Today is the feast of Blessed Mary Theresa Ledochowska (1863 - 1922). Earlier we read about a saint (Father Mateo) who received great encouragement from St. Pius X; today's saint did from him as well, though at the time he was only a cardinal, Cardinal Sarto. He felt her order, the Missionary Sisters of St. Peter Claver, was a great power in helping Africans and even invited the sisters into his own province of Venice because even the poor there could help the missions.
Mary Theresa had been an early and strong advocate against slavery. She was brought up a progressive, though she was a countess in the old aristocracy of Austria, and had been taught by her parents, especially her father (father of 12 children!) to work for just wages, land reform and religious freedom as well as abolitionism. Mary Theresa started as a writer; she had a newsletter -- I feel she'd be a "blogger" were she living today -- and then a newspaperwoman, and finally a nun, foundress of her own order. She gave up so much for it: a life in court (she was an elegant lady-in-waiting at the Court of Tuscany), a fierce temper, excessive self-assertion, pride (she was permanently scarred by smallpox, but she bore it humbly, though she had been a stunningly beautiful woman), and even smoking!
She devoted herself to preparing missionaries for Africa, even translating books into all the African languages she knew. She and her friend Melanie were the first intrepid members; together they did much good. She died many years later of a wasting disease (she weighed only 62 lbs. at her death), and many witnessed her beautiful smile just before she left this world. Blessed Mary Theresa, pray for us.
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