Rose Venerini

Saint Rose Venerini, M.P.V.
Foundress and pioneer in the education of women
Religious and teacher
Born	February 9, 1656 Viterbo, Papal States
Died	May 7, 1728 (aged 72) Rome, Papal States
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church (Venerini Sisters)
Beatified	May 4, 1952 by Pope Pius XII
Canonized	15 October 2006 by Pope Benedict XVI
Major shrine	Maestre Pie Venerini, Via Giuseppe Gioachino Belli 31, 00193 Rome, Italy
Feast	May 7

Rosa Venerini, M.P.V., (February 9, 1656 – May 7, 1728) was a pioneer in the education of women and girls in 17th-century Italy and the foundress of the Religious Teachers Venerini (Italian: Maestre Pie Venerini), a Roman Catholic religious institute of women, often simply called the Venerini Sisters. She was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on October 15, 2006.

Venerini was born in Viterbo, Italy, in 1656, then a part of the Papal States. Her father, Goffredo, originally from Castelleone di Suasa, Ancona, after having completed his medical studies at Rome, moved to Viterbo where he practiced at the major hospital of the city. He became noted for his work. From his marriage to Marzia Zampichetti, of an ancient family of the city, four children were born: Domenico, Maria Maddalena, Rosa and Orazio.

According to her first biographer, Father Girolamo Andreucci, S.J., Venerini made a vow to consecrate her life to God at the age of seven. At age twenty, though, Rosa had questions about her own future and chose to accept an offer of marriage; her fiancé, however, died shortly after this.

In the autumn of that year, on the advice of her father, Venerini entered the Dominican Monastery of St. Catherine, where her aunt was a member of the monastery. She remained in the monastery for only a few months, however, because the sudden death of her father forced her to return to care for her mother. Her brother, Domenico, then died at 27. A few months later, worn out by grief, her mother also died. In the meantime, Rose's sister Maria Maddalena married. There remained at home only Orazio and Rosa, by now 24 years old. Rosa began to gather girls and women of the area in her own home to recite the rosary.