MAGDALENE OF CANOSSA shares Her Marian Experience

The last time we met in this way, I shared how I experienced Easter. Today, I want to tell you about one of my greatest joys: considering myself a daughter of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Since I was a child, I’ve had a tender and profound devotion to her—a devotion that grew over the years, especially under the guidance of my spiritual director, Don Luigi Libera. This holy priest often told me:
“My daughter, continue and deepen your devotion and love for the Blessed Virgin Mary… She gives us daily, undeniable signs of her protection and love.”

And you know what? His advice proved true in my life. My devotion to Mary, our Mother, became so vital that it transformed my entire being.
It makes me wonder: what is your relationship with Mary like?

In my early years, I lost my mother, Teresa Szluha. Well, to be precise, after my father Ottavio died, my mother remarried and began a new family. That experience made me realize that everything in life passes and changes. But deep within, a powerful certainty took root: I had another Mother—one who would never abandon me—the Virgin Mary.

As I matured in both life and faith—and as I began the Canossian Institute (ah yes, I forgot to tell you, I’m the Foundress of the Daughters and Sons of Charity, Servants of the Poor!)—my devotion evolved. My eyes turned to Our Lady of Sorrows.
Contemplating Mary at the foot of the Cross, I discovered the depth and power of her prayer, which—united with her Crucified Son—became an offering of charity.

Thanks to the Holy Spirit, Calvary became for me the “Mountain of Lovers”—a place of divine love shared between the Son, the Mother, and us, represented by the beloved disciple.
At the peak of sorrow, love overflowed. No one turned inward; they opened themselves to the world. This love was not merely human—it was divine. I came to call it Charity.

Even after founding the Institute, whenever I visited one of the communities, I always made time to stop at the nearest Marian shrine. I entrusted Mary with important matters. For example:
“While traveling to Milan, I stopped at the shrine of Caravaggio. I stood before Mary in tears and called her ‘Mother’—a way to unburden my heart. I always returned comforted, knowing she is the ‘Almost All-Powerful.’”

My relationship with Our Lady has always been intimate, affectionate, meaningful. I called her “Holy Friend,” “Precious Treasure,” and in my works—especially the schools—I referred to her as “Most Holy Director” and “Owner of the Mission.”
I truly felt like her daughter. She knew my worries, my problems, and those of my Sisters. I entrusted to her my apostolic journeys, their health, and the entire Institute, which has always been—and still is—under her care, her protection, and her guidance. Because she is the true Foundress of the Institute.

My Marian experience leads me to tell you: “My Mary is a great Mother.” That’s why I invite you to turn to her, to entrust your anxieties and struggles to her maternal heart. I’m certain that, with her help, everything will turn out well.
I encourage you to trust her, so you may experience her blessings every day.

I’d like to end with a prayer from Pope Francis, a great lover of Mary. Speaking of Our Lady at the foot of the Cross, he said:

“Mary, the Mother whom Jesus has given to all of us, may she always sustain our steps and whisper to our hearts: ‘Get up, look ahead, look to the horizon’—because she is the Mother of Hope.”

Maddalena di Canossa