Mother Elisabetta Vanni

Born: 1873
Mother General: 1925-1945
Died: 1962

She was born in San Giovanni in Marignano on December 2,1873 and died in Rimini after 70 years of religious life.

She was born in a deeply Christian family. The Vanni family had the privilege of giving five daughters to the Lord, all of them in the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows.

She was elected Superior General on August 31,1925.

As Mother General, demonstrated wisdom, much humanity and spiritual tact in dealing with the sisters. She cultivated her heart with the vigilance of a contemplative person. She emulated the virtues of Mother Foundress: spirit of sacrifice, prayer, common sense, determination, and strength in times of difficulties. Her main concerns were the spiritual formation of the sisters and their education.

She worked to compile guidelines which would lead the sisters throughout the whole day. From that research came to light the Directory which we still use. When she presented it to the sisters she wrote, “Be concern about your spiritual welfare, I hope that every word written in this book will penetrated your heart and make your soul ever more beautiful… In our personal life and in the congregation we need to bring a reawakening, a new beat, a new thirst for perfection… May God bless every word I have written, may he give each one of you the strength and the perseverance to realize it in your life, convinced that the only necessary goal for the sisters is to search God and to become holy.”