St. Maria Domenica Mazzarello
Girls just want to have...health and livelihoods
I was initially drawn to Maria Domenica because she is the foundress of the Salesian Sisters. That’s pretty cool! It’s always worth looking at the people who stepped out of their comfort zones, looked at their surroundings, and found a radical way to be love in the world.
But what sold me on Maria Domenica was who she helped. Where she was (northern Italy) many girls were at risk for getting caught up in juvenile prostitution. So Maria Domenica devoted her life to these girls. Farm girls, serving girls, street vending girls, and factory workers filled the city streets. Maria Domenica convinced some of her friends to help her and they taught the girls trades and gave them an education, so they would not be susceptible to sex work.
Maria Domenica not only protected the children, but gave them something to look forward to and live for. She didn’t just give them the Faith, she gave them a way out. What a wonderful reminder to all of us. We can’t just impart the knowledge of the Faith and let people alone. We must help each other out of whatever bad situations we find ourselves in. Sometimes that’s very vulnerable things like homelessness, prostitution, no health care, no job. Sometimes it’s more psychological or spiritual things like mental health help (which can leave you extremely vulnerable), or a bad habit that you need to let go of. In all of these things, having a relationship with the person is key. Never forget that you aren’t an authority over another, but a help-mate along the way.
St. Maria Domenica Mazzarello, pray for us!
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