Maria Carola Cecchin was the 5th of 10 children born in 1877 in Padua, Italy. With a typical childhood, her parents set her as an example to imitate for meekness, hard work, intelligence, generosity and love for her family.

At home she was the angel of small cares and attention for her loved ones, happy only to see them happy, without looking for anything for herself. At the age of 18, after a course of Spiritual Exercises, she answered Christ’s call and decided to embrace religious life and entered the Little House of Divine Providence.

In 1905 she left for Kenya with an expedition formed by 6 Cottolenghine Sisters and 2 Missionaries. Supported by prayer, she accepted the sacrifices, anxieties, difficulties of language, climate and cultural contexts. She proved to be wise and prudent, active and pious.

She was appointed Superior and for 20 years she carried out her activity as “mother and sister” of the poorest people in extremely difficult situations. She made the areas she visited habitable and cultivated gardens for food. She traveled the area visiting the sick and catechizing the young women.

She fell seriously ill and found herself torn between the thirst for souls and the moral and physical collapse. Like so many of the sisters, she was eager to see the Little House Convent again but by her own free will, chose to be the last to leave Kenya.

She began the arduous and risky journey back across the Red Sea, and during the crossing, she worsened in condition. She died on November 13, 1925 while on the steam ship and her coffin was buried in the waves of the Red Sea.

In 2020, the Pope authorized the publication of the decree on her heroic virtues and on December 13, 2021 he recognized a miracle attributed to her.

https://cottolengokenya.org/our-story/

For God’s Glory.