- Mother Maddalena’s sister, Constance, delighted in the pomp and display of the old rite for receiving the Poor Clare habit. She was invested on May 1, 1864: Her sister Matilda wrote to Maddalena: This morning I recalled to mind the reception of our most dear Constance. I imagined that I was in the year 1864, in the church of San Lorenzo, in Panisperna. What a vision! I saw once more the dear Constance in her bridal robes. Really, it was beautiful! The trials, the labors, the tribulations, and the penance of the years that have since then elapsed had not crushed that budding beauty of twenty-four summers - tall, agile, with golden locks which glistened in the sunlight, adorned with a white veil and a precious diadem. A belt, set with priceless stones, encircled the dress with the long trail. At her side was our cousin, blond, graceful, and vested as a little angel, holding up the long dress; at the other side was our guardian, Cardinal Borromeo (who was then major-domo to Pius IX) robed in pontificals. She held the cope as she passed up the aisle of the church. At the gate of the cloister, she was, according to a special rite, handed over to the Abbess, who with all the Sisters, bearing lighted candles, accompanied her in procession into the interior of the convent chapel, where she put off the worldly garments — ‘the old man’—and vested herself in the coarse woolen garments, girded herself with the hard girdle, and put on a crown of thorns as the elect spouse of Jesus.

The wealthy Fendrich family in Evansville often asked Mother Maddalena’s prayers. Mrs. Fendrich had fallen ill, and there were symptoms of peritonitis, which was often fatal in those days. Her daughter Laura wrote: I called for my brother and requested that he go to the monastery and see Mother Maddalena. He told her what the doctor had said about his mother’s condition. Mother Maddalena said to him: ‘Just wait here a minute.’ My brother supposed that she went to the chapel. When she returned, Mother Maddalena said: ‘Have no fear; your mother will recover.’ When my brother and I compared notes, we found that mother began to recover just about the time at which Mother Maddalena had said ‘your mother will live.’ Mrs. Fendrich on May 2, 1905, in gratitude for her remarkable recovery, promised Mother Maddalena that she would complete the monastery building according to plans. The Servant of God was deeply grateful to God and to her benefactress. Thanks be to God! she exclaimed. Now my poor children will have a home.

One of the early companions of Mother Maddalena, Sister Francis Moran – later Abbess in New Orleans – remembered Mother Maddalena’s eucharistic devotion: Before the Blessed Sacrament, which was her greatest consolation, she seemed like a Seraph.

On May 4, 1878, Mother Theresia Bonzel, the foundress of the Poor Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration, set sail for America. In Nebraska, Mother Theresia and her companion, Sister Deo Gratias were frightened beyond words when the train they were traveling in was held up by robbers. The alarmed passengers were herded into a little restaurant. Thankfully, no one was harmed and they were allowed on their way. (This gives us some idea of Nebraska in the 1870’s!) In 1880 the Franciscan Sisters, with John Creighton’s help, was able to begin a small hospital in Omaha. It was gradually enlarged until it became the St. Joseph-Creighton Memorial Hospital. This hospital served the Poor Clares in Omaha. Mr. Creighton had erected the hospital in memory of his dearly beloved wife, Sarah Emily, who died in 1888.

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.

“May the Holy Will of God be accomplished in you and by you with willing adoration and with love of sacrifice. All that you have suffered and will suffer—is always the cross of Jesus Christ; it is the banner of the Captain, and, in respect to exterior works, it is the seal of blessing and of spiritual prosperity. Courage - paradise is not far off.” - Father Bernardine to Mother Maddalena

On May 7th the spiritual director of Mother Maddalena and former Minister General of the Franciscans, Father Bernardine, died in 1895. Mother Maddalena had consecrated herself to the Sacred Heart and prayed for her father in Christ: The mercy of my God has triumphed over the unworthiness of His sinful daughter, drawing her to His Heart and transforming her into Himself by means of His Cross, His sufferings and His love, the only chain which binds me to this earth being that of the Most Holy Eucharist, although living in exile, may I live only for the love of God, and may I leave this earth from the wound in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and from thence without passing through Purgatory, wing my flight to the Choir of the Seraphim in Heaven, where I shall eternally praise, bless and thank God. These graces I ask also for the Most Rev. Father, begging God to assist him in all his necessities, may God make him a Saint like our holy Father St. Francis.

