“Thirteen Reasons Why…”

In the choral circular letter of July 2019 (n. 989), Mother

General, in laying down plans for the celebration of the
150th anniversary of the Institute in 2022, recommended
that “... for this year marked by thanksgiving, [we] live with
special solemnity the feast of St. Maria D. Mazzarello with
an accurate and engaging preparation and allowing
gratitude to emerge for the gift of her holiness and for
current events of the Salesian mission in the world. ”

Despite the lockdown and the uncertainty of what will

follow it, we can prepare for May 13 with a sincere filial love
for Mother Mazzarello, and really understand why she is la
Madre for us.

Inspired by an initiative of the Historical Archives of Nizza

Monferrato taking up a letter of MM a day, (see https://www.cgfmanet.org/en/ifma-
en/salesian-charism/a-letter-a-day/) we would like to propose this initiative:

Some years ago, a book and a Netflix show based on the book became a sensation
especially among teenagers. “Thirteen Reasons Why” was an instant hit because it was a
graphic portrayal of the teen issues of bullying and suicide, which sometimes follows as a
consequence. For some critics, though, the book, and the television series, seemed a
glorification of suicide, attributing this to external triggers.

In a culture of death such as ours today, we would like to present Mother Mazzarello as a
model of a woman who generates life in all those who come to know her. Through 13 of
her letters (why 13? Simply because we cannot take all her 68 letters between today and
her feast, and 13 is a number especially associated with Mother Mazzarello), we would like
to know her secret of being able to awaken life in the hearts of the Sisters and the young
people living with her, and to thus draw inspiration and hope from what she can teach us.

We’re calling this initiative “Thirteen Reasons Why… I Thank God for Mother Mazzarello.”

MATERIALS NEEDED: a copy of the Letters of MM

a white board or flat surface that can serve as a Freedom Wall
white board markers/ post-its / slips of paper

MODALITY:

* We are invited to use the letter for personal prayer or meditation. What word of MM
seems personally addressed to you? What is she telling you in your particular situation?
Engage MM in dialogue over this.

* So that we will not just rush through the letters, we’ll leave a day in between to give us
ample time to read, savor and reflect on the letters.

DATES LETTERS1
 April 18 #17: the first letter, in chronological order, addressed to the missionaries
who left on November 14, 1877. Mother Mazzarello writes to her far-away
daughters a year after their departure. In the letter we find advices on
animating the community and on the co-responsibility of animation with
the animators. It is interesting to note how Mother Mazzarello insists on
the need to communicate and to keep in frequent contact with the Mother
House through letters. This is probably due to a natural apprehension for
the first missionary Sisters. But we can also note that the style of family-
like simplicity characteristic of the first communities born in Italy, which
shared joys and difficulties with Mother Mazzarello, was also characteristic
of the new communities in South America.
April 20 # 22: This is the longest of MM’s letters. Although it was addressed to Sr.
Angela Vallese, it has a collective character, addressed to the missionaries
of the first and second missionary expeditions. For MM, the community is a
schola amoris, a privileged place where we can grow in the sequela Christi
and in discipleship. This is a letter that is theologically, spiritually and
scripturally dense. It probably reflects the deep recent experience of the
Sisters of the community of Mornese, including MM, who had to leave
Mornese to transfer to Nizza.
April 22 # 24: Addressed to Sr. Giuseppina Paccotto, who was the formator of the
postulants together with Mother Petronilla, the letter is an encouragement
to Sr. Giuseppina in her new role.
April 24 # 25: A personal letter for Sr. Angela Vallese, which gives practical
counsels for the formation of the Sisters and some news about the
community of Nizza. Here MM treats themes that must have been dear
and important to her, since she also mentioned them in other letters.
April 26 # 26: Written to the Sisters of the first missionary expedition, the letter
expresses MM’s desire to be close to her Sisters of Villa Colón, the first
FMA community opened in South America. She exhorts them to make the
attitudes of Jesus, the Teacher who is “meek and humble of heart” their
own, and to learn how to count the days of their lives to attain true
wisdom, knowing that the greatest blessedness is to be with God forever.
April 28 # 27: Again, though addressed to Sr. Angela Vallese, the letter speaks
personally to the Sisters of the two communities of Montevideo (Villa Colón
and Las Piedras), both of which were under the responsibility of Sr.
Angela. The structure of the letter is very simple; one can perceive a
regular cadence of spiritual exhortations and news about the communities
of Mornese and Nizza.
April 30 # 37: The first of three letters for her Daughters who are farthest away.
The community of Carmen de Patagones was opened in 1880 in the land
that Don Bosco literally dreamed of most often. La Madre gives news of
the expansion of the Institute, and again writes about themes she had
mentioned in other letters, making us understand that these are the pillars
she believes are necessary for religious life.
May 2 # 40: In this letter MM thanks the Sisters for their greetings on her name
day and for news received. She also encourages them to live as “true
religious.”

1
Some comments on the letters are taken from “Se un mare immenso…” Riflessioni sulle lettere di S. Maria Domenica
Mazzarello alle missionarie by Sr. Patrizia Rossi. Roma, Istituto FMA, 2002.
 May 4 # 47: This is the last letter addressed to Sr. Vallese as the community
animator. In it MM gives news of the expansion of the congregation in
Italy in terms of vocations and works, as well as news of Sisters who were
dying. We also find a strong community accent, starting from the
salutation (“My dearest Sr. Angiolina and all the Sisters”) to the
recommendations given to individual Sisters in the community
May 6 # 49: MM writes to the Sisters of St.-Cyr-sur-Mer, who did not want to
accept the new superior sent to take the place of Sr. Caterina Daghero.
Note how MM handles the situation.
May 8 # 64: Sr. Giuseppina Pacotto was novice mistress in Mornese and in 1881
left with the third missionary expedition. MM wanted to leave a written
“souvenir” for the missionaries who had asked her for it. The resulting
letter can be considered as a kind of “manual” for living the spirit of
Mornese.
May 10 # 66: In this brief letter to a departing missionary, MM enumerates the
essential points for keeping the spirit of Mornese alive and strong. Though
simple in its formulation, the letter is dense with precious reminders for
one who is immersed in active work for the Lord.
May 12 # 68: The third letter written to the Sisters of Carmen de Patagones, and
the last letter written by MM, about a month before her death, when
illness had already undermined her health. It was written as a reply to a
previous letter, and contains the last recommendation of MM on the
essential virtues to truly live a life of holiness.

* A Freedom Wall will be set up in a visible part of the house until MM’s feast on May 13.
Everyone is invited to take time to post or write excerpts from the letter, an insight, a
word that stands out in the letter, a prayer, an intention – anything that the letter of the
day evokes in your heart.

* The Sisters will take turns to share their reflections on any theme in the assigned letter
as part of the buona notte on the “in-between” day.

* Each “in-between” day, a kind of synthesis will be posted on the Freedom Wall giving a
reason for thanking God for the gift of MM.
E.g. DAY 1 – … because of the value she gives to each person
DAY 2 – … for the wisdom with which she counsels her Sisters

* The community will agree on and prepare a culminating activity for the feast – a prayer
service, a special Mass (if the lockdown is lifted), etc. – utilizing the reflections of the past
days. Let’s set our creative juices working, and share our initiatives online, so that we can
make MM more known!

Happy preparation for her feast!

DAY 1 #13reasonswhyIthankGodforMM What are you most

grateful for today?