St. Benedicta Cambiagio began her adult life as a wife, and ended it as a nun. Along the way, she continued to work closely with her husband.

She was born in Italy in 1791, and had parents that conscientiously formed her in the faith. When she was 20 years old, she had a mystical experience that encouraged her to pursue a vocation to live as a nun, but her parents preferred that she marry. Out of obedience to them, she married Giovanni Frassinello in 1816.

The couple lived a normal married life for two years, until Giovanni recognized in Benedicta a genuine and deep desire to live as a dedicated religious sister. They decided to live together as brother and sister. Benedicta’s younger sister, Martha, was sick with cancer and the couple took her into their home and nursed her through the final stages of the illness until she died.

After Martha died, Giovanni and Benedicta both decided to enter religious communities to live lives consecrated to God alone. The idea did not last long as Benedicta’s health failed. She was cured miraculously through the intercession of St. Jerome Emiliani, and rededicated herself to religious life and to the education of young girls.

Working with her bishop, she reformed the approach to educating women. Because of the enormity of the task, the bishop requested Giovanni to help her. The two made a vow of chastity to the bishop as they set out on their work, but that did not stop many from gossiping. Benedicta turned her work over to the bishop so that she would not get in the way, and withdrew to a convent in a different town.

Eventually, Benedicta opened a different school and founded a religious community of her own, which is entirely dedicated to the education of young girls. The spirituality of her community is marked by a confidence in God, and abandonment to God’s will.

Her image is used here with permission from Catholic.org.

St. Benedicta Cambiagio Frassinello, you were the wife who became a nun to transform education for girls, pray for us!