On May 8, 1884, Father Bernardine, the Minister General of the Franciscans who was also the spiritual director of Mother Maddalena, wrote to her: Be assured, both you and Constance, that I greatly love you as my most cherished daughters in Jesus Christ and in St. Francis, that I bless God and give thanks to Him for you, and that I bless with you all your daughters and Sisters, American and French, and the new foundation at New Orleans.

In the Princess of Poverty, it is alluded there about the life and times of St. Catherine of Bologna: The great Reform of the Friars Minor in Italy, in the fourteenth century … naturally extended itself to the Order of Poor Clares. The Second Order counts six illustrious Virgins who lived at that particular time and whose public veneration has already been decreed by the Church, [among them St. Catherine of Bologna.].

During her great trial in 1888, when Mother Maddalena and her sister, Mother Mary Constance, were slandered and accused, the Minister General thought of having them return to Rome, as a way of having them quietly sent away. Mother Constance wrote: We cannot make out the reason why the Most Reverend Father intends to recall us; it is strange that the Father General finds that we have done enough for the order of St. Clare and that he will recall us. Say to the Father General that we have not finished our task and that we have not done enough. As long as we have life, we must be doing. This is the repose we seek. We should be ashamed off ourselves to lay down the arms.

In May of 1903, Father Dowling, S.J., mailed questionnaires and later compiled them into a book, on Creighton University’s first twenty-five years. The Poor Clares are mentioned several times, as well as the many priests who ministered at the monastery during the time of Mother Maddalena. Father Dowling wrote: The people of St. John’s, like those of the Holy Family Parish, are faithful, devout and generous. They respond to every effort made for their spiritual or temporal advancement. This is true of all the Catholics of Omaha, and perhaps nowhere in the United States, have they done more, proportionate to their numbers and means, or borne greater burdens more cheerfully than here. With a Catholic population of not more than 15,000 in the combined cities of Omaha and South Omaha, there are sixteen churches, ten of which have parish schools and thirteen of them, parochial residences. There are four Academies, two of them Boarding Schools, a Hospital, a Poor Clare Convent, a Good Shepherd House, an Orphan Asylum, besides Creighton University and Creighton Medical College. The clergy are worthy of such a flock and lead devoted, zealous and self-denying lives.- Creighton University Reminiscences, page 40

Sister Mary Clare of Jesus Crucified, a nun who lived with Mother Maddalena said of her: “She had great respect for the Word of God, written and spoken, and also for sacred tradition. She had the Holy Gospel read in the Community room and she explained it to us.”

The Sister destined to be the first Abbess in New Orleans received her letter of appointment on this day: To the Ven. Sister in Christ Mary Franciso the Sacred Stigmata, professed choir Nun of the Monastery of St. Clare in the City of Omaha Greeting and Seraphic Blessing. Since the Reverend Mother Magdalen of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Ven. Abbess of the Monastery of St. Clare, in the City of Omaha, has recommended you above others for Superioress of the new foundation to be established in the City of New Orleans, and after we have been informed of your piety, of your prudence and of your great attachment to the Order, we select and appoint you by these present letters as the Superior of the new House, to be opened in New Orleans — as mentioned above and we recommend you in a special manner to the paternal charity of the Illustrious and Most Reverend Ordinary of the place trusting with confidence, that with the help of God, you will faithfully fulfill the duties of your office. (Given at Rome, Aracoeli May 15,1885) Fr. Bernardinus Min. Gen.

