Since 1977 our Institute began collecting all the useful documentation (till then all the documentation was dispersed in various dioceses and in the files of our work), to build up the history of our Institute and to transmit  to future generations the ideal which the Holy Spirit arose in the heart and life of Mother Frances.

In order to search, gather, and put in order the documents that took quite a long time, it put to test our patience. A commission composed of sisters from Italy and Latin America contributed to the gathering, cataloguing, interpretation and translation of all the material. Part of the material has been distributed to the sisters of our Institute to be aware of it.

The biography of the Mother's life, her fame that spread through the books written about her along the time, the study of the heroic virtues she lived, the various aspects of her life underlined by various writers, have all contributed to bring about the process of her beatification which was on the 10th October 1993.

The Study Centre brings a challenge in front of the vast horizon infront of us to bring the work undertaken to profit. The Study Centre is equipped by an international staff of sisters that reflect the richness of the different cultures they come from.


The Study Centre will continue throughout history to help deepen the reflection of the ideal which every jurisdiction of the Institute will thrive to undertake through the study and the application of it.
Since 2006 the Study Centre which is now housed in Rome has been restructured, and now it is receiving and reordinating the material received from the various jurisdictions throughout the world. It is in the mind of our Institute to establish a museum, which part of it is in Loano (the original place where Mother Frances began her apostolic activity).


From the book "Frances Rubatto, an apostolic woman".

Graziella Merlatti writes in the introduction:

"Only such a burnt heart with charity could be able to cross the ocean and lay the basis of the Institute in Latin America, beginning from Uruguay and spread up to Alto Alegre, a region  which many established religious congregations did not feel able to undertake. There was the baptism of blood that was to yield unexpected fruits, such fruits are still coming up to the light: Blessed Frances Rubattohad herself foreseen such fruits as Moses foresaw the promised land without ever
entering into it. Still her apostolic ardour is alive more than ever in South America, in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya."
..............................

A courageous woman who did not fear to throw herself into unknown lands, languages and hostile climate.

A humble woman, who feeling the need of the time left for South America ahead of Africa: the circumstances of the time demanded of her as the "mother" to open the way for her new born family.

A woman with an open heart, who gave herself completely to the needs and situations  of her time.

If in our time going to the missions is not an easy task, they were much harder in her time. Each epoch has got its own difficulties and risks. She may have had a wish to die as martyr. As Martin Buber had said: the illness of our time cannot be compared to other times, it is proper to its time."

BLESSED FRANCES RUBATTO, EUCHARISTIC WOMAN

There can't be evangelical discipleship without a strong Eucharistic nourishment. All the saints, though through personal imprints, are deeply anchored in the Holy Eucharist. Blessed Frances Rubatto, born at Carmagnola (TO) in 1844 and died at Montevideo (Uruguay) in 1904 searched throughout her life God especially in the "Mysterium Fidei".
Her indissoluble radicality gave Sr Mary Frances of Jesus, Foundress of the Tertiary Capuchin Sisters of Loano, to live her "daily martyrdom with heroic constance and perfect exactness" as Pope John Paul ll said in the homily during the beatification mass on the 10th October 1993. Her eucharistic "pietas" is widely recognized as the most vivid and profound aspect that tied her heart to the Lord's.
If according to the custom of the time, our Blessed had cultivated various devotions, her particular devotion to the Eucharist was by large her central one. The daily mass she attended and the daily adorations which she had already begun to cultivate in her native Carmagnola, and later on in Turin, were a daily feature in her life long before she became a nun.  Her singular affection towards the Cottolengo Institute in Turin and the time she spent a the "Piccola Casa" where prayer before Jesus in the Eucharist was and is still the "main occupation" of the house,  had influenced her spiritual formation. The "family" timetable at Marianna Scoffone-Costa's house and of her "adopted daughter" Marianne Rubatto, prescribed a daily one hour eucharistic adoration. And even when they used to be at Loano for holidays, it was prescribed a daily evening visit to the Blessed Sacrament in Church.

