Saint Rosa Venerini – 7 May – Saint Of The Day In Sacred Art
Saint Rosa Venerini. An Italian religious educator and a nun. The first in Italy to found public girls’ schools and to make to found a religious institute for women. The first to it raise the awareness of teaching as a professional activity for women. Canonized in 2006.
Rosa Venerini was born in 1656 in Viterbo (Papal States at that time). As a child, little Rosa wanted to become a nun but at the age of 20 she accepted a marriage proposal. Her fiancé died and, on the advice of her father, Venerini entered the Dominican monastery of St Catherine where her aunt was a nun. The say at the monastery was brief because of the the death of Rose’s father. She had to return home to care for her mother and three siblings.
The streak of family tragedies continued with the death of her brother and then her mother. This is when Rosa began inviting local women to her house to recite the rosary. These meetings with women became the reason for her to think about education for girls. Under the spiritual guidance of the Jesuits, she decided to devote herself to education and the Christian upbringing of young girls.
In 1685 Rosa opened the first in Italy public school for girls in Italy. It was a success. When the fame of the girls’ schools grew, Venerini began to improve the school system and help train teachers.
In 1716, Pope Clement XI visited one of the schools and afterwards made a following statement to Venerini: “Signora Rosa, you are doing something that we cannot do. We thank you because with these schools you will sanctify Rome.” From that moment on, governors and cardinals began to approach Venerini with requests to open schools in other areas. At the time of her death in 1728 (she was 72), Venerini had opened more than forty schools.
Rosa Veneirni has also founded a female religious institute of pontifical right, the Maestre Pie Venerini (M.PV).
Iconographic Symbols – the rosary, a book, lilies and Jesuit robe.