“Annetta Bentivoglio - the future Mother Maddalena - was at this time under the direction of a Father of holy and austere life, Father Bernardine of Porto-Gruaro, whose ideals were singularly like her own. Before the first followers of the Poverello of Assisi had any name, they were sometimes embarrassed as to how to account for themselves when asked who and what they were; and they had hit upon the simple explanation that they were poor penitents — “homines penitentiales de Assisi.” Father Bernardine and the Sister Mary Magdalen both felt that this was the truest definition for Franciscan men and women. Each in his and her own life was endeavoring to realize that type, out of sheer love for it.” - Gabriel Francis Powers

Mother Maddalena was inspired by saints devoted to the Eucharist, of whom St. Paschal is preeminent. Mother Maddalena wrote: The mercy of my God has triumphed over the unworthiness of His sinful daughter, drawing her to His Heart and transforming her into Himself by means of His Cross, His sufferings and His love, the only chain which binds me to this earth being that of the Most Holy Eucharist, although living in exile, may I live only for the love of God, and may I leave this earth from the wound in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. (her Consecration)

- Gabriel Francis Powers was an artist who wrote a short book about Mother Maddalena. He observed: If it was difficult to paint Mother Bentivoglio’s portrait, it is even more difficult to write an account of her that shall be her own self, wholly herself, and not a travesty. It is difficult to get her in all her aspects, neither contradicting oneself nor omitting anything; and most difficult to give a full account of a character so rich in values and so well worth the study. How can one hold together without discrepancies her sense of humor, her delicate and sweet smile, her lovableness, her extreme tenderness, her perfect humanness, her gravity amounting to sternness in all that concerned the observance of the Rule; her personal austerity and ardent love for penance, and the something above all of these, — an intangible something that was the crown of them all and their aureole, — the something that is called holiness? - A Woman of the Bentivoglio, ch. 3

Mother Maddalena was familiar with the church of St. Pudenziana, since it was located near her home. She has this to say in her Princess of Poverty: St. Pudenziana, was said to have been the first to receive the veil of virginity from the hands of St. Peter, who was staying at the house of the noble Pudens. The monastery of San Lorenzo [from which the founders of the Poor Clares in the United States originated] is situated on the Viminal Hill, one of the seven hills upon which the city of Rome is built. The hill derived its name from the quantity of osiers, in Latin called Vimina, a species of water-willows that grew upon the place…. The Viminal Hill became renowned for a number of magnificent buildings that were erected upon it, amongst which may be mentioned the Thermae, or Baths, of Agrippina, wife of the Emperor Claudius and mother of Nero… and the mansion of the Roman Senator Pudens. St. Peter raised to life Puden’s son, Timotheus, upon which the whole family became Christian. The Senator then invited S. Peter to take up his residence in his house. This S. Peter did, and there consecrated his first altar, and offered up the Holy Sacrifice. The little chapel he then used was afterwards developed into one of the most remarkable shrines in early Christianity, and bore the title: Ad Pastorem. It is known under the name of the Church of San Pudenziana, one of the granddaughters of the noble Pudens.

Mother Maddalena often sent greetings to her spiritual director, Father Bernardine of Portogruaro, for his feast day. He was named after the great St. Bernardine of Siena. Father Kleber wrote of Father Bernardine: “Father Bernardine as a saintly man and as a prudent spiritual director, his letters alone to our Servant of God would mark him as a man of the highest spiritual type. “Such a superior, though having regard for every form of religious life that in some way or other was actuated by the spirit of Saint Francis, might be expected to favor and foster especially that form which most completely represented this spirit. Hence, in so far as the daughters of St. Clare were concerned, he was intent upon fostering a return to the primitive observance of the First Rule of Saint Clare.”…… - Father Albert Kleber Mother Maddalena wrote in The Princess of Poverty about Saint Bernardine, to whom she was greatly devoted: The great Reform of the Friars Minor in Italy, in the fourteenth century, brought about chiefly by S. Bernardine of Siena and his disciples, naturally extended itself to the Order of Poor Clares. A vast number of Monasteries of the Urbanist Branch adopted the First Rule of S. Clare and placed themselves under the direction of the Friars Minor of the Observance. A great many new Monasteries of the Reform were also established. This was a resplendent period of revival of the Franciscan Spirit and added a number of Saints and Blessed to the Franciscan Institutes. The Second Order counts six illustrious Virgins who lived at that particular time and whose public veneration has already been decreed by the Church.

