The Servant of God, Madre Provvidenza, was born Anna Maria Andreani on August 19, 1933, in Cornale di Pradalunga, Province of Bergamo, Italy. Director of a seaside holiday camp in Varazze, she used to educate poor children for free and voluntarily assisted several various mentally handicapped children cared through the Opera San Vincenzo. She also taught at two tuberculosis preventoriums for children at Selvino and Sovere in Bergamo.
Since an early age she desired to enter a cloistered Carmelite Monastery. Taking vows in 1954 at the Cathedral of Saint Ambrose in Varazze, Savona, she became a secular Carmelite at the Sanctuary of Concesa di Trezzo d'Adda, Milan. At thirty years of age she offered herself as a victim for the conversion of a priest. The very next night, in February 1964, she suffered a bilateral glaucoma and completely lost her eyesight.
After undergoing several surgeries to no avail, Father Francesco Cellerino O.Carm., obtained for her an audience with Pope Paul VI on May 28, 1969. She spoke of her vocation of entering Carmel for the sanctification of priests to the Pontiff, but the Pope replied, "Go for the pilgrimage up to the world until you meet a bishop who will welcome you. Welcome all those young people who are lost and are searching for light." "Holiness - replied Anna Maria - I am blind." And the Pope told her: "Fear not: providence will take you".
Her spiritual father of the time, Father Fernando D'Urban, a Camillian, told her "Obey the Pope. Get on a train without asking where it goes, take neither luggage nor money. Believe that God will accompany you. Do not seek anything or anyone, let others seek you".
Boarding a train, providence immediately presented itself to her. A soldier paid her ticket to Rome. From city to city, Anna Maria travelled for seven long years. Father D'Urban kept always in touch with her through phone calls.
Monsignor Giuseppe Franciolini, Bishop of Cortona, in accordance with Cardinal Giuseppe Siri, Archbishop of Genoa, gave Anna Maria the Carmelite habit. As foundress, she received the yeligious name of Madre Provvidenza.
In 25 years, with the help of Father Luigi Duilio Graziotti, 150 priests were sent all over the world. They opened houses not only in Italy but also India, Philippines, Samoa, Angola, West Indies, Colombia, Ecuador, Vietnam, Myanmar, Venezuela, Brazil and Argentina.
Cardinal Siri wanted Mother Providence to dedicate herself, like a real mother, to all the necessities of the candidates, whether they were spiritual or material ones, such as the clothing, the feeding and the general order. He proposed to her also to edit a booklet for lay friends called "Svegliarino" with the supplement "Missionarium".
Suffering from various illnesses, including diabetes, glaucoma and osteoporosis, she retired to her native Cornale di Pradalunga, where she passed away following a respiratory crisis at the Alzano Hospital on Sunday, June 16, 2002, at 00.35 am. Her funeral Mass, held on June 19, at 16.30 pm., saw the participation of hundreds of people and about sixty priests. Interred at the Cemetery of Cornale di Pradalunga, her remains were transported from her original vault to a specially constructed chapel inside the same cemetery in 2005.
Since an early age she desired to enter a cloistered Carmelite Monastery. Taking vows in 1954 at the Cathedral of Saint Ambrose in Varazze, Savona, she became a secular Carmelite at the Sanctuary of Concesa di Trezzo d'Adda, Milan. At thirty years of age she offered herself as a victim for the conversion of a priest. The very next night, in February 1964, she suffered a bilateral glaucoma and completely lost her eyesight.
After undergoing several surgeries to no avail, Father Francesco Cellerino O.Carm., obtained for her an audience with Pope Paul VI on May 28, 1969. She spoke of her vocation of entering Carmel for the sanctification of priests to the Pontiff, but the Pope replied, "Go for the pilgrimage up to the world until you meet a bishop who will welcome you. Welcome all those young people who are lost and are searching for light." "Holiness - replied Anna Maria - I am blind." And the Pope told her: "Fear not: providence will take you".
Her spiritual father of the time, Father Fernando D'Urban, a Camillian, told her "Obey the Pope. Get on a train without asking where it goes, take neither luggage nor money. Believe that God will accompany you. Do not seek anything or anyone, let others seek you".
Boarding a train, providence immediately presented itself to her. A soldier paid her ticket to Rome. From city to city, Anna Maria travelled for seven long years. Father D'Urban kept always in touch with her through phone calls.
Monsignor Giuseppe Franciolini, Bishop of Cortona, in accordance with Cardinal Giuseppe Siri, Archbishop of Genoa, gave Anna Maria the Carmelite habit. As foundress, she received the yeligious name of Madre Provvidenza.
In 25 years, with the help of Father Luigi Duilio Graziotti, 150 priests were sent all over the world. They opened houses not only in Italy but also India, Philippines, Samoa, Angola, West Indies, Colombia, Ecuador, Vietnam, Myanmar, Venezuela, Brazil and Argentina.
Cardinal Siri wanted Mother Providence to dedicate herself, like a real mother, to all the necessities of the candidates, whether they were spiritual or material ones, such as the clothing, the feeding and the general order. He proposed to her also to edit a booklet for lay friends called "Svegliarino" with the supplement "Missionarium".
Suffering from various illnesses, including diabetes, glaucoma and osteoporosis, she retired to her native Cornale di Pradalunga, where she passed away following a respiratory crisis at the Alzano Hospital on Sunday, June 16, 2002, at 00.35 am. Her funeral Mass, held on June 19, at 16.30 pm., saw the participation of hundreds of people and about sixty priests. Interred at the Cemetery of Cornale di Pradalunga, her remains were transported from her original vault to a specially constructed chapel inside the same cemetery in 2005.
The Servant of God, Madre Provvidenza, was born Anna Maria Andreani on August 19, 1933, in Cornale di Pradalunga, Province of Bergamo, Italy. Director of a seaside holiday camp in Varazze, she used to educate poor children for free and voluntarily assisted several various mentally handicapped children cared through the Opera San Vincenzo. She also taught at two tuberculosis preventoriums for children at Selvino and Sovere in Bergamo.
Since an early age she desired to enter a cloistered Carmelite Monastery. Taking vows in 1954 at the Cathedral of Saint Ambrose in Varazze, Savona, she became a secular Carmelite at the Sanctuary of Concesa di Trezzo d'Adda, Milan. At thirty years of age she offered herself as a victim for the conversion of a priest. The very next night, in February 1964, she suffered a bilateral glaucoma and completely lost her eyesight.
After undergoing several surgeries to no avail, Father Francesco Cellerino O.Carm., obtained for her an audience with Pope Paul VI on May 28, 1969. She spoke of her vocation of entering Carmel for the sanctification of priests to the Pontiff, but the Pope replied, "Go for the pilgrimage up to the world until you meet a bishop who will welcome you. Welcome all those young people who are lost and are searching for light." "Holiness - replied Anna Maria - I am blind." And the Pope told her: "Fear not: providence will take you".
Her spiritual father of the time, Father Fernando D'Urban, a Camillian, told her "Obey the Pope. Get on a train without asking where it goes, take neither luggage nor money. Believe that God will accompany you. Do not seek anything or anyone, let others seek you".
Boarding a train, providence immediately presented itself to her. A soldier paid her ticket to Rome. From city to city, Anna Maria travelled for seven long years. Father D'Urban kept always in touch with her through phone calls.
Monsignor Giuseppe Franciolini, Bishop of Cortona, in accordance with Cardinal Giuseppe Siri, Archbishop of Genoa, gave Anna Maria the Carmelite habit. As foundress, she received the yeligious name of Madre Provvidenza.
In 25 years, with the help of Father Luigi Duilio Graziotti, 150 priests were sent all over the world. They opened houses not only in Italy but also India, Philippines, Samoa, Angola, West Indies, Colombia, Ecuador, Vietnam, Myanmar, Venezuela, Brazil and Argentina.
Cardinal Siri wanted Mother Providence to dedicate herself, like a real mother, to all the necessities of the candidates, whether they were spiritual or material ones, such as the clothing, the feeding and the general order. He proposed to her also to edit a booklet for lay friends called "Svegliarino" with the supplement "Missionarium".
Suffering from various illnesses, including diabetes, glaucoma and osteoporosis, she retired to her native Cornale di Pradalunga, where she passed away following a respiratory crisis at the Alzano Hospital on Sunday, June 16, 2002, at 00.35 am. Her funeral Mass, held on June 19, at 16.30 pm., saw the participation of hundreds of people and about sixty priests. Interred at the Cemetery of Cornale di Pradalunga, her remains were transported from her original vault to a specially constructed chapel inside the same cemetery in 2005.
Since an early age she desired to enter a cloistered Carmelite Monastery. Taking vows in 1954 at the Cathedral of Saint Ambrose in Varazze, Savona, she became a secular Carmelite at the Sanctuary of Concesa di Trezzo d'Adda, Milan. At thirty years of age she offered herself as a victim for the conversion of a priest. The very next night, in February 1964, she suffered a bilateral glaucoma and completely lost her eyesight.
After undergoing several surgeries to no avail