Education, mission and presence
Suore Missionarie Immacolata Regina Pacis
The presence of Suore Missionarie Immacolata Regina Pacis has been linked to the educational and pastoral history of Sant’Agabio since 1940.
A presence in the community
A gift for Sant’Agabio
The presence of the Suore Missionarie Immacolata Regina Pacis in our parish is also a gift that came about thanks to the intervention of Don Francesco Brustia, who felt the need for assistance in looking after the education of young girls, whilst he was entrusted with the care of the young men.
1940
The beginning of the Sisters’ presence
In 1940, Father Francesco found an opportunity to rent a house in Via San Lorenzo al Pozzo, and some people who helped him cover the costs, amongst whom was a lady who was already familiar with the Congregation founded by Padre Francesco Pianzola, to whom, in November of that same year, the parish priest made a request to have some Sisters in our parish.
The Father, considering us already an urban parish, was sceptical about this request; however, after carrying out an inspection, he became convinced that the presence of the Sisters would bring nothing but good to these areas; the nuns would be able to carry out their role of providing spiritual assistance to the ‘mondariso’ – young girls and mothers who devoted themselves, for the sake of their families, to the difficult and labourious task of weeding rice. The presence of the Suore Missionarie Immacolata Regina Pacis in our parish is also a gift that came about thanks to the intervention of Don Francesco Brustia, who felt the need for help in looking after the education of young girls, whilst he was entrusted with the care of the young men.
In 1940, Father Francesco found an opportunity to rent a house in Via San Lorenzo al Pozzo, and some people who helped him cover the costs, amongst whom was a lady who was already familiar with the Congregation founded by Padre Francesco Pianzola; in November of that same year, the parish priest made a request to have some nuns in our parish.
15 December 1940
The arrival of the first three nuns
During his visit, Father Pianzola also saw some abandoned children on the street and became even more convinced of the need for the presence of his nuns; indeed, on 15 December 1940, the first three arrived in our parish and were accommodated in a house comprising five rooms and a small courtyard; they were greeted by a crowd of children who accompanied them to the parish church, where Father Francesco welcomed them. This marked the beginning of the first groups of girls, who later became members of Catholic Action, gathering together to learn to sew and to play. Meanwhile, the nursery was also established, attracting an ever-increasing number of children.
In 1949, the lady who had granted use of the premises needed them back for family reasons, so the congregation purchased a house with a large plot of land surrounding it, where the nursery and the youth club are still located today. With the opening of Antillone, the nuns became a mainstay of the summer camps for boys and girls from Sant’Agabio.
Just as they are now with the Grest and the School Camps.
A presence that continues
In the life of the parish
One cannot speak of our parish without mentioning our nuns; so many have come and gone, so many have since been sent on to other missions, and some have returned; so many faces, so many smiles, so many hands offering a warm embrace.
A gentle presence, never intrusive, but heaven forbid it should ever be lost. A presence that supports, that welcomes, that rejoices in people’s happy moments, but that offers support in dark and painful times… To them we extend our thanks