Pauline of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus, C.I.I.C. (December 16, 1865 – July 9, 1942), was an immigrant from

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

to Brazil, who became the foundress of the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the

Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception is the belief that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception. It is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church, meaning that it is held to be a divinely revealed truth w ...

religious sister A religious sister (abbreviated ''Sr.'' or Sist.) in the Catholic Church is a woman who has taken public vows in a religious institute dedicated to apostolic works, as distinguished from a nun who lives a cloistered monastic life dedicated to pr ...

s who serve the poor. She became the first female Brazilian to be proclaimed a saint by the Catholic Church, when she was

canonized Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christianity, Christian communion declaring a person worthy of Cult (religious practice), public veneration and enterin ...

on 19 May 2002 by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

. Pauline suffered from

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

for much of her life and is considered an "unofficial"

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...

of diabetics.

Life

Early life

She was born Amabile Lucia Visintainer on December 16, 1865, the second daughter of Antonio Napoleone Visintainer and Anna Pianezzer(en
Saint Paulina do Coração Agonizante de Jesus
at the Catholic Forum. in the town of

Vigolo Vattaro Vigolo Vattaro (''Vìgol'' in local dialect) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about southeast of Trento. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,985 and an a ...

, then in the

County of Tyrol The (Princely) County of Tyrol was an estate of the Holy Roman Empire established about 1140. After 1253, it was ruled by the House of Gorizia and from 1363 by the House of Habsburg. In 1804, the County of Tyrol, unified with the secularised pr ...

, part of

Austro-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

, now in Italy. Her ancestors were Germanic, who had settled in the region of Vigolo Vattaro as early as 1491, their surname being originally spelled Wiesenteiner. Like many others in the area, the Visintainer family was very poor but practising Catholics. In September 1875, the family, along with a hundred other people of the town, about a fifth of its population, emigrated to the State of Santa Catarina in Brazil, where they founded the village of Vigolo, now part of

Nova Trento Nova Trento is a municipality in the state of Santa Catarina in the South region of Brazil South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymolo ...

. She was known even at a youthful age for her piety and charity. From an early age she spoke of giving her life to God. She had very little intellectual education, but great love for the Catholic faith and for the suffering and poor. After receiving her

First Communion First Communion is a ceremony in some Christian traditions during which a person of the church first receives the Eucharist. It is most common in many parts of the Latin Church tradition of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Church and Anglican Communi ...

at about age 12, she began to participate in the life of the local

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

, teaching

catechism A catechism (; from grc, κατηχέω, "to teach orally") is a summary or exposition of doctrine and serves as a learning introduction to the Sacraments traditionally used in catechesis, or Christian religious teaching of children and adult c ...

to children, visiting the sick and cleaning the local

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...

Religious life

On 12 July 1890, Visintainer and her friend, Virginia Rosa Nicolodi, under the

spiritual direction Spiritual direction is the practice of being with people as they attempt to deepen their relationship with the divine, or to learn and grow in their personal spirituality. The person seeking direction shares stories of their encounters of the div ...

of a

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

priest, Luigi Rossi, committed their lives to religious service, under dedication to the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady. They began by caring for a woman suffering from terminal cancer, in a small house which was donated to the small community and the young girls began a schedule of religious living. After the woman's death the following year, they were joined by a third friend, Teresa Anna Maule. In 1895, Rossi and Visintainer, seeing the need for a more formal and secure organization of the young women coming to them, decided to establish a

religious congregation A religious congregation is a type of religious institute in the Catholic Church. They are legally distinguished from religious orders – the other major type of religious institute – in that members take simple vows, whereas members of religio ...

called the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, which was approved by José de Camargo Barros,

Bishop of Curitiba :''There is also a Diocese of Curitiba (and a Bishop of Curitiba) in the Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil.'' The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Curitiba ( la, Archidioecesis Curitibensis) is a Latin rite Metropolitan archdiocese in Paraná, s ...

. In December of that same year, the founding trio took

religious vows Religious vows are the public vows made by the members of religious communities pertaining to their conduct, practices, and views. In the Buddhism tradition, in particular within the Mahayana and Vajrayana tradition, many different kinds of re ...

. Visintainer took the

religious name A religious name is a type of given name bestowed for a religious purposes, and which is generally used in such contexts. Christianity Catholic Church Baptismal name In baptism, Catholic Church, Catholics are given a Christian name, which should ...

by which she is now known. The congregation, Brazil's first locally founded, grew quickly throughout the state, and in 1903 Pauline was elected their

Superior General A superior general or general superior is the leader or head of a religious institute in the Catholic Church and some other Christian denominations. The superior general usually holds supreme executive authority in the religious community, while t ...

for life. She moved from Nova Trento to Ipiranga,

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...

, where she opened a convent of the congregation in order to take care of orphans, the children of former slaves –

slavery Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

having been ended by the

Empire of Brazil The Empire of Brazil was a 19th-century state that broadly comprised the territories which form modern Brazil and (until 1828) Uruguay. Its government was a representative parliamentary constitutional monarchy under the rule of Emperors Dom Pe ...

only in 1888, and aged slaves who had been left to die because they could no longer work. In 1909 Pauline was removed from her position as Superior General by Duarte Leopoldo e Silva,

Archbishop of São Paulo In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdioc ...

, following a series of disputes within the congregation. She was sent to work with the sick at the Santa Casa and the elderly of the Hospice of St.

Vincent de Paul Vincent de Paul, CM (24 April 1581 – 27 September 1660), commonly known as Saint Vincent de Paul, was a Occitan French Catholic priest who dedicated himself to serving the poor. In 1622 Vincent was appointed a chaplain to the galleys. Afte ...

