Our Foundress
The Servant Of God, Mother Margherita De Brincat, whose Cause of Beatification is in progress at the Congregation of the Saints in Rome, was a strong, brave and far sighted woman.
Virginia De Brincat, as she was called in Baptism, made a Vow of virginity when she was 15 years old. On December 8, 1877, she was accepted as a Member of the Association of the Twelve Stars of the Heart of Jesus. After repeated pleas, on February 5, 1881, she was accepted as a Member of the newly founded Religious Congregation of the Franciscan Tertiaries.
When she was still young, Reverend Joseph Diacono chose her as General Secretary of the Congregation. When the new house in Birkirkara was opened in 1885, Mother Margherita became the Superior and also taught there. Her life is very tightly interwoven with that of the Congregation of which she was General Superior for many years, and for a span of more than 24 years. Justifiably she is considered the Foundress, having, in 1887, bravely taken the responsibility of guiding the Congregation when it was in danger of being suppresse d. Mother Margherita knew how to overcome the serious situation of the Congregation – both internal and external – collaborating fully with the then Bishop, Msgr. Pietro Pace.
It was when Mother Margherita was General Superior, that the Congregation spread beyond the confinements of the Maltese Islands. In 1907, the house in Corfu' was opened to give spiritual assistance to the numerous Maltese who had emigrated there. In 1922, the first two houses were opened in Sicily, Italy – in Troina and Regalbuto. In 1927, Mother Margherita was a Member of the General Council when, also through her enthusiastic support, the request of the Capuchin Friar Angelo Mizzi OFM. Cap., to send Nuns to Ethiopia was accepted. Above all, she deserves credit for having given the Congregation that spiritually valuable and apostolically dynamic characteristic, when she guided it for many years.
From 1911 to 1917, she served as the Superior of the House of Corfu', in Greece, and between 1924 to 1929, as the First Superior of the House of Adoration in Valletta, Malta. She later served furthermore as Superior at Xaghra, Gozo, from 1930 until 1940.
Subsequently, because of ill health, she lived the last years of her life up to her death, at the Mother House, Victoria, Gozo. Mother Margherita always nurtured a very cordial relationship with Rev. Giuseppe Diacono. Very often, he continued to give the sisters moral and material help, so much so that for Mother Margherita, he remained "the Founder", and this is how she referred to him. Mother Margherita died in odour of sanctity on January 22, 1952, at the Mother House, in Victoria, at the venerable age of 89, sorely missed by the Sisters and all those who had the fortune to know her.
On July 4, 1988, the Diocese of Gozo, initiated the Process of her Beatification.
Last summer (2014), His Holiness the Pope, signed the official decree by which Mother Margherita is to be called Venerable and this is the very first step towards the proclamation of sainthood.
"Inħobbu l-imħabba mhix maħbuba għax mhux magħrufa."
Madre Margherita De Brincat
Virginia De Brincat, as she was called in Baptism, made a Vow of virginity when she was 15 years old. On December 8, 1877, she was accepted as a Member of the Association of the Twelve Stars of the Heart of Jesus. After repeated pleas, on February 5, 1881, she was accepted as a Member of the newly founded Religious Congregation of the Franciscan Tertiaries.
When she was still young, Reverend Joseph Diacono chose her as General Secretary of the Congregation. When the new house in Birkirkara was opened in 1885, Mother Margherita became the Superior and also taught there. Her life is very tightly interwoven with that of the Congregation of which she was General Superior for many years, and for a span of more than 24 years. Justifiably she is considered the Foundress, having, in 1887, bravely taken the responsibility of guiding the Congregation when it was in danger of being suppresse d. Mother Margherita knew how to overcome the serious situation of the Congregation – both internal and external – collaborating fully with the then Bishop, Msgr. Pietro Pace.
It was when Mother Margherita was General Superior, that the Congregation spread beyond the confinements of the Maltese Islands. In 1907, the house in Corfu' was opened to give spiritual assistance to the numerous Maltese who had emigrated there. In 1922, the first two houses were opened in Sicily, Italy – in Troina and Regalbuto. In 1927, Mother Margherita was a Member of the General Council when, also through her enthusiastic support, the request of the Capuchin Friar Angelo Mizzi OFM. Cap., to send Nuns to Ethiopia was accepted. Above all, she deserves credit for having given the Congregation that spiritually valuable and apostolically dynamic characteristic, when she guided it for many years.
From 1911 to 1917, she served as the Superior of the House of Corfu', in Greece, and between 1924 to 1929, as the First Superior of the House of Adoration in Valletta, Malta. She later served furthermore as Superior at Xaghra, Gozo, from 1930 until 1940.
Subsequently, because of ill health, she lived the last years of her life up to her death, at the Mother House, Victoria, Gozo. Mother Margherita always nurtured a very cordial relationship with Rev. Giuseppe Diacono. Very often, he continued to give the sisters moral and material help, so much so that for Mother Margherita, he remained "the Founder", and this is how she referred to him. Mother Margherita died in odour of sanctity on January 22, 1952, at the Mother House, in Victoria, at the venerable age of 89, sorely missed by the Sisters and all those who had the fortune to know her.
On July 4, 1988, the Diocese of Gozo, initiated the Process of her Beatification.
Last summer (2014), His Holiness the Pope, signed the official decree by which Mother Margherita is to be called Venerable and this is the very first step towards the proclamation of sainthood.
"Inħobbu l-imħabba mhix maħbuba għax mhux magħrufa."
Madre Margherita De Brincat