The announcement concerning the foundress of the Institute of the Daughters of S. Maria of Leuca was made by mgr. Vito Angiulli. Appointment Sunday June 25 at the Sanctuary de finibus terrae.
On February 23, Pope Francis authorized Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, to promulgate the Decree concerning the miracle attributed to the intercession of the Venerable Servant of God, Mother Elisa Martinez, thus paving the way for his beatification.
The miracle concerns the birth of a girl from the Marches who risked not being able to come into the world due to a series of sudden complications in her mother’s pregnancy, in her fifth month of gestation. The clinical recovery and therefore the birth of the child were considered unexplainable events from a scientific point of view, even by the doctors. This miracle is a sign of God’s mercy and is a strong message of great relevance for our time, which is experiencing the sad phenomenon of the growing drop in the birth rate, an indication of an individualistic and pro-abortionist mentality and a lack of hope in the future. The birth of this little girl, wanted by her mother insistently, even against the advice of the doctors who advised her to have an abortion, is a hymn to life and shows that God is “the Lord, lover of life” (Wis 11:16).
Venerable Mother Elisa was born in Galatina on 25 March 1905 to Giacomo and Francesca Rizzelli, into a wealthy and numerous (8 children) family of sound moral and religious principles. From an early age, she was distinguished by a natural transport towards the ideals of faith and prayer and by a particular love for the benefit of the most defenseless and of childhood. Mons. Giuseppe Ruotolo, Bishop of Ugento, on 20 March 1938, welcomed her into her diocese and allowed her to open a religious community in Miggiano. In 1941, he suggested that she name the religious institute, which he approved, “Daughters of Santa Maria di Leuca”.
The purpose of the religious congregation is to devote itself to catechesis in parishes, early childhood education, assistance to single mothers, prisoners and emigrant brothers scattered throughout the world. Deeply in love with Christ, with the Church, with suffering humanity and constantly drawing inspiration from Jesus’ exhortation: “Whatever you did to the least of my brothers, you did it to me” (Mt 25:40), Mother Elisa poured energies of mind and heart into the missionary work of evangelization and human promotion, as she herself affirms with conviction in a letter to the nuns, dated 20 October 1985: «We are bearers of the image of Christ in the world, not instruments of activity. Sent by the Church, we do not represent ourselves: in fidelity to our mission, we are linked to the Church, our Mother and, by vocation, we are her presence in the world”.
Faithful to the original charism, the Institute of the Daughters of S. Maria of Leuca, in over eighty years of activity, has spread to different parts of the world, starting from Italy and Europe, up to America and the Asian continent (India, Philippines).
After a long life spent for the greater glory of God, in honor of the Virgin Mary and for the good of her brothers and sisters, Venerable Mother Elisa, tested like gold in the crucible by great physical and moral suffering, celebrated her “dies natalis”.
As announced by Mons. Vito Angiuli, bishop of the Diocese of Ugento-S. Maria di Leuca, on Sunday 25 June 2023, on the square of the Basilica-Sanctuary of Santa Maria “de finibus terrae”, His Eminence Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, representing the Holy Father Francis, will proclaim Blessed the Venerable Mother Elisa Martinez, during the solemn rite presided over by him, which will begin at 9:00.
The religious family of the Daughters of St. Maria of Leuca and the Diocese of Ugento rejoice in the sanctifying Spirit with the entire universal Church.
