The first of Gianantonio Gerosa and Giacomina Macario's four daughters, including Francesca,

who passed away around the same time as her father, Caterina Gerosa was born in Lovere on
October 29, 1784. Mother passed away in 1814.

Gerosa was a shy youngster who started her education at Gandino under the tutelage of the
Benedictines. Her ill health, however, prevented her from completing her studies.She left as a
result and went back to Lovere, where she hung out behind the counter of the shop her parents
ran. Her father worked in the leather industry as a tanner .

Gerosa lost her relations in rapid succession and was left alone to manage the business; she
prayed, used her inheritance to provide charitable works in the area and became active in her
local parish. Gerosa organized a women's group with meetings and spiritual retreats and even
founded a practical school to teach poor girls of the area domestic work so as to improve their
situation in life. She liked to tend to the grapevines for making wine and loved the idea that the
grapes would go towards the sacramental wine used as part of the Eucharistic rite as the Blood of
Christ.

In Lovere, she had a chance encounter with Bartolomea Capitanio, a teacher.In the fall of 1832,
the two established a religious institute located in Casa de Gaia, which was financed with the
assets of Gerosa's estate.She took the vows in the parish of San Giorgio on November 21, 1832,
with Capitanio, in front of the priests Rusticiano Barboglio and Angelo Bosio. In 1833, her
companion and friend Capitanio passed away. Gerosa was tempted to return to her former life at
Lovere, but she decided to carry on the work the two had begun after being persuaded to do so
by her spiritual director .

On June 29, 1847, at Lovere, Gerosa passed away from a protracted illness. In countries
including Japan and the United Kingdom, there were 5068 religious in a total of 447 homes in
2005. The motherhouse of the order is situated at 13 Via Santa Sofia in Milan.