From its humble beginnings in Lovere, Italy, in 1832, the Sisters of Charity of Saints Bartolomea Capitanio and Vincenza Gerosa—also known as the Sisters of Holy Child Mary—have grown into a global religious institute central to the Church’s mission of mercy. Rooted in the charism of Jesus the Redeemer, they embody that same love through education, health care, formation, and adaptive services for the poor and marginalized.

1. Origins and Foundation

Inspired by a profound interior call and lived experience of corporal and spiritual mercy, Bartolomea Capitanio, born in 1807 in Lovere, discerned a vocation founded entirely on charity. During prayer and Eucharist she envisioned an Institute dedicated to serving youth and the sick through works of mercy.

On November 21, 1832, at the modest “Conventino” house, she and Catherine Gerosa consecrated themselves before Clergymen Angelo Bosio and Rusticiano Barboglio, officially launching the Institute devoted to serving the needy.

2. Founding Figures: Bartolomea Capitanio & Vincenza Gerosa

Bartolomea Capitanio was educated by the Poor Clares, became a schoolteacher, and carried a burning desire to emulate Christ’s charity. She launched a girls’ school and dedicated herself to forming an institute “totally founded on charity” before succumbing to tuberculosis in July 1833—only eight months after founding the congregation, entrusting its development to Catherine Gerosa.

Catherine Gerosa, later Sister Vincenza, inherited a family business and used her inheritance to tend to the poorest in Lovere. After joining Bartolomea in founding the Institute, she devoted her life to its expansion—building a hospital, establishing community houses, and nurturing new vocations. She guided the Institute’s growth until her death in June 1847.

In 1840, Pope Gregory XVI issued the decree Multa inter pia, granting recognition to the emerging congregation, and in 1884 the sisters adopted the name Sisters of Maria Bambina honoring the wax image of the Holy Child Mary venerated at their Generalate in Milan.

3. Historical Development and Growth

Following the deaths of its founders, the Institute flourished. By 1964, it counted approximately 8,941 sisters engaged in educational institutions, hospitals, orphanages, and missions across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

The Sisters expanded early into India (1860), followed by Bangladesh, Myanmar (1916), and other countries, responding to plagues, poverty, and war with pastoral presence and charity Iives.

During World Wars I and II, the sisters staffed military and civilian hospitals, refugee camps, and cared for orphans and suffering populations. The ordeal fortified their identity and mission. Later, Vatican II inspired a renewal to adapt their charism to contemporary needs while preserving fidelity to their founding spirit.

4. Spirituality and Vincentian Connection

Their spirituality centers on Jesus the Redeemer—His life, suffering, and sacrifice—as the norm and guide. They strive to conform to His humanness by loving with “charity, gentleness and humility,” immersing themselves in Eucharist and personal/communal prayer, learning daily to lay down their lives in service.

Mary, especially under the title Maria Bambina, plays a maternal and symbolic role for the Institute. Her nativity mystery reminds them of new beginnings and solidarity with the incarnate Redeemer.

The Vincentian charism is evident in their spiritual and institutional roots. Under Angelo Bosio’s guidance, their initial constitutions were based on those of the Sisters of Charity of St. Jeanne-Antide Thouret. Their charism remains centered on service to the poor through a spirituality of mercy and community-based apostolic living, hallmarks of the Vincentian tradition.

5. Global Presence

Today the Sisters are present across continents: in Europe (Italy, Spain, Romania, the UK), the Americas (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Peru, the United States), Africa (Egypt, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia), and Asia (India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Japan, Nepal, Thailand, Israel).

6. Development of the Charism Today

As the world evolves, the sisters commit to a dialogue of charity, shaped by interculturality, internationality, and solidarity. Their apostolic service builds universal brotherhood in Jesus the Redeemer, moving beyond cultural divides and fostering mutual enrichment through sincere collaboration.

They emphasize community living, mutual sharing among sisters, and formation experiences—ensuring that charity remains practical, discerning, and deeply inculturated.

7. Apostolic Services

Educational Service

The Sisters operate schools, youth centers, catechetical programs, and adult education efforts worldwide, focusing on the holistic development of young girls and vulnerable youth—extending their founding mission of Christian education for all in need.

Health Service

Following Bartolomea and Vincenza’s example, the sisters run hospitals, clinics, home care, elderly homes, and care for the sick. Services are offered often at no cost, especially for those without access to medical care.

Formation to Faith

They offer catechesis, faith formation, retreats, vocations work, and ongoing spiritual support in local communities and among members—a continuation of their founders’ commitment to religious education and spiritual life.

8. Responding to Emerging Needs

In response to current global realities—refugees, poverty, interreligious tensions—the Sisters adapt their services creatively. For instance, the Asian Friendship Organization in Myanmar, founded in 1990, works with Japanese volunteers to sponsor education for children; it serves about 230 children yearly, combining community engagement, fundraising, and intercultural solidarity.

Beyond that, they address needs such as psychiatric aid, social ministry in slums, care for migrants, environmental outreach, and empowerment of women— always renewing their charism in light of present-day challenges.

9. Structure of Spiritual Fraternity

Beyond its religious members, the Institute fosters a wider Spiritual Fraternity: laypeople and secular members who embrace the spirituality of Saints Capitanio and Gerosa. This fraternity cherishes core elements: union with Jesus’ love, cheerfulness of heart, humble service, and mission in communion with others. It nurtures shared prayer, lectio divina, community life, and participation in Eucharist and retreats, thus enriching diverse states of life with a guiding charism.

10. Legacy and Identity Today

The Sisters continue to produce research, biographies, and spiritual literature— such as the multi-volume histories of the Institute and writings on their foundresses— keeping alive the sense that “history is sacred” and God’s presence actively shaping their destiny.

They remain rooted in institutions across continents, headquartered in Milan, carrying forward the name Sisters of Holy Child Mary— a living tradition of service, faith formation, education, and healthcare for those on society’s margins.

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The Sisters of Charity of Saints Bartolomea Capitanio and Vincenza Gerosa are a vibrant manifestation of Vincentian charity in the modern world. From their Novara origins at Lovere to a worldwide religious institute, they bear witness to a spirituality centered on Christ’s redeeming love, lived among the most vulnerable. Their legacy—founded on contemplative insight and sacrificial service—continues today through education, healthcare, faith formation, and intercultural outreach.

Their charism invites not only religious but also lay collaborators into a deeper participation in Christ’s mission: to serve with gentleness, humility, and joy, becoming instruments of mercy to the “least.” As they adapt to new realities, the Sisters continue to honor their founders’ vision—to be channels of God’s love, wherever human need is greatest.

Contact:

• Address: Via Santa Sofia 13, Milan
• Telephone: +39 02 583451
• Web: https://www.suoredimariabambina.org/
• Email: redazioneweb@suoredimariabambina.org