Blessed Maria Teresa Scrilli

Maria Scrilli, religious name Maria Teresa of Jesus, (15 May 1825 – 14 November 1889) was an Italian religious sister who established the Sisters of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Scrilli became a noted educator and opened several schools. A period of anti-clericalism forced her to disband the schools and the congregation until a long while later when she could reinstitute the congregation and new schools. She was also known for her compassionate treatment of the poor and also for her enlightened views of a fundamental Christian education. Pope Benedict XVI recognized a miracle attributed to her direct intercession in 2005 and allowed for her beatification in Fiesole on 8 October 2006; Cardinal José Saraiva Martins presided over the Mass on the behalf of the pope. Maria Scrilli was born in 1825 as the second child into a household that was one of the most visible in the Italian nation. Her parents wanted a male heir and so her mother was quite indifferent to Scrilli during her childhood. A serious illness during her adolescence confined her to her bed for eighteen months and she was healed. Her long convalescence solidified her belief that she was being called to serve God and to that end decided to enter a Carmelite convent on 28 May 1846 – Santa Maria Maddalenz de' Pazzi – despite the protests of her parents who objected this path for their daughter. She spent two months before going back home upon the realization that the cloistered life – which she loved – was not for her; she went back home to discern the will of the Lord. Scrilli opened a small school for the education of girls and was noted for her enlightened views of a religious education. The Chief Magistrate and the Superintendent of Schools were so impressed with her work that – on 3 May 1842 – tasked her with running another that was larger than the one she operated and worked at.