Paola Frassinetti was a ‘moulder of souls’ endowed with faith and extraordinary energy, enamoured of God and completely willing to serve others, especially the most needy. She was born in Genoa two centuries ago, on 3 March 1809, the daughter of poor labourers. After the death of her mother she found herself engaged in being mother to her four brothers, who subsequently became priests. She passed her youth in toil and labour, always sustained by faith and fervent prayer. She helped her brother Giuseppe, parish priest at Quinto. Feeling called to the religious life, but unable to undertake to it for various reasons, she decided to create, together with some generous benefactresses, an Institute dedicated to the education of the young: the Institute of Saint Dorothy. In 1841 she settled in Rome, from where she ran the new congregation until her death.

With apostolic zeal and much faith in divine providence, she founded colleges and convent schools for young girls of all social conditions in Italy, in Portugal and in Brazil. She faced various persecutions and difficulties with virile spirit and total surrender to divine will. “Will of God, you are my paradise” was her motto. She lived esteemed and cherished, surrounded by the affection of many young girls whom she trained in the Christian life. She was beatified in 1930 and canonised a saint in 1984. Under the Protection of the Madonna For her, Mary was the privileged path for going to Jesus. She made herself Mary’s courageous apostle, suggesting to her girls ingenious and original ways to love Her and make Her loved. She wanted that in her humble house the image of Mary should have pride of place. She entrusted to Her the first little group of Dorotheans that she instructed with Catechism lessons and readings from the ‘Glories of Mary’ by Saint Alphonsus.

Ripening her spirituality by means of meditation on the passion of Jesus, her heart was drawn to Our Lady Virgin of Sorrows, whom she named Patroness and Protectress of the Institute. She venerated Her under Her title and privilege of Mary Immaculate and attended, in the Vatican Basilica, the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception on 8 December 1854. She wanted to see, applaud, weep and pray. She remained in the Basilica until two in the afternoon and emerged enraptured by the magnificence of the rite and the fervour towards her wonderful Mummy! The rosary was her constant and favourite prayer: for her it was the infallible means to obtain the most urgent boons from her celestial Mother. Enriched by this love, she repeatedly told her nuns: “Confide in the most pure heart of Mary Immaculate; open your heart to Her with filial trust and you will experience the effects of Her maternal protection.”

Such confidence in Mary and, above all, fervent and affectionate emulation: “Confide in Mary … and study Her virtues in order to emulate them.” In Loreto,Hours of Paradise and Consolation Paola Frassinetti visited the Holy House at least twice. She wanted to inform her father about her first visit, in a letter she wrote him from Macerata on 11 June 1842. She had accompanied four Sisters to that city, opening a House there and stopping there about a month. Before returning to Rome she wanted to grant herself the joy of passing some hours in paradise with the Madonna in Her Holy House. Taking advantage of the close distance from Macerata, the foundress reached Loreto on 22 May 1842. She prayed for a long time with fervour in Mary’s House and also received Communion: “What one feels on entering that sacred hut is inexpressible.” She entrusted her little institute to the Blessed Virgin, recommended to Her each of her daughters, and said a prayer for all her dear ones, especially her father, to whom she subsequently sent a small crucifix.

The “Memoirs” of the Institute evince that the saint came a second time to Loreto, in 1847, probably while visiting her Sisters in Macerata or Bologna, both places being on the road to Loreto. She used to send her Sisters to the Marian city, especially before their departure for distant Brazil, to attain the grace of “refreshing themselves in spirit.” And she took advantage of their visits to send, through the Sisters, some messages to the Queen of the Holy Family.