Maria Teresa Spinelli

After the death of her mother in 1820, Maria Teresa moved with her father to her brother's home, near the church of Santa Maria in Monticelli, served by the Doctrine Fathers. It was there that she was guided by Father Pietro Castelnuovo. While she was suffering from a serious illness (ulcerative colitis), her spiritual director urged her to ask for the intercession of the Venerable César de Bus, founder of the Doctrine Fathers. Praying simultaneously with the priest, she was suddenly and completely healed.

On November 1, 1820, during a spiritual vision, she felt a pressing call to dedicate herself to the evangelization and education of poor young girls. The Doctrine Fathers placed parish premises at her disposal where she began to teach catechism and basic school subjects. In May 1821, as she was considering returning to Ferentino, she perceived an inner voice telling her: "It is not in Ferentino that I want you, but in Frosinone."

Following this advice, she settled in Frosinone in 1821. On October 8 of the same year, in agreement with the municipality and accompanied by three other teachers, she opened the first public elementary school for girls in the city. To meet the needs of the population, she quickly expanded the work by adding a boarding school, a workshop for embroidery and artificial flowers, as well as catechism activities for adults and preparation for the sacraments. Given the success of her enterprise, the municipality granted her the church and the former convent of Sant'Agostino.

Desirous of giving a stable and consecrated structure to this group of educators, Maria Teresa founded, on September 23, 1827, a religious community dedicated to prayer and teaching. She and her companions took their vows and received the habit under the name of "Serve di Gesù e Maria" (Servants of Jesus and Mary). In 1831, the institute was officially aggregated to the Order of Saint Augustine, taking the name of "Augustinian Sisters Servants of Jesus and Mary."

In 1835, Maria Teresa had to face a new family trial: her daughter Maria Domenica, who had become a Benedictine nun in Veroli, was sent away from her monastery due to a serious mental illness. The foundress welcomed her into her community and cared for her with heroic devotion until her death in 1846. In 1838, to unite herself more intimately with the sufferings of Christ, Maria Teresa made the vows of the "most perfect" and of "victim." She passed away in Frosinone on January 22, 1850, after having dedicated her life to the Christian education and human advancement of young girls.

From the moment of her death, Maria Teresa Spinelli left a profound reputation for holiness among the population of Frosinone and her religious companions. Her life, marked by successive and painful trials—domestic violence, abandonment, poverty, her daughter's illness, and the demands of founding a new work—was lived in total abandonment to Divine Providence. She knew how to sanctify every state of life she passed through (wife, single mother, lay worker, religious, and founder) with heroic strength of soul and patience.

The cause for the beatification of Maria Teresa Spinelli was officially introduced in the Diocese of Frosinone-Veroli-Ferentino. The diocesan inquiry took place from September 17, 1982, to February 27, 1997. The legal validity of this inquiry was recognized by a decree from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on February 20, 1998. The Positio, a summary document on her life and virtues, was published in 2008. After a favorable review by historical consultants and theologians, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing the heroic nature of her virtues on October 10, 2016, thereby conferring upon her the official title of Venerable. The process is currently ongoing with a view to the recognition of a miracle attributed to her intercession, which is necessary for her beatification.

The spirituality of Maria Teresa Spinelli is deeply Christocentric and Marian, nourished by the Rule of Saint Augustine. She developed a true "pedagogy of love," convinced that education must come through friendship, respect for the dignity of each student, and dialogue, rather than through coercion. She also introduced in Frosinone a fervent devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, whose statue was displayed in the church of Sant'Agostino starting in 1829, establishing a solemn annual procession on September 8. Today, the Augustinian Sisters Servants of Jesus and Mary continue the educational and pastoral work of their founder in Italy and throughout the world (notably in Malta, India, Australia, and Africa). On July 5, 2025, Pope Francis praised their fidelity to the charism of the Venerable Maria Teresa Spinelli, encouraging them to form wise minds and hearts capable of listening at the school of the "Interior Master."