As they journeyed to America, Mother Maddalena and her companions stopped for several weeks in the port city of Marseilles waiting for the ship to sail. She and Mother Constance stayed in the Poor Clare monastery there and they may have heard of Saint Eugene de Mazenod, who had been appointed the bishop of Marseilles, France, in 1837. The Poor Clares of that city had been under the jurisdiction of Saint Eugene, and they deeply appreciated his guidance. As the Marseilles nuns were compiling their Custom Book, they wrote of their beloved bishop: “We the undersigned, Religious or the Poor Monastery of Saint Clare of the city of Marseilles, penetrated with feelings or the deepest gratitude for the benefits which God has deigned to shower upon this house, and for many years seeing the need of having the pious customs and the holy practices that are at present in vigor, collected and permanently arranged; - after having for a long time solicited the help or Heaven by fervent prayers;- humbly submitted our project to the Most Illustrious and Reverend Monseigneur, Charles Joseph Eugene do Mazenod, our Venerable Bishop, who was very anxious for us to put this work into execution…” Saint Eugene died in ¬¬¬1861, and the nuns had been working on their custom book since 1849. It was finally published in 1883. Mother Maddalena and Mother Constance had hand-copied parts of the custom book while they were staying with the Marseilles Poor Clares. They were desirous of learning customs and ceremonies of an established monastery, in order to take those customs with them to America. Saint Eugene de Mazenod died on May 21, 1861. In the morning of that day, one of the priests said to him, “Your Excellency, I am going to celebrate Mass. What do you want us to ask God for you?” The bishop replied, “Oh! Ask Him that His holy Will be done. That is the only desire of my heart.” His last words were: “After this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Oh, clement, oh, loving Virgin Mary.”

Mother Maddalena’s family were friends with St. Madeleine Sophie Barat, the foundress of the Madames of the Sacred Heart. Mother Maddalena - Annetta was her baptismal name - was withdrawn from the school in June of 1842. St. Madeleine Sophie Barat and the young Annetta [future Mother Maddalena] started on the long and, at that time, wearisome journey to Turin. Despite the fact that the Mother Superior had to keep a vigilant eye on her vivacious little companion, Annetta must have been a source of amusement and entertainment to that kind Saint who had so understanding a heart for children of Annetta’s type. Annetta would always be doing something. At times she would empty the saint’s travelling bag of all its contents, just to show her ability to get everything back again in good order; then, again, she would ask the Reverend Mother, or even herself, all sorts of questions, at times herself answering them in a serio-comic manner. These and similar incidents, disparaging to herself, the Servant of God was in the habit of recounting. But, what a privilege, to say night prayers with a saint and to be blessed by her! She had revered Mother Barat as a saint even before the church canonized her. (See May 26th)

Father Kleber, Mother Maddalena’s biographer, recounts: “On Trinity Sunday, May 23, 1880, Mother Maddalena and Sisters went to see the progress on the new monastery in Omaha; however, strong winds and bits of falling mortar made them fear to stay in or near the building. After they returned home, the wind rose ever higher. During the night the building suffered significant damage, parts of the walls in three different places had fallen to the ground. This damage was soon repaired; the work was rushed, and the Sisters were eagerly looking forward to the day when they would move into their new home.” (see also June 5th and 6th)

Mother Maddalena wrote in her Memoirs: Then we hastened our steps toward the triple Basilica of the holy Patriarch [Saint Francis], where we arrived just in time for Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament, given by the Bishop. After service, the Bishop came to join us, and, together, we descended into the subterranean church, to pray at the tomb of our Seraphic Father S. Francis, and to implore his blessing and assistance to enable us to transplant his spirit into a new country. The Bishop then conducted us to the chapel of the Relics. It is impossible to enumerate all we saw. What interested us most, was the Blessing written by S. Francis for Brother Leo. We begged to be blessed with it for a happy journey. Upon leaving, one of the Fathers gave us some little souvenirs of the place which we gladly accepted to take with us to America. Thus ended our visits in Assisi.

