Maria Carlotta Fontana

On December 7, 1886, Maria Carlotta made her first religious profession within the nascent community, taking the name Sister Gaetana del Santissimo Sacramento. The founder, Don Boccardo, discerning her human and spiritual qualities, appointed her vice-superior and mistress of novices on February 25, 1888, when she was only 18 years old. On May 3, 1888, she received the religious habit with the first companions. Shortly after, she contracted typhoid fever but managed to recover. On May 18, 1890, Don Giovanni Maria Boccardo officially announced the constitution of the congregation of the Poor Daughters of Saint Cajetan (Povere Figlie di San Gaetano), placed under the patronage of Saint Cajetan of Thiene. On November 15, 1893, at only 23 years old, Sister Gaetana was appointed superior of the hospice of Pancalieri and first Superior General of the congregation. Under her leadership, the institute developed rapidly. Between 1900 and 1911, more than twenty new houses were opened in Italy (notably in Grugliasco, Piasco, Verzuolo, Manta, and Caraglio). The sisters dedicated themselves to the assistance of the elderly, the sick, and aged or infirm priests. Mother Gaetana personally watched over her sisters through regular visits, letters, and spiritual exhortations. She also did not hesitate to close eleven houses that no longer corresponded to the goals of the congregation or that encountered insurmountable difficulties. In 1911, the founder Don Giovanni Maria Boccardo was struck by paralysis. After his death in 1913, his brother, Canon Luigi Boccardo, took over the spiritual direction of the congregation. Mother Gaetana collaborated closely with him to consolidate the institute and welcome elderly priests into the hospice. In 1928, the motherhouse of the congregation was transferred from Pancalieri to Turin. Mother Gaetana led the congregation for 35 years. During the chapter of 1928, declared ineligible for canonical reasons, she left her place to Mother Guglielmina Barbero. She then became general councilor and superior of the house of Pancalieri, returning to a simple life of service to the sick. In November 1934, she was again elected Superior General by the chapter, but she refused the office due to her physical weakening.

On March 7, 1935, the first symptoms of a serious illness appeared. Doctors diagnosed her with paralytic ileus. She endured great suffering with patience and resignation, uniting herself to the Passion of Christ. She passed away on March 25, 1935, the day of the Annunciation, at the hospice of Pancalieri, at the age of 65. Her final words, spoken before her confessor, were: "Gesù, tutto per te, tutto per te, per il bene della Comunità" (Jesus, all for you, all for you, for the good of the Community). Initially buried in the cemetery of Pancalieri, her remains were transferred ten years later, on October 2, 1945, to the chapel of the hospice of the Poor Daughters of Saint Gaetan in Pancalieri, where she rests alongside Blessed Giovanni Maria Boccardo.

The cause for the beatification of Maria Carlotta Fontana was introduced in the Archdiocese of Turin. The diocesan inquiry took place from July 23, 1996, to November 22, 2000. The legal validity of this inquiry was recognized by a decree of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on July 6, 2001. On July 8, 2014, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing the heroic nature of her virtues, thereby conferring upon her the title of Venerable.

The spirituality of Mother Gaetana Fontana rests on an absolute trust in Divine Providence, following the example of Saint Gaetan, and on a deep love for the Eucharist. Nicknamed "the mother who carried the sun" by her contemporaries, she was distinguished by her constant joy, her gentleness, and her attentive charity toward the poorest, whom she served with infinite respect. She exhorted her sisters to unity, patience, and love for the poor, affirming that "all souls are equal before God." Today, the congregation of the Poor Daughters of Saint Gaetan continues its work of assistance to the elderly and the sick, not only in Italy, but also in other countries such as Argentina and Togo.