Caterina Dominici

On April 29, 1861, at only 32 years of age, Sister Maria Enrichetta was elected the second Superior General of the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Anne, succeeding Mother Maria degli Angeli. She would assume this heavy responsibility for nearly thirty-three years, until her death, becoming the true consolidator of the institute. Under her generalate, the congregation experienced remarkable development, growing from 12 to 33 houses and from a few dozen religious to 290 sisters in 1894. She oversaw major projects, notably the construction of the large Motherhouse complex in Turin, inaugurated in 1879, as well as the opening of school centers in Rome and Sicily. Faithful to the charism of the founders, she oriented the institute toward the education of youth, the reception of orphans, and service to the most destitute. She also opened the congregation to the missionary dimension ad gentes. In February 1871, she fulfilled a childhood dream by sending the first six missionaries of the institute to Secunderabad (today Hyderabad), in India. In October 1879, she herself undertook the journey to India to visit and support these first missionary foundations. Furthermore, her wisdom and spiritual rigor impressed her contemporaries. She collaborated closely with great figures of Turinese holiness, notably Saint John Bosco. In 1873, the latter sought her advice and help for the drafting of the rules and the formation of the first Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (the Salesian Sisters) in Mornese.

In 1890, Mother Maria Enrichetta's health began to decline following the onset of breast cancer. Despite intense physical suffering, she strove to hide her ailment in order to continue fulfilling her duties as Superior General. It was only in November 1893 that the worsening of her illness forced her to become permanently bedridden and to abandon the active leadership of the institute. She spent her final months in an attitude of heroic patience and total abandonment to the divine will. She passed away at the Motherhouse in Turin on February 21, 1894, at the age of 64. Her final words addressed to her sisters were a pressing appeal to the virtue that had guided her entire life: "Humility! Humility!". In 1926, her mortal remains were solemnly transferred to the chapel of the Motherhouse of the Sisters of Saint Anne in Turin, located near the Consolata sanctuary.

The cause for the beatification of Caterina Dominici opened at the diocesan level in Turin with an informative process conducted from 1929 to 1931. The cause was officially introduced in Rome on April 4, 1943, under the pontificate of Pius XII. On February 1, 1975, Pope Paul VI signed the decree recognizing the heroic nature of her virtues, thereby conferring upon her the title of Venerable.

A miracle attributed to her intercession was formally examined by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. It concerned the sudden and inexplicable healing of a young child, which occurred in 1947 in Turin. This miracle was officially approved by a decree from Pope Paul VI on July 7, 1977.

The beatification ceremony was celebrated by Pope Paul VI on May 7, 1978, in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican. Her liturgical memorial is set for February 21, the day of her birth into heaven.

The spirituality of Blessed Maria Enrichetta Dominici rests on an absolute filial trust in Divine Providence. She loved to address God by familiarly calling Him "Babbo buono" (Good Papa), affirming with strength: "God is a good Papa, He knows everything, He can do everything, and He loves me." This certainty of being loved by God allowed her to overcome the wound of paternal abandonment from her childhood and to live in constant inner peace.

Her spiritual life was also centered on the contemplation of the crucified Christ and the Eucharist. She wrote in her religious profession resolutions: "I will often make my dwelling in the Garden of Olives and on Mount Calvary, where one receives very important and very useful lessons." She advocated for a holiness of the everyday, made of small actions performed with immense love.

Today, the legacy of the Blessed is perpetuated through the action of the Sisters of Saint Anne. The congregation has developed widely internationally and counts numerous communities in Italy, Switzerland, Cameroon, Argentina, Peru, Mexico, Brazil, the United States, the Philippines, and particularly in India, where it has more than a hundred houses of education and assistance.