CHRONOLOGY OF THE LIFE AND WORK OF ST.MARIA DE MATTIAS

1805 Born and baptized at Vallecorsa (February 4).
1814 Witnessed the tragic slaughter by brigands of four town officials and two women at Vallecorsa in front of church of San Marino (March).
1815 Received sacrament of confirmation (June 10).
1816 Received first Holy Communion.
1821 Given special graces indicating a call from God, as Mary most Holy seemed to fix her gaze on Maria and, pointing to her Son on the Cross, made Maria ‘understand the desire he has of being loved by the souls redeemed with his Precious Blood’, and invited her ‘to ascend Calvary’.
1822 Was deeply inspired by the preaching of Gasper Del Buffalo, who seemed to fix his gaze on Maria as he pointed to the Crucifix.
1824 Confessed to Giovanni Merlini and began to take regular direction from him. She was deeply hurt when her father was imprisoned for a short time.
1825 Was placed in charge of the girl’s association, the Daughters of Mary, at Vallecorsa.
1827 Spent time with Trinitarian Sisters teaching the girls at the Riccardi School inVallecorsa.
1829 Grieved at sudden death of her older sister, Vincenza (January 31) rejoiced at marriage of her brother Michele (October).
1830 Was deeply pained at the death of her mother (August 17) assumed management of De Mattias household.
Was disappointed when plan (arranged by Gaspar and Merlini) for her to begin a school in Norcia failed to materialize.
1833 Began correspondence with Bishop Giuseppe Maria Lais of Ferentino about going as teacher to open a school at Acuto.
1834 Left Vallecorsa for Acuto, accompanied by Maria Tullio and her brother Michele (March 1).
Began the school in Acuto, in the Pilozzi house on March 4, which was later considered as the foundation day of her religious congregation.
Suffered severe illness in late spring and was nursed back to health by women of Acuto.
Moved to another location in Acuto, the Frasca house (June).
Offered retreat for women in Acuto (November- December).
1835 Was joined by another teacher, Anna Farrotti.
Met formally in ‘Congress’ with Anna Farrotti to form the institute of the ‘Adorers of the Divine Blood’ (July 5).
Accepted Carolina Longo as a promising boarder.
1836 Moved the growing group of companions and school to the large diocesan seminary building in Acuto (August ).
1837 With a few companions, made private of vow of chastity.
1838 Was distressed when newly appointed Bishop Annovazzi reclaimed seminary, which constrained the group to move to the crowded Stefani house ( August).
1839 Was scolded by Acuto priest, Giovanni Lilli, for preaching to the women (May) Grieved profoundly at the death of her father (September 16).
1840 Led community in special consecration to the Virgin Mary.
Received rescript for possession of a part of the dilapidated public building in Acuto, which, after much construction work, was to become the core of the future mother house.
Set out by way of Patrica to open her first mission community at Vallecors ( November 17) met the De Sanctis family and promised to take Teresa and Carolina with her to Acuto on her return from Vallecorsa.
1841 Opened communities at Pescasseroli and at Morino.
1842 Opened community at Cascia in Umbria.
1843 Travelled north to visit the sisters at Cascia (May).
Moved hurriedly into the still unfinished mother house (August 27).
1844 Opened communities at Carpineto, Orte, Gavignano.
1845 Suffered severe illness during first months of the year.
1846 Opened communities at Corchiano and Bassanello.
Agreed with Giovanni Merlini that she work with him on a new draft of the Rule Met Bishop Pietro Paolo Trucchi, the new bishop of Anagni.
1847 Opened community at Carbognano.
Was appraised of the extension of her congregation to include a group of cloistered Adorers of the Precious Blood at Steinerberg, Switzerland, by the August 13 decree of the General Moderator of the Precious Blood Missionaries, signed by Giovanni Merlini as General Secretary.
Under some pressure, agreed to the opening of a community in Rome under patronage of the Russian convert princess, Zenaide Wolkonsky (December).
Welcomed word that Merlini was elected as General Superior of the Precious Blood Missionaries (December).
1848 Felt fear when convent at Acuto was stoned by group celebrating the Roman revolution (March 26).
Learned of the exile of the Steinerberg Adorers and the death of their foundress, Theresa Weber (August 28).
1849 Opened a community at Scurgola.
Departed hurriedly from Acuto for Rome, on way to visit the communities in Umbria and to open a new community at San’Anatolia (November). For many months, became the focus of false gossip and slanderous letters, and of the oppressive anger of Bishop Trucchi.
Wrote frequently to Sister Bernice Fanfani, whom she had left in charge at Acuto.
1850 Opened communities at Treia. Maenza, and Sant’ Anatolia. Had treatment at Rome for a painful tumor on her arm.
By patient embracing of the cross and her courageous letters restored mutual understanding with bishop Trucchi.
Returned to Acuto (September)
1851 Opened community at Civitella (Bellegra), and a second community in Rome under patronage of the noble Campana family.
Closed the communities at Treia, and Sant’Anatolia.
1852 Opened communities at Roiate, Palombara, Arsoli, San Donato, and Civitavecchia.
Had first audience with Pope Pius IX, who became benefactor and showed marked esteem for Maria.
1853 Opened communities at Morolo and Giove.
Became gravely ill at Civitavecchia (August) and continued in serious ill health into spring of the following year.
1854 Opened communities at San Gemini and at Rome, on Via San Giovanni in Laterano and at the Hospice of San Luigi for homeless women.
Rejoiced at the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception by Pope Pius IX.
1855 Was granted the ‘Decree of Praise’ for the Congregation by the Holy See (May 30). Together with her council, granted approval for Mother Celestine Meier, superior of the exiled German Adorers at Ottmarsheim in Alsace-Lorraine, to accept novices and to establish communities in France and Germany (July 18).
Experienced a series of high mystical graces, probably in the chapel of the San Luigi. Hospice in Rome, where she was also suffering opposition and insults (August- September) Together with a group of companions, professed perpetual vow of chastity according to the new Constitution (October 7).
Opened communities at Crociano, Filettino, and Piglio.
1856 Opened communities at Montecelio, Vallerotonda, Serrone, and Marsciano. Closed community at Arsoli Spent two months at San Donato preaching with unusual effectiveness, was granted mystical experiences closely related to her apostolic efforts.
1857 Opened communities at Cisterna, Cervara, Canepina and Balsorano.
Preached very faithfully at Morino (January- February).
Suffered a siege of severe illness at Acuto (late summer).
Thanked the Campana family for providing the needed financial help to print the new Rule and Constitution.
Welcomed Bishop Clemente Pagliari as successor to Bishop Trucchi for the Diocese of Anagni (December).
1858 Opened new communities at Porto Recanati and at Deruta.
Closed the community at Balsorano.
1859 Opened communities at Riofreddo, Vico, Canterano, Trevi, San Vito Romano, Vignanello, Fumone and Sermoneta.
Closed community at Roiate.
Spent several weeks at Vico helping renovate the convent there (September).
1860 Opened communities at Casalvieri, Mola, Picinisco, Collepardo, Civitella Roveto and Paliano.
Made extended visitation trip to communities in Kingdom of Naples (March-July).
At Vallerotonda carried on an extraordinary fruitful preaching ministry.
Anguished over effects of political events of the Risorgimento that caused disturbance in many of the schools taught by the Adorers, pressure for the to get certified civilly through public examinations, and threats of future suppression of many of the communities.
1861 Opened community at Gallese.
1863 Opened communities at Genezzano, Orsogna, Atina and Trivigliano. Sent first Adorers to open a house in London (July).
1864 Opened communities at Priverno and Capranica. Welcomed to Acuto the sisters from community that was closed at Orsogna as well as those from other schools temporarily closed by hostile political forces.
Made repeated efforts by legal means to get roadway to a place of ill repute behind the convent closed off, without success; rejoiced when garden wall collapsed, closing off the roadway with debris( May 27).
Welcomed to Acuto sister Clementine Zerr and Sister Pauline Feser from the Adorers’ community at Gurtweil after they had spent time in Rome and Civitavecchia (November).
1865 Opened communities at Pescina and Formello. Continued renovations at Acuto motherhouse. Spent from May to July in Rome. Left Acuto for Rome never to return again to Acuto (mid-December).
1866 Opened communities at Alvio, Santopadre, Cantalupo and Castelplanio. Though very ill, responded to a call for help from the Sisters at Capranica (March) where she engaged in teaching the people until her illness worsened and made her bedfast. From Capranica wrote last letter to an Adorer, Sister Serafina Rossi ( March 22)with difficulty, was able to assist at Eucharist on Easter and ‘spent the rest of the day with extraordinary joy, remembering the Paschal Lamb that in her early years had so deeply touched her heart’.
Returned to Rome, to the community at Via Rasella134 (April 28) began her long and painful final illness on the feast of her special patron, St Catherine of Siena (April 30). Welcomed many sisters who came to visit her as she lay dying. Was visited almost daily by Father Merlini Received the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick (July 2).
Was relieved of her office as General Superior with the naming of Carolina Longo as General Superior, Bernice Fanfani as vicaress and superior at Acuto, Carolina De Sanctis as secretary; and as councilors Celestina Barlesi, Carolina Signoretti, Luisa Lauretti, Olivia Spinetti, and Nazarena Branca (July 31).
With a priest and many Adorers present, breathed her last as the hymn Vexilla Regis was being sung (2.15 am, August 20).
Her body laid out in the school chapel where Mass and Communion were celebrated, and many people came to pay their respects (August 20-21).
Her body was accompanied in a funeral procession to the parish church of Sts.Vincent and Anastasius (Evening of August 22).
1896 At General Chapter, decision made to work seriously toward the beatification of Maria De Mattias.
1903 Pope Pius X declared Maria De Mattias ‘Venerable’ (December).
1936 The decree of the heroic nature of Maria’s virtues was solemnly proclaimed by Pope Pius XI (February 16).
1950 Maria De Mattias was solemnly Beatified by Pope Pius XII (October 1).
1953 Cause of Maria’s Canonization was re-opened (March 9).
2003 Maria de Mattias was Canonized by Pope St.John Paul II (May 18).