the peasant girls, trained in the Institute, in what they were doing for the Divine Service.
These then are the objectives. They have been explained in order to make known the aim which the Institute has to attain with God's help. Therefore, while proposing these same objectives to all those called to embrace the Institute, we present also in the following Rules, the means that we believe are suitable to reach them.
May the Lord, through Our Lady of Sorrows, to whom the Institute is humbly dedicated, grant to those whom it has pleased Him to call and all those whom He will call to the Institute in the future, its true Spirit, so that they may fulfil its aim and bear fruits of charity for the greater glory of God, for their own sanctification and for the good of their neighbours.
Magdalene of Canossa, FDCC.
A FAREWELL LETTER OF MAGDALENE OF CANOSSA TO HER DAUGHTERS 16-01-1835
This is a farewell letter, the spiritual testament of the Mother Foundress, written at Bergamo on 16 January, 1835, scarcely three months before her holy death.
Foreseeing her imminent departure, to her companions, whose humble sister she considered herself, Magdalene confides the opposing feelings of her heart: on one side her ardent desire to be with her Crucified Love and on the other her fear in having to face Christ as judge.
Such contrasting sentiments she finally overcomes, as usual with her, through a perfect abandonment in God's mercy.
Magdalene is full of affection for her companions, present and future: to all she promises unceasing protection. What had constituted her happiness in life, namely "God alone" and his glory becomes now the source of her contentment in death.
To all her daughters who remain behind to work in the Lord's vineyard, she recommends obedience and humility to realize fraternal charity, and a preferential love for her beloved poor.
Bergamo 16 January, 1835.
To my dearest Sisters in Jesus Christ of all the houses existing in the Institute.
Finding myself in a state of physical exhaustion and, therefore, in the sweet expectation to pass very soon from this valley of tears to be closely united with my Crucified Love, which I hope through His infinite merits, permit me, dear Sisters, to leave you in writing a proof of my sincere attachment and of my profound appreciation and gratitude for all the goodness you have always shown me during all the time I had the good fortune to live in your midst.
Thank you, first of all for the wonderful lessons of Christian perfection and of religion, too, which you have given me.
How sorry I am, at this last moment of my earthly life, to have taken so little advantage of it! I beg your pardon with all my heart for such little profit on my part! Again, I beg your pardon with all my heart, and I entreat your forgiveness, for the love of Jesus Christ, for all the bad examples I have given you through my poor observance and the lack of virtue I displayed in my actions.
Truly, my dear Sisters, I tremble at the thought of having soon to appear before the terrible tribunal of God where, I am fully aware, all shall be weighted with equity and justice.
My dear Sisters, it is without exaggeration that I confess that my sins are many and that grievous was my ingratitude to so many of God's benefits! My only comfort is the Lord's infinite mercy, and the clemency of our most holy Mother Mary. Her having never forsaken me in life gives me full hope that she will also intercede for me with her Divine Son at that extreme moment on which depends my eternal salvation.
My dear Sisters, you have loved me: you have shown this love in a multiplicity of ways, also by your untiring charity during my prolonged illnesses, especially my last.
Unable to show you my gratitude, I heartily beg of the Lord abundantly to reward you filling you with his most copious spiritual and temporal blessings. More than ever I ask Him at present and all those who, at any time, will embrace our Institute.
If god gives me grace to go and enjoy Him in heaven. I promise never to forget you till I see you in my company.
To enjoy this happiness, however, I need your charity. You know my great fear of purgatory: more than the pains attached to it. What frightens me is the prospect of being, I wonder for how long, owing to my sins. Separated from the One I love, and to be rejected by Him at the very hour I try to be joined with Him.
Therefore, my dearest Sisters, I beg you have pity on me, and with your customary charity, free me from purgatory through your suffrage. Offer your good works on behalf of my soul, together with the recitation of a thousand Requiems, the offering of Requiems, the offering of seven Holy Communion, seven Ways of the Cross, and seven Masses. It is understood that, in omitting them, you do nothing wrong.
I end by entreating you to work fervently in the vineyard of the good God. How happy you will be, my dear sisters, at the moment of your death, if you now seek, with all your heart, your Spouse Jesus and his glory
Would that I had done so! Unfortunately must humble myself before Him for all the good I could have performed, and omitted to perform through my negligence.
Dearest Sisters, love your rules! All of them, without any exception, are directed to your greater spiritual good, to God's glory and to the benefit of your fellowmen.
Observe them with love and diligence. I beseech you, be charitable enough to make up, through your exact observance, for my many faults which now displease me so very much! Have no doubt that for this, too, you will receive your reward.
Choose, dear Sisters, the shortest and surest road to paradise, which is obedience.
Have a big heart, and do not be afraid to omit, because of obedience, any good work or to take up any other, even though it might appear difficult and harsh to you nature. The Lord will not fail to assist you and, at long last, you will win a glorious victory.
To encourage you in the exercise of such a beautiful virtue, let me tell you, my dear Sisters, that in all my life I never repented of having obeyed, while, all the times when, even for a while, I departed from it, owing to my poor virtue, I had good reason to feel sorry, and I now know for sure that I must give an account to God.
I also urge I also urge you to love humility. Let each one of you hold herself as the last in the house. Going still further, let each one act as if she Sisters, dealing with one another with the greatest deference, cordiality and charity. If you do this, believe me, you will enjoy an anticipated heaven in this world, and will surely reach the goal of your holy desires. Forgive me for my length!
I recommend to you, to the best of my ability, my beloved poor. For God's sake, see that one day they may all enjoy the Lord, and this through your holy instructions, your prayers, your charity and hardships, always, however, directed by obedience to your Superiors.
Good-by dear Sisters, I leave you all in the most holy heart of Mary, Mother of Sorrows and our beloved mother.
My wish is that God enkindle your heart with his holy and divine love!
Au-revoir, once again. I hope to see you all in heaven!
Your most affectionate sister in J.C.,
Magdalene of Canossa, FDCC.