Maria Anna Rosa Caiani

Blessed Maria Anna Rosa Caiani
Born	(1863-11-02)2 November 1863 Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City by Pope John Paul II
Feast	8 August
Attributes	Nun's habit
Patronage	Minim Sisters of the Sacred Heart

Maria Anna Rosa Caiani (2 November 1863 – 8 August 1921) was an Italian

.

Her beatification was celebrated on 23 April 1989.

Life

Maria Anna Rosa Caiani was born to Jacopo Caiani and Luisa Fortini on 2 November 1863 in Florence as the third of five children. Her siblings were all brothers including Gustavo (1868–1879) and Osea. She was baptized at Bonistallo in the Church of Santa Maria Assunta in Bonistallo. As a child she was called Marianna.

Younger brother Gustavo suffered a grave illness for less than a decade after suffering a hip fracture in 1872 and Caiani cared for him until his death at the age of eleven when she was sixteen in 1879. After the death of her brother she decided that - in a humble and charitable spirit - she wanted to care for others who required assistance. Her father died not long after in 1884 and her mother followed less than a decade after this in 1890.

but grew dissatisfied and left.

On 1 November 1891 she visited her sick aunt where she would later meet and become friends with Maria Fiaschi who was her junior of less than a decade. It was in 1893 that Giousè Menchi recommended Caiani that she go to a

In her hometown she founded her order on 15 December 1902 and named it the Minim Sisters of the Sacred Heart where she took a new religious name and progressed with five other new recruits. Bishop Mazzanti gave his permission for Caiani to establish her new congregation. In 1910 she sought the guidance of

With the establishment of her order she was made the Superior General and in the first general chapter in 1915 she was retained in her post.

She died on 8 August 1921 in Florence. After her death she left a total of 124 religious branches and 13 houses of the congregation. At present it has expanded to places such as Israel and Sri Lanka. Pope Pius XI approved her new congregation in 1926.

Beatification

The beatification process commenced in both Florence and

in 1985 for further evaluation of her life and virtues.

On 5 June 1986 she was proclaimed to be

.

The miracle required for her beatification was investigated in a diocesan process in Lucca and was validated on 7 March 1986. The Congregation for the Causes of Saints evaluated the miracle and received the approval of the pope. John Paul II beatified her on 23 April 1989.

The

Giovangiuseppe Califano.

References

External links

• Hagiography Circle