Sister Rosangela Micheletto
This is Sister Rosangela’s story:
During the years 1959-1960, Sister Bruna and Sister Venerina traveled around the communities in Brazil looking for young people interested in religious vocations. They visited my parish, Our Lady of Sorrows, in Barra Fria/SC. At that time, the parish priest was Father Alfredo Trinchero, who had known the Primo Maestro, Father James Alberione. He studied at the Seminary of Alba and had many memories of Monsignor Re and Canon Chiesa. He spoke a lot with Sister Venerina Vaccarisi about the Primo Maestro.
Sister Bruna, in a very dynamic manner, had a beautiful meeting with the group of “Daughters of Mary” and showed some slides of the Disciples of the Divine Master Sisters in Adoration and Apostolate. I was really happy. I didn’t join that year because my mother had had an appendectomy and wasn’t feeling well.
I gave my name, and the following year, Sister Venerina and Sister Domitilla came back. It was October 1960, almost the end of the school year in Brazil. My parents hesitated because I would skip the fifth year, called “admission.” The sisters promised me that I would continue studying (I completed high school only after my Perpetual Profession in 1972).
So, on October 27, along with other young women: Assunta de Sordi, Lourdes Micheletto, Elisa Vigolo, Elza Mazziero, Neusa Bresiani, and myself, Miriam Micheletto, we set out to join the Congregation. We spent two days and two nights on the “Maria Fumaça” train. We boarded at Barra Fria with Sister Venerina Vaccarisi, and during the journey, other young women joined the group.
We arrived in São Paulo on October 29, 1960, at Luz Station. We headed to Via Vergueiro, 3073 – Vila Mariana, where our house was located. We were greeted by a group of aspirants and sisters. All dressed in black. We wondered, “Are they mourning? Who died?”
Mother Cormariae welcomed us and took us to the chapel where the Blessed Sacrament was exposed for adoration. The next day we entered aspirancy and wore the black habit. Adjusting to the customs was difficult and challenging. We worked on fine embroidery (lace for altar cloths), making vestments and altar linens.
We accompanied the sisters to the Liturgical Center in Clóvis Bevilacqua Square, in the premises of the São Paulo Metropolitan Curia. We also did charity work with Sister Modesta and the young postulants. The goal was to raise funds to continue building the first wing of the house on Raposo Tavares Street. On weekends, together with Sister Gervasina, who took us in a van, we went to the construction site to load bricks, sand, and cement. Everything was done by hand, as there was still no road for the truck to climb.
Every weekend we were excited to see our house slowly taking shape. In 1961, even without finishing the work, the first group of novices started in Brazil. Before Christmas 1962, we moved from Via Vergueiro to Raposo Tavares. Our main activity was domestic service and working at the Pauline typesetting area. We were a very large and diverse group. We needed a lot of food. We went to the market in the early hours of the morning, and during the day, we were busy cleaning vegetables, preparing tomato sauce, pickled eggplants, and fish in vinaigrette.
Several young women were sent to Rome for the novitiate. Those who stayed continued to accompany the sisters in charity work, in the Liturgical Apostolate center, and in various sectors: tailoring, sewing, embroidery, and assisting in the Pauline seminary. The community received new strength from Sister Scolastica Aoki (Teruco Aoki), the first Brazilian sister to return from Rome, and the following year from Sister Zelinda Lázaro and Sister Zenita Lázaro.
At the end of 1963, I was also sent to Rome. I stayed outside Brazil for eight years. Upon my return, I worked in Vocational Pastoral ministry and fundraising. The second wing of the house on Raposo Tavares Street had already begun.
We were very happy, available, and full of enthusiasm. We prayed a lot and were instilled with a spirit of sacrifice and prayer. We observed silence and obedience to the superior and the assistants. I remember these early days with affection, gratitude to God and the congregation who helped me see and live in such a manner, that only God is important. These are my memories.