Monastery of Saint Clare
of the Immaculate Conception

Mother Maddalena retained a love for her sisters, especially Matilda. Maddalena wrote to Matilda: What you will do for us, do it for the glory of God, not because we are your sisters, but only little and true sisters of St. Francis; in this way you will sanctify your actions. You must always thank God for his mercies toward us.

Father Kleber, Mother Maddalena’s biographer, observed that Mother Maddalena was impressed with the citizens she met when she first landed America. Although she was convinced of the truths of the Faith, she nonetheless acknowledged that Americans – at that time – were more religious than those in Italy: Upon her [Mother Maddalena's] arrival on American soil took up the study of the English language, but also that later, when American novices joined her, she at once made English the official language in her community and demanded of her novices that they teach her the English language, instead of demanding that they learn the Italian from her. Moreover, she was quick to pay tribute any good national trait that she perceived. The following quotation from a letter to Matilda, written on July 5, 1876, serves to illustrate the point still more. “On Sunday, yesterday, they did not give out letters, all the shops were closed, and there was one train only in the morning and one in the evening. The telegraph office was closed except in case of a death or of ship arrivals. At Rome it is not so. What a difference —(and) they are Protestants.”

Mother Maddalena strove to find a home in America where she could establish the Poor Clare way of life; and everywhere she turned there were disappointments and refusals. Yet her trust in God, and in God alone, never failed, —we shall see what God demands of us, she would say.

Mother Maddalena, in her Custom Book, refers to the practice of daily communion “after the example of the early Christians, who before going to martyrdom received the Bread of Angels to gain strength to suffer. With this same fervent feeling we should receive our Divine Spouse, in order, to obtain from Him the grace to do His Holy Will, and accomplish all that is required of us, for his greater glory.”