Santina Maria Addolorata

On April 11, 1929, in Acaya (municipality of Vernole), Santina De Pascali founded, with three young companions, the Congregation of the Sisters Disciples of the Sacred Heart. The institute was born in poverty and simplicity, with the mission of praying for the sanctification of the clergy, the salvation of souls, and dedicating itself to works of charity, particularly for orphans, the poor, and the elderly. The foundress gave her community the motto "to love, to suffer, and to work" with the Heart of Jesus. Under her leadership, the sisters adopted a rigorous lifestyle, punctuated by work and contemplative prayer, notably Eucharistic adoration. Mother Santina insisted that her religious sisters place themselves at the service of parishes and practice begging in order to remain in direct contact with the population and to share the condition of the most humble. On May 20, 1939, she was officially elected Superior General of the institute. She guided the congregation through material difficulties and the upheavals of the Second World War. The work developed gradually. On December 25, 1967, Msgr. Francesco Minerva, Bishop of Lecce, erected the institute as a congregation of diocesan right. A few days later, on January 8, 1968, the first six sisters of the congregation pronounced their perpetual vows, and Mother Santina was re-elected Superior General. The culmination of her efforts occurred on July 1, 1973, when the congregation obtained from Pope Paul VI the decree of praise (Decretum laudis), elevating the institute to the rank of pontifical right. Despite her advanced age, Mother Santina continued to dedicate herself actively to the organization and expansion of her foundation.

In 1977, a diagnosis of uterine cancer (carcinoma all'utero) was made. Mother Santina refused surgical intervention in order to remain present among her sisters and to accompany her community. She welcomed the illness with exemplary serenity, uniting her sufferings to the Passion of Christ. On May 13, 1981, the day of the assassination attempt against Pope John Paul II in Saint Peter's Square, Mother Santina, deeply moved, offered her life and her sufferings for the survival and health of the Sovereign Pontiff. Her state of health deteriorated rapidly in the days that followed. She passed away peacefully on May 19, 1981, in Lecce, at the age of 83. On February 28, 1983, her remains were transferred to the chapel of the motherhouse of the Disciples of the Sacred Heart in Lecce, where she now rests.

The reputation for holiness of Mother Santina led to the opening of her cause for beatification. After obtaining the Nihil obstat from the Holy See on August 24, 1992, the diocesan inquiry took place within the ecclesiastical curia of Lecce from February 6, 1993, to March 29, 1995. During this phase, twenty-three witnesses were heard to attest to her life and virtues. The validity of the diocesan inquiry was formally recognized by a decree of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on October 17, 1998. The Positio, a summary document on her life and heroic virtues, was published in 1999. On November 5, 2015, the theological consultants of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints rendered a unanimous favorable opinion on the heroicity of her virtues. On January 20, 2017, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing the heroic virtues of the Servant of God, thus conferring upon her the title of Venerable. For her beatification to be pronounced, the official recognition of a miracle attributed to her intercession is required by canonical discipline.

The spirituality of the Venerable Santina Maria Addolorata is deeply Christocentric, centered on the Sacred Heart of Jesus contemplated in the mystery of His Passion. She drew her spiritual strength from daily Eucharistic adoration and an unwavering faith in Divine Providence. Her ultimate offering for Pope John Paul II illustrates her keen sense of ecclesiology and self-sacrifice.

Today, Mother Santina's legacy continues through the Congregation of the Sister Disciples of the Sacred Heart. The religious sisters pursue their mission of assistance and education for children (nursery schools, care for minors in difficulty), young people (university boarding schools), and the elderly (nursing homes). In addition to their establishments in Italy (notably in the regions of Apulia, Basilicata, Calabria, Lazio, and Lombardy), the sisters are also present internationally, particularly in Canada, Switzerland (in Lugano), and Madagascar.