Mater Ecclesiae (
Mother of the Church Mother of the Church ( la, Mater Ecclesiae) is a title given to Mary in the Roman Catholic Church, as officially declared by Pope Paul VI in 1964. The title first appeared in the 4th century writings of Saint Ambrose of Milan, as rediscovered b ...
) Abbey ( it, Abbazia Mater Ecclesiae) is an Italian
Benedictine territorial abbey of
nuns founded in 1973.
The abbey is located on
Lake Orta in northern Italy, considered one of the most scenic sites in the country.
History
By 1973 the community of Benedictine nuns of the
Abbey of Viboldone
The Abbey of Viboldone is an abbey in Viboldone, a ''frazione'' of San Giuliano Milanese, in the province of Milan, northern Italy.
History
The abbey was founded in 1176 and completed in 1348 by the Humiliati, an order of monks, nuns and lay peop ...
, near
Milan, which had been established in 1941 to care for the needy children of wartime Italy, had grown to the point that they considered opening a new foundation. They were offered the facilities of the former
bishop's residence on
San Giulio Island
San Giulio Island or St. Julius Island ( it, Isola di San Giulio) is an island within Lake Orta in Piedmont, northwestern Italy. The island is long (north/south), and is wide (east/west). The most famous building on the island is the Basilic ...
for this, which they accepted.
Six nuns were chosen to undertake this enterprise, under the direction of Mother
Anna Maria Cànopi, O.S.B., who was appointed as the first
prioress of the new monastery. Within fifteen years the small community had expanded so much that new quarters were needed. They then transferred to the former
diocesan seminary in the centre of the little island, which was a massive complex built around 1840. At that time, the monastery was raised to the status of an
abbey, with Cànopi being elected as the community's first
abbess.
The community had grown to over 80 members by 1989, and it was decided to establish a new foundation. For this site, they chose the village of
Saint-Oyen, in the
Aosta Valley, where they opened the Monastery of Regina Pacis (Latin for
Queen of Peace). As of 2006, they numbered about fifteen nuns.
The community of Mater Ecclesiae has continued to flourish and today numbers about 100 nuns.
Crafts
The nuns of Mater Ecclesiae Abbey support themselves through their work in creating and repairing
liturgical vestments and accessories, in writing icons and making translations from German and French spiritual books. Through their research, they have developed a reputation for the quality of their restoration work with antique items.
Additionally, Cànopi, the abbess, has become a noted spiritual writer.
References
{{reflist
20th-century Christian monasteries
Benedictine nunneries in Italy
Christian organizations established in 1973
1973 establishments in Italy
Buildings and structures in Orta San Giulio
Territorial abbeys