Saint Mary Mazzarello

Co-foundress of the Salesian Sisters

2. Mornese is the birthplace of Mary Domenica Mazzarello, where
she spent 42 years of her life.
Mornese was an open door,
that enlarged her heart to the horizons of the entire world.

3. Mary Domenica, lived her youth with
intensity, in this beautiful place steeped in
silence, in the colour of the vinyards at the
side of a farmhouse.
At this school of
silence she
learned the
precious value of
life…

4. …she learned to weave a life
of profound rapport with
God…
…she learned to open the mind and
the heart to welcome everyone.

5. A little window on the
west side of the
farmyard: “an eye of
fire” that would burn
for love of the horizon
beyond.
Here Mary Domenica
had chosen to close
her days of intense
work and sacrifice.

6. In the evening she used
to go to the window
from where she could
faintly see the light of
the Tabernacle,
and she gathered all the familes in
her prayer.

7. how to comtemplate along with her brothers and
sisters. On leaving for the Parish in the morning
she used to carry along the work of the day, her
co-workers and her experiences in the vineyard.
Here at Valponasca, where only the wind blew in all
directions to break the silence,
Mary Domenica learned

8. The parish witnessed the
birth, the nurturing and
the blossoming of the
holiness of Mary
Domenica.
Here at the school of Fr. Pestarino, she learned the way of
intimacy with God, such that she could say, after her sickness,
the prayer that sustained her througout her life:
““Lord, if you give me a little more time to live,Lord, if you give me a little more time to live,
let me be forgotten by all, so that I will be happy in let me be forgotten by all, so that I will be happy in
the knowledge that I am remembered by YOU only.”the knowledge that I am remembered by YOU only.”

9. Before the church door,
Mary used to remain
kneeling even in the cold
of winter, waiting for it
to be opened.
The tiring morning
pilgrimage to the parish in
order to participate in the
celebration of the Eucharist
testifies to her desire to
become more Christ-like and
to participate in His
redemptive love.

10. The main altar was the converging point of Mary’s young
aspirations.
From here she drew the strength and the love to enrich her work in
the vineyard and in the joyful activity among children of the village.

11. The tabernacletabernacle:
a point of reference of the morning and
evening encounter with Christ and the
centre of all existence.
It is really this staying in the presence of God that allowed
Mother Mazzarello to unite all of her being to the Lord: to
receive the gift of wisdom, to open up to the experience of
divine mystery, to encounter the divine with familiarity, to
see the human condition from God’s point of view.

12. One day as she passed the
Borgoalto hillock, she suddenly
saw before her a set of buildings
that appeared to be an institute
filled with numerous young
women. She stopped to look.
Full of amazement, she said to
herself: “I have never seen
anything like this before? This
building never existed here.
What’s happening?” And she
heard a voice saying:

13. On On 7 October 7 October
18641864
DDon Boscoon Bosco
came to Mornesecame to Mornese
The Daughters of the
Immaculate were happy, but
none responded as Mary did.
She said to them:
““Don Bosco is a Don Bosco is a
saint and I feel it!”saint and I feel it!”
All the people came to meet
him, preceded by the parish
priest and by Fr. Pestarino.

14. The Institute Don Bosco envisioned
for the youth of Mornese
was established after much hard
work and sacrifice. It was the first
house of Mary Mazzarello and her
companions.

15. On 5 August 18725 August 1872
in the little chapel of the Institute “the
Veni Creator Spiritus is intoned.
The 14 fortunate ones move up to kneel
before the altar carrying on their arms
their new religious habit. They are
dress well and their eyes sparkle with
joy.
The voice of Mary Domenica
Mazzarello, full of emotion yet
determined, is heard:
“I am, Sr. Mary Domenica
Mazzarello (…)
I make the vow to to be
chaste, poor and obedient (…)
”.

16. It is Don Bosco’s turn to speak:
All that we are and all the
good we have done is through
the assistance of
Mary Help of Christians.
I therefore wish that you be a
living monument of gratitude
to her benign Motherliness.
Yes, this monument is
The Daughters of The Daughters of
Mary Help of Mary Help of
ChristiansChristians

17. In the courtyard of the Institute is a little
well, a symbol of a life of poverty and
sacrifice, one that is limpid and joyful.
Around this well, Sr. Mary Domenica Mazzarello
often stopped the sisters and girls of the Institue in order to offer
them refreshing water, but more, her maternal goodness. She
did this in her characteristic way and at the opportune moment.

18. GO GO
FORTH!
FORTH!
“At Mornese all wanted to be missionaries and
many asked to be sent.”
“We wanted to build a kind of Mornese… but at
times we had to struggle with poverty, with the
language, with the suspicion of the people.”
Mother Mazzarello would encourage us from afar:
“A little at a time and you will do much.”

19. THE SPIRIT OF MORNESETHE SPIRIT OF MORNESE
Great obedience, simplicity, faithfulness to the Holy Rule;Great obedience, simplicity, faithfulness to the Holy Rule;
Admirable meditation and silence;Admirable meditation and silence;
A spirit of prayer and of mortification, candour and innocence;A spirit of prayer and of mortification, candour and innocence;
Fraternal charity in conversation, joy and serene cheerfulnessFraternal charity in conversation, joy and serene cheerfulness
which seemed like a place in Paradaise.which seemed like a place in Paradaise.
Only God and his love was thought of and was talked about,Only God and his love was thought of and was talked about,
There was love for Mary, St. Joseph and the Guardian Angel,There was love for Mary, St. Joseph and the Guardian Angel,
and work was always done under their sweet protection,and work was always done under their sweet protection,
as if they were actually present. There was no other aim.as if they were actually present. There was no other aim.
O how beautiful that life was!O how beautiful that life was!