Bragança Paulista Bragança Paulista is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. The population is 170,533 (2020 est.) in an area of 512.6 km². The elevation is 817 m. The city is famous for its traditional sausages, with several establishments c ...

, without being able to assume an active role in her own congregation. She spent her spare time praying in support of the congregation. In 1918, with the permission of Archbishop Duarte, she was brought back by the Superior General, Vicência Teodora, to live at the General

Motherhouse A motherhouse is the principal house or community for a religious institute. It would normally be where the residence and offices of the religious superior In a hierarchy or tree structure of any kind, a superior is an individual or position at ...

of the congregation at Ipiranga, where she would remain until her death. Pauline was acknowledged as the "Venerable Mother Foundress", when the

Decree of Praise A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state (such as the president of a republic or a monarch), according to certain procedures (usually established in a constitution). It has the force of law. The particular term used for ...

was granted by

Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City fro ...

on 19 May 1933 to the Congregation of the Little Sisters, establishing it as one of

pontifical right In Catholicism "of pontifical right" is the term given to ecclesiastical institutions (religious and secular institutes, societies of apostolic life) either created by the Holy See, or approved by it with the formal decree known by the Latin nam ...

. Pauline's health began a long, slow decline in 1938, as she fought a losing battle with diabetes. In two operations, first her middle finger and then her right arm were amputated. She spent the last months of her life totally blind. On 9 July 1942 she died with the last words, "God's will be done".

Veneration

Pauline was

beatified Beatification (from Latin ''beatus'', "blessed" and ''facere'', "to make”) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their nam ...

on 18 October 1991, during his visit to

Florianópolis Florianópolis () is the capital and second largest city of the state of Santa Catarina, in the South region of Brazil. The city encompasses Santa Catarina Island and surrounding small islands, as well as part of the mainland. It has a populat ...

. For her beatification, three relics were made from the fingerbones of her remaining hand. One was given to Pope John Paul, the second to the convent where she had lived and is currently housed in the Shrine of St. Paulina in

, and the other to her relations, Albert Visintainer and his family of

Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania Mount Carmel is a borough in Northumberland County, located in the Coal Heritage Region of Central Pennsylvania's Susquehanna River Valley, United States. The population was 5,725 at the 2020 census. It is located 88 miles (141 km) north ...

, United States. This can be seen at the St. Pauline Visintainer Center in

Kulpmont, Pennsylvania Kulpmont is a borough in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,924 at the 2010 census. History The Borough of Kulpmont was incorporated August 24, 1915. Its development was aided by Monroe H. Kulp. Geography Ku ...

. Pope John Paul II later

Paulina on 19 May 2002 in a ceremony in

Saint Peter's Square Saint Peter's Square ( la, Forum Sancti Petri, it, Piazza San Pietro ,) is a large plaza located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the papal enclave inside Rome, directly west of the neighborhood (rione) of Borgo. Bot ...

, where she became the first Brazilian female saint. Hundreds of Brazilians, including then-President

Fernando Henrique Cardoso Fernando Henrique Cardoso (; born 18 June 1931), also known by his initials FHC (), is a Brazilian sociologist, professor and politician who served as the 34th president of Brazil from 1 January 1995 to 31 December 2002. He was the first Brazi ...

, attended the event."Brazil gets first female saint"

BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...

. May 19, 2002. Her feast day is July 9."St. Pauline of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus", Saints Resource, RCL Benziger

References

Literature

* (en) Frederick A. Farace, S.T.L., ''Love's Harvest: The Life of Blessed Pauline'', published 1994 (Milford, Ohio, USA: Faith Publishing Co., 1997) * (pt) Gesiel heodoro da SilvaJúnior, ''Madre Paulina – Uma holy passou por Avaré'' ne_Saint_just_for_Avaré.html" ;"title="Avaré.html" ;"title="ne Saint just for Avaré">ne Saint just for Avaré">Avaré.html" ;"title="ne Saint just for Avaré">ne Saint just for Avaré(Avaré, Brazil: Editions Gril, 2002) * (it) Célia B[astiana]. Cadorin, ''Essere per gli altri - Cronistoria di Madre Paolina del Cuore Agonizzante di Gesù'' [Be for others - Biography of Mother Pauline of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus] (Vigolo Vattaro, Trentino, Italy: ''Congregazione Piccole Suore dell'Immacola Concezione, Casa Madre Paolina'' ongregation of the Little Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, House of Mother Pauline 1989) * (it) Guido Lorenzi, ''La Beata Madre Paolina - fra carisma e obbedienza'' lessed Mother Pauline – Between Charisma and Obedience (Milan: Edizioni Àncora, 1991) * (it) Anonymous, ''Piccola storia di una grande Santa'' ittle Story of a Great Saint(Trento, Italy: ''Vita Trentina Editrice'' rentino Life Publishing 2002)

External links

* (en
Saint Paulina
at Catholic Forum {{DEFAULTSORT:Paulina 1865 births 1942 deaths People from Trentino Austro-Hungarian emigrants to Brazil Founders of Catholic religious communities Deaths from diabetes Burials in São Paulo (state) Beatifications by Pope John Paul II Canonizations by Pope John Paul II Brazilian Roman Catholic saints 19th-century Christian saints 20th-century Christian saints Christian female saints of the Late Modern era Venerated Catholics by Pope John Paul II 20th-century Brazilian Roman Catholic nuns 19th-century Brazilian Roman Catholic nuns