Maria Bertilla Boscardin
| Saint Maria Bertilla Boscardin | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 6, 1888 Brendola, Veneto, Italy |
| Died | October 20, 1922 Treviso, Italy |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Beatified | June 8, 1952 by Pope Pius XII |
| Canonized | May 11, 1961 by Pope John XXIII |
| Major shrine | Vicenza, Veneto, Italy |
| Feast | October 20 |
Maria Bertilla Boscardin (1888–1922) was an Italian nun and nurse who displayed a pronounced devotion to duty in working with sick children and victims of the air raids of World War I. She was later canonised a saint by the Roman Catholic Church.
She was born Anna Francesca Boscardin at Brendola, Veneto. In her family and town she was known as Annette. She was a member of a peasant family. Her father, Angelo Boscardin, would testify during her beatification process that he was jealous, violent, and frequently drunk. As a child she could only attend school irregularly, as she was needed to help at home and in the fields. When she did attend school she also worked as a servant in a nearby home. She did not display any particular talents, was thought to be not particularly intelligent, and was often the target of insulting jokes. These included being referred to as a "goose" for her slowness by a local clergyman.
She was allowed to make her First Holy Communion at eight and a half years old, when the authorised age in those years was eleven. At twelve years old, she was accepted into the parish association of the “Children of Mary” association. The parish priest gave her a catechism as a gift. They found it in the pocket of her habit, when she died, at 34 years old.
After being rejected for admission to one order because of her slowness, she was accepted as a member of the Teachers of Saint Dorothy, Daughters of the Sacred Heart at Vicenza in 1904, taking the name "Maria Bertilla". She herself internalized some of her earlier criticism, telling the novice-mistress of the order, "I can't do anything. I'm a poor thing, a goose. Teach me. I want to be a saint." She worked there as a kitchen maid and laundress for three years.
She was then sent to Treviso to learn nursing at the municipal hospital there, which was under the direction of her order. During her training period, she was once placed to work in the kitchen. However, upon completing her training, she was promoted to working with victims of diphtheria in the hospital's children's ward. During the air raids of Treviso following the disastrous Battle of Caporetto, the hospital fell under the control of the military. Sister Bertilla was noted for her unwavering care of her patients, particularly those who were too ill to be moved to safety.
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