Sr. M. SANTINA GRAIZZARO
Sister M. Santina will always be remembered as a Mistress of novices, an educator to many generations of sisters whom she always carried in her maternal heart.
Angelina was born on April 26, 1943, in Campodalbero-Crespadoro (Vicenza, Italy). At the age of 17, on September 4, 1960, she decided to join the Pious Disciples of the Divine Master in Alba at the Motherhouse. After finishing her novitiate, she took her first vows on March 25, 1963, in Rome, and after five years of temporary vows, she took her perpetual vows on March 25, 1968, also in Rome.
Almost from the beginning of her religious life, she worked alongside the mistress of postulants as an assistant, showing her pedagogical, human, and spiritual qualities. These skills were later fully utilized in the formation of young sisters, as a formator of juniors (1984–1993), and as a Novice Mistress (2002–2016).
Although she also held other roles related to our liturgical apostolate (at the Italian Episcopal Conference and the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff), and served as a provincial secretary and councilor, her life’s mission was the education of future generations of the Disciples of the Divine Master.
When she was entrusted with the novices of the international novitiate in Rome, she understood the seriousness of her task. She relied on the Divine Master, the true formator of His Disciples, and used her ingenious pedagogy to practice daily love and closeness. This allowed her to better understand the complexities of the human soul, especially in the new generations. She acknowledged her limitations and weaknesses, willingly relied on everyone’s prayers, and confidently collaborated with her superiors. She loved nature, valued everyday life, and found goodness in events, nature, and self-care. She communicated a passionate love for the liturgical apostolate.
Those who had her as their novice mistress testify: “Sr. M. Santina knew how to walk alongside the young women in formation, giving them space to grow holistically, nurturing their human, Christian, and religious beauty. She maintained spiritual and human care for her novices even after their Profession, accompanying them from afar with prayer, wisdom, deep simplicity, and a maternal presence that always directed them to seek happiness in life with Jesus the Master. Sr. M. Santina loved us and all the sisters dearly. For us, who were blessed to have her as a mistress, she remains an example of a Pious Disciple who always found her strength in Jesus the Master and the protection of Mary, to whom she was very devoted and encouraged us to be as well.” (Sr. M. Louise O’Rourke).
“Sr. M. Santina was a tender and strong mother to us novices, imparting life through her presence even before her words. I believe her strength lay in her relationship with Jesus the Master, from whom she learned what she gave to us: freedom in choices, listening with the heart, and seeing beyond appearances. In a word: the way of love.” (Sr. Annamaria Passiatore)
“I remember Sister Santina as a completely dedicated person, focused on Jesus. Despite her advanced age and physical ailments, she undertook her mission as Novice Mistress ‘with joy,’ as she would say. She never let on that it might have been physically taxing for her. It seemed she did everything for Jesus, and every conversation with her lifted and directed us to Him. It was wonderful to be with her, and even today, her memory fills my heart with gratitude, joy, and the desire to be for Jesus, ‘with joy,’ just as she was.” (Sr. M. Renata Grudzinska)
“Sister Santina had the ability to welcome people and guide them spiritually according to their individual needs. She had a knack for understanding people. Personally, she is an example of how to accompany people on their spiritual growth journey. I now use the experience I gained from her in guiding young people.” (Sr. M. Magdalena Goral).
Over time, her hyperthyroidism, which she had suffered from since her youth, weakened her health, and in 2010 she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, requiring surgery. With heart disease and high blood pressure, and evident physical and neurological frailties, she was transferred first to Alba and then to Sanfré, where she ended her earthly pilgrimage on April 9, 2024, comforted by the care of her sisters, the Anointing of the Sick, and the prayers of those accompanying her at this decisive moment. During her funeral, her novices read a letter expressing their immense gratitude for her maternal guidance in their formation and throughout their religious lives:
“Goodbye Sr. Santina, this is not our final farewell but a chance to say THANK YOU once more! Thank you because a part of you will always remain in each of us, that loving and dignified touch that impacted our lives and helped us grow. We will always remember how you treated each of us with loving dignity, without distinctions or preferences. In you, we saw a living example of how to love freely, just as our Master taught us. You wanted to leave us, almost as a testament, the same commandment Jesus gave: ‘As I have loved you, so you must love one another.’ Thank you for showing us that ‘how.’ Your infinite patience and your ability to wait for people to change inspired us and taught us that true mercy knows no limits. Even today, your attentive eye, your unmistakable smile, your arms ready for a hug, and your hand often reaching out to touch our shoulders in support and strength remain alive in us. Your faith in us never wavered: you believed in us more than we believed in ourselves. You led us to the altar where we pronounced our ‘YES’ to make our lives a total gift, just as you always demonstrated with yours. You carried us every day in your affectionate prayer, like a demanding and strong mother who knew how to do everything with infinite sweetness. Sr. M. Santina, you loved our congregation of the Pious Disciples of the Divine Master with all your heart. In your simplicity, you conveyed love for our Founder, Blessed James Alberione, showing us the beauty of our charism and spirituality through your life. And now, as you rejoice with your and our Spouse and all the saints whose names you bore, continue to pray for us! Thank you for being with us, for being here, and for always being with us… Your novices forever!”