Eurosia Fabris, Beatified Sunday, hailed as friend to the poor, model of openness to religious life

Vatican City, Nov 6, 2005 / 22:00 pm

On Sunday, in the cathedral of Vicenza, Italy, Third Order lay Franciscan, Eurosia Fabris, also known as “Mother Rosa”, was  pronounced Blessed, thus completing her next major step on the path to sainthood.

Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins C.M.F., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, performed the rite for beatification in the name of Pope Benedict and according to new norms laid out by the Holy Father.

Eurosia Fabris was the mother of nine children, three of them became priests.

Despite the lack of financial means during her life, the newly Blessed Fabris (1866-1932) spent much of her life helping the poor and providing a home to children orphaned by World War I.

She was the daughter of agricultural workers, and left school after just two years of primary education in order to help her parents at their work in the home and the fields.

Despite her lack of formal education, she learned to read and write, one of her favorite books being "Eternal Maxims" by St. Alphonsus Liguori. She married Carlo Barban, a widower with three daughters, by whom she had nine children--three of whom became priests.

Her cause for beatification was taken up in 1975, and in 2004, a miracle was officially recognized as having come through her intervention; she is said to have healed a sick woman thought by doctors to be beyond recovery.

Bishop Cesare Nosiglia of Vicenza, who co-presided with Cardinal Martins in the Beatification said in his homily, that "Mother Rosa represents a model of sanctity accessible to everyone…”

He said that “as a wife and mother she lived, with the commitment of evangelical simplicity, ... a daily family life, accepting its pains and suffering in the constant search for the will of God."

The bishop also noted that the many religious vocations which came out of Blessed Fabris’ family would today, be considered as a cause for concern in many households.

 For Eurosia, however, "the joy of seeing her children take the path of consecrated life ... was a source of consolation," he said.