Archbishop Joseph E. Ritter spoke of Mother Maddalena on August 12, 1959, at the Dedication of our monastery here in St. Louis: So, I think we have in our foundation the true spirit of Saint Clare, the true spirit of the Poor Clares as wished by Pope Pius IX. It was the secularization and persecution of Religious in Italy that made it possible for us to have the Poor Clares in the United States. Remember always that persecutions are permitted by God to accomplish a greater end. Today the Poor Clares are established in Italy and here because of persecution. And now today we are dedicating these buildings and this lovely chapel with true Franciscan simplicity. (See also June 7th)

On May 26, 1865, Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat died. Of her, Mother Maddalena observed, “Our parents had been happy to confide their children to the Very Reverend Mother Barat, foundress of the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.” She was the beloved teacher and friend of Mother Maddalena when she was a young girl, and St. Madeleine helped to shape the youthful Annetta Bentivoglio [the future Mother Maddalena] into the woman she became. St. Madeleine wrote: 'You will do good if you live in union with Our Lord, for then you will act by His spirit and with Him. . . I cannot exaggerate the effect produced upon children's souls by the spirit of prayer, and union with God.

- Father Bernardine of Portogruaro, the spiritual director of Mother Maddalena, wrote to her: “I have been moved with all that you told me concerning the good spirit which these Sisters of the Sacred Heart have for you, and for all the prayers that they have been saying to obtain grace for you. Assure these good Mothers of my sincere gratitude, and that I beg the Sacred Heart of Jesus to bless them and to make them prosper, and all their houses and work in America. O how I love and esteem the spirit of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart! Now more than ever since I know them much better through the story of the life of Madame Barat, which I am reading. What a grand soul! What generosity! What a courageous soul! O if Maddalena and Constance only had one half of it!”… (See May 26th)

One of the nuns who lived with Mother Maddalena remembered: When she spoke to the Sisters who were troubled regarding prayer she used to say: ‘Prayer is not hard. It is a gift of the Holy Ghost. In the chapel, think that only you and God are present.’ She told the Sisters that their principal duty was the recitation of the divine office and that, therefore, nothing was to be preferred to this duty. All direction that she gave to the community was always centered about living in the presence of God. She wrote in an instruction: ‘Never allow the thought of God to be long absent from the mind.’

Father Bernardino da Portogruaro, the spiritual director of Mother Maddalena, wrote to her in a letter on May 29, 1887, this reflection on the Come, Holy Spirit: “Ascende lumen sensibus: Enlighten our minds so that we may know what God’s will is in our regard, so that we may be able to please Him more in the different circumstances in which we find ourselves. “Infunde amorem cordibus: Love in the Heart in order to desire sincerely to do what we have found out or learned (is God’s Holy Will). “Infirmi nostri corporis virtute firmans perpeti: (Strengthen with constant vigor the weakness of our human nature): force our human nature to practice that which we have learned and desired. “Light, Love, Strength----To Know, To Will, To Do.”

Mother Maddalena holds up Saint Baptista as an example to all Poor Clares: B. Baptista Varani, Virgin, born 1458, died 1527; her veneration was approved by Pope Gregory XVI, in 1843 May the illustrious example of this holy Virgin, together with the other faithful followers of the glorious Virgin S. Clare, whose names are inscribed in the Book of Life, encourage us in our present struggles here below, and may we experience the benefit of their powerful intercession before the throne of the Most High!

On this day our Community has a special procession in honor of Our Lady of the Sacred heart, a devotion that was probably brought from Rome by Mother Maddalena. In [her Office Room] she had a little statue of the Sacred Heart of Mary. She used to point to the heart and say: ‘That heart will get everything from the Sacred Heart of Jesus.’