THE TABERNACLE, "THE HEART" OF THE HOME

The main worry for the Foundress of the Tertiary Capuchin Sisters of Loano, now the Capuchin Sisters of Mother Rubatto, was that in all the houses of her Congregation, to have the Blessed Sacrament, and in order to obtain permission to have the Blessed Sacrament in her homes,
she was ready to use any strategic plan, like sending a nun to "add to the number" in the house where the legal number was missing, so that she could have the right to have the Blessed Sacrament. In one letter she wrote from Montevideo on the 4th July 1904 to sister Geatana Lanza
she said:" I understand well that the bishop would not allow you to have the Blessed Sacrament at home, in fact the rubrics provide for a presence of at least five sisters in the house, but please God if the house will proceed well, as I go to Genoa I will see to send you the sisters so that you can have the consolation of the Blessed Sacrament, in the meantime pray and pray a lot" (Letter e Testimonianze, p.706).
And in an undated letter sent to Sastre (Argentina) to the same sister Gaetana, a very cordial woman rich in apostolic zeal whom the Mother Foundress used to carry her everywhere she intended to open new homes giving her new responsibilities and tasks, she wrote: "I wish you were five so that you could have the Blessed Sacrament at home. One sister, Therese,  perhaps can help once she begins her sisterhood and I may send you sr Bonaventure if you think she can be of help to you."
(Lettere e Testimonianze, p.714).
The Tabernacle was her first point of reference and her refuge in particular when she felt drained of her energies. We can say that since her religious life was in an uplift mood she used to be for long
before the Blessed Sacrament. "How many a time did we find her very late kneeling before the Tabernacle" Sr Mary Rose of the Custodian Angels said in her testimony (Lettere e Testimonianze, p. 872).

HER PECULIARITY WAS TO SERVE THE SICK KNEELING DOWN

"She had a special devotion towards the Blessed Sacrament whom she used to pray with her arms wide open for long time. Often times she used to visit the Blessed Sacrament and she used to exhort us saying:' when you pass in front of a church where the Blessed Sacrament is exposed, don't miss paying a visit to the Lord' added Sr Emilia of St Francis (Lettere e Testimonianze, p.853). Sr Cecilia of St Felix remembers vividly the wish of the Blessed Foundress: "How I wish at least that you visit the Blessed Sacrament as many times as you can, and each time she came back home as we used to go and greet her, she would tell us:' leave me because first I must greet the Master of the house and then I greet you" (Summarium super virtutibus, #400).
And Sr Colette of St Clare, a nun worthy of her franciscan call, remembers how great was her love for her fellow sisters throughout her long life: "She used to receive daily Holy Communion and she often times exhorted us to pay visits to the Blessed Sacrament while telling us: that if we couldn't pay a visit by saying five Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory, at least we should greet the Blessed Sacrament begging from Him his protection" (Summarium, #148).
In her prayers she used to get lost in union with the Lord that even when we used to call her she didn't head us" (Summarium #223) perhaps she was lost in ecstasy. Mary Rose Martini, a religious nun who took the name as  Sr Mary Frances of Jesus, when she was still very young at the age of seven noticed how the Blessed "prayed with great faith as if God were there in front of her" (Summarium, #787). During difficult and hard times we have always noticed her as filled with a
great spirit of trust and faith in God, due to her closeness with the Blessed Sacrament in front of whom she prayed before beginning her daily tasks" Sr Catherine of St. Blaise affirmed.
In front of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist she experienced her serenity and joyfulness. If some  very sick person refused to reconcile himself with God and receive the sacraments, the Blessed used to go in front of the Blessed Sacrament praying for that very sick person. Her strong faith granted her whatever she requested. In fact there are many examples of conversion which were considered as impossible cases: this seemed to be her peculiarity. Sr Eugene Musso in her deposition said:
"The Mother while in America through her strong devotion to the Blessed Sacrament obtained the conversion of many" (Summarium, #930).

"SHE SEEMED LIKE WANTING  'TO EAT' THE BLESSED SACRAMENT"

When she used to pray by herself in the chapel, she stood as close as possible to the Tabernacle and "she seemed like wanting to eat the Blessed Sacrament" (Summarium, #149, cf Summarium, #653).  Sr Philip of St Michael, a very dear nun to the Mother Foundress, during the process of canonization expressed  the eucharistic passion of the Blessed Mother: "She used to invite us to join her in praying to the Blessed Sacrament, especially when she was afflicted by some serious problem or when she was asking for some special grace and also the thank the Lord for the favours she received from Him. While praying by herself in the chapel she kept her arms outstretched and her eyes fixed on the Tabernacle and we every now and then went to see her without letting her seeing us; when in prayer together with the community she kept her arms crossed on her chest, as the other
sisters, imitating in this way our seraphic father St Francis. She never got tired in exhorting us to nurture a devotion towards the Eucharist and she wanted us to visit the Blessed Sacrament at least
five times a day and at the end of the day we had to tell her that we did what she ordered us" (Summarium, ##479-480).
She kept repeating to the sisters: "How I wish that at least one hundred times a day you would go to visit the Blessed Sacrament...", "she felt happy each time she opened the door of the chapel each time she passed by the chapel and used to say to Jesus: Lord, I love you"
Sr Angele Zunino gave in her testimony. The Blessed Mother always gave the good example. Each time she visited a house of the sisters went directly to "greet first the Master of the house" and wanted to have it as a rule for her community that each time a sister would leave or return to the house she would visit the Blessed Sacrament.

WHEN SHE KNOCKED AT THE DOOR OF THE TABERNACLE

While on visiting the house at Alberdi near Rosario, she came  to know that one of her sisters was going more to the hutch checking on her two roasters and nine hens than going to pay visits to the Blessed Sacrament.  So she made her pick up her belongings and moved her to another house. Her first solicitude was not to miss the daily Holy Communion. Sr Valerie of St Peter Chrisologus narrates: "Early in the morning while we were at Genoa we used to bake bread and she was
always with us. When the bell for Holy Mass and Communion rang even if we would not have finished she used to tell us: My daughters, St Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi used to go to receive Holy Communion with her hands still dirty with pastry" (Lettere e Testimonianze, #767). Then the sisters would go to receive Holy Communion. To the sisters who were on night duty with the sick, she used to exhort them: "See that you spend the night with the purest of intentions for the greater glory of
God, and offer all the hardships to Jesus in preparation for the Holy Communion" (Lettere e Testimonianze, #873-874).
Magdalene Martino from Loano referred that one day she heard her say: "When I have Jesus in my heart, I have all". (Summarium, Responsio Patorni ad Animadversiones, p. 80). In order to keep as long as possible the recollection with Jesus, it had become a norm within the community of the sisters to have breakfast and the making of rooms and beds in silence. Sr Valentine of St Therese remembered that when she was still a novice while with other fellow novices had uttered some
words. Just at that moment the Mother arrived ... and for a fortnight they stood in complete silence" (Summarium, #560), which was later reduced to one week.
Sr Isabel of St Louis, who described her as a true "bonfire ardent with love of God and neighbour" remembered that when she had nothing to feed her sisters, and this was a common feature at the time, she used to go to the Tabernacle, knocking at the door with filial confidence saying: "O Lord! Do you think that your brides will cease to recur to youin their necessities? Take care to what they need, because I'm not in a position to feed them..." (Summarium, Ex Documentis, p. 386). The Spouse never let them down. She used to recommend to the sisters often times: "When you are in need of some grace, recur to Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and He will heed to your request" (Summarium, #761). She was more than convinced of this in particular from her own experience.

ALTO ALEGRE'S MARTYRS' SENDING OFF

Having accepted to work together with the Capuchin Fathers from Lombardy after a written request received in April 1898 from the then general minister of the Order, Fr Bernard of Andermatt, she said : "Is it not in my power to answer to this request?" She prayed before the Tabernacle before taking a decision. She chose five young sisters from the communities in Uruguay and Argentina and she herself accompanied them to the new mission. One sister who witnessed the departure of the sisters of the 6th May 1898, described their departure: " As soon as lunch had finished, more than eating we were shedding a lot of tears, as the vehicles arrived to carry the sisters, the Mother gathered her sisters around the Blessed Sacrament, I myself was there. In the chapel she exhorted her sisters to receive the blessing of the Lord.
We were all there in the chapel. We who remained were shedding tears, while the departing sisters who were leaving, kneeling down with us, made their consecration to Jesus saying: - Good Jesus, here we are in front of you. You know where we are going and for what aim we are leaving. Do not allow us to come less in our faith and love towards you: we are ready even for martyrdom whatever it may be but not loose our faith".  Sr Rosalyn of Blessed Angel of Acri described the scene:
Having finished our offering to Jesus, we came out of the chapel and greeted each other saying: "Au revoir, au revoir in heaven" (Lettere e Testimonianze, # 872). They reached their destination soon after.
Their total giving of oneself, today as in the past, cannot prescind from a close affinity to the Eucharist, which is a memorial of the Calvary and the Resurrection that gives the strength to face
victoriously the small and big challenges.

"IF SHE COMES WITH THE LORD IN HER MOUTH, I GRANT HER WISH"

Many are the witnesses and remembrances which describe the most faithful, constant love of Blessed Rubatto to the Eucharistic Sacrament. One at least for its originality needs to be recorded. A group of ladies under the chairmanship of Mgr Leon had built two halls, one as a school, and the other as a laboratory. But Mother Frances's aim was to have a house for the sisters and a chapel. She "had accepted as a resident pensioner a very rich lady who was blind; the sisters took care of her. Often times the Mother spoke to her about her wish but this seemed like falling into deaf ears. One day she called Sr Frances Consonni, just as she had received Holy Communion and told her: go to Mrs Mary and tell her that you came to her with the Lord still in your mouth asking her to fulfil Mother Frances's desire ... Mrs Mary Costa thought a bit and after a short time exclaimed: "Have you come with the Lord in your mouth? Well tell Mother that I am granting her wish" (Summarium, Ex Documentis p. 392).
In fact Mrs Mary Costa left all her wealth to the building of the house for sisters and the chapel and the Belvedere college-lyceum, at no. 36 Carlo Maria Ramirez Avenue, Montevideo. In the chapel dedicated to the Blessed Trinity and to St Anthony as was Mrs Costa's wish, the venerated remains of the Foundress were kept for some time. The strong faith of the Foundress and her total abandonment to her spouse and Lord had once again  overrun any resistance to give way to new vigour and ardour to the mission of Uruguay.

Graziella Merlatti