Canossian Daughters of Charity

The Canossian Daughters of Charity, Servants of the Poor is an international missionary congregation of women founded by St. Magdalene of Canossa, canonized in 1988. Our actions arise from our identity born of Christ crucified, the Greatest Love. We are called to journey in simplicity, sharing a common life at the service of our brothers and sisters on every continent. Through ministries of education and human promotion, evangelization and faith formation, and pastoral care among the suffering, we strive to touch each person with the love of God. Our motto is “to make Jesus known and loved,” especially to those most in need.

Magdalene of Canossa, canonized in 1988, was a woman of noble birth who ardently desired to live in service among her “beloved poor.”

In 1808, she gathered several companions to assist her in meeting the needs of the neglected in Verona, Italy. Since then, women and men inspired by her to serve as sisters, priests, brothers, lay missionaries, and volunteers have witnessed to the Greatest Love all over the world.

With the opening of the first Mission house in 1860, the Institute of Magdalene of Canossa has spread to Asia, North America, South America, Africa, Australia and Europe.

St. M

agdalene of Canossa - Our Foundress
Magdalene was born of the noble family of Canossa in Verona, Italy on March 1, 1774, to the Marquis Octavius Canossa and Teresa Szluha. The Canossa family would grow to include five children, one son and four daughters. Educated in the School of Faith and Sorrows, she chose to live for God alone, putting herself at the service of the poor, especially women, youth and children.

The Marchioness
When Magdalene was five, her father died in an accident. Two years later, Magdalene experienced another loss when her mother left the Canossa palace to marry the Marquis Zanetti of Mantua. The Canossa children were placed under the guardianship of their uncle, Marquis Jerome and a governess. The governess treated Magdalene badly, but Magdalene suffered with patience and offered silent prayers to Mary, Mother of Sorrows. She experienced a serious illness when she was 15 years old due to emotional problems relating to her losses. She eventually recovered but her health was impaired from that point on. In the tortured life of this young girl, God’s plan was unfolding. She recalled: “When I was five, I felt the call to become a nun.”

In 1791, at the age of 17, Magdalene entered a Carmelite convent in Verona but after eight months, she left because she found the cloister life was not for her. Once back home, Magdalene yearned again for convent life. She soon entered another Carmelite convent in the town of Treviso. After a short stay, she once again left and returned to Verona, and worked at the administration of the Canossa household.

At this point of history, Europe was overrun by Napoleon. There was chaotic fighting and Napoleon crossed the Alps and made a peaceful occupation of Italy. With the occupation came many orphans and wounded who had fled from their devastated villages. Magdalene emerged from the Canossa palace to help, and in collaboration with Fr. Nicholas Galvani of Verona, she ministered to the sick, the wounded, the orphans, and the hungry.

Magdalene then initiated a school of charity in the district of San Zeno, Verona, with the help of two other young women. While still living in the Canossa palace, she went daily to the school to teach, to assist in the classrooms, and to clean the street children who came there for shelter and education.

Magdalene wanted very much to leave her palace definitively but the Canossa’s dissuaded her by saying that the charity school was unsuitable for her status of Marchioness of Canossa. They agreed to let her leave when a proper locality was found. Magdalene negotiated with government authorities and acquired a former monastery of the Augustinian nuns, the Monastery of Sts. Joseph and Fidenzio, in the San Zeno district.

At 35 years old, Magdalene bade farewell to comfortable palace for the bare cell of the monastery. Several young women joined her charity mission.

In 1810, Magdalene was invited by Count Cavanis in Venice to help found a school of charity. She went to Venice to form young women teachers and gathered street children to give them formal and moral education. When this work was established, she returned to her Sisters in Verona.

In 1812, a house was given to her and her Sisters in Venice to start their own charity school. Later, with the increase of the number of children, the school was moved to the locality of St. Lucy Church. There, with the help of three young Sisters, she introduced the three branches of charity of the Canossian Daughters of Charity: assistance to the sick, parish catechesis and education of children.

In 1816, Magdalene founded her third house in Milan with the help of faithful friend. Two other young Sisters joined her there to start the three branches of ministry of the Institute.

In 1820, a fourth house was founded in Bergamo. At that time, Magdalene met a young seminarian by the name of Anthony Rosmini. She was very much impressed by the virtue emanating from him and he agreed to help her in forming a congregation of “The Sons of Charity” for the education of boys.

The Saint
On December 23, 1828, Pope Leo XII gave approval of the rules of “The Daughters of Charity.”

In early 1835, in weak health, she made final visits to the convents in Bergamo and Brescia. Magdalene then returned to Verona and on April 10, 1835, she died at the age of 61. The little flock of Magdalene slowly continued to grow in Italy and around the world.

In 1860, under the leadership of Mother Luigia Grassi, the first Sisters sailed the seas for the far East, Hong Kong and China, the first of the numerous Canossian Missions around the world.

St. Josephine Bakhita – Canossian Daughter of Charity “The Universal Sister”
StBakhita

On October 1, 2000 – Pope John Paul II, canonized a Canossian Sister from Africa, Saint Josephine Bahkita. Since then, this holy woman of faith and forgiveness has been interceding for many, especially those who are sick, those who are in any form of slavery, and those who need to find peace, forgiveness and reconciliation in their lives. If you know someone who needs this kind of powerful intercessor, why not ask her?

Josephine Bakhita was born in Sudan in 1869 and died in Schio (Italy) in 1947. This African flower, who knew the anguish of kidnapping, slavery and torture, bloomed marvelously in Italy, in response to God’s grace, close to the Daughters of Charity.

Bakhita, which means “fortunate one,” is the name given her by her kidnappers. Sold and resold in the markets of El Obeid and Khartoum, she experienced the humiliations and the sufferings of slavery, physical, mental and moral.

Fortunately, Bakhita encountered a good owner, who didn’t use the lash when giving orders and treated her in a loving and cordial way. She later celebrated the sacraments of Christian Initiation and was given the name, Josephine, on January 9, 1890. Bakhita joined the religious institute of the Daughters of Charity of Canossa on December 8, 1896.

On May 17, 1992, Josephine Bakhita was beatified by Pope John Paul II. She was proclaimed Saint on October 1, in the Jubilee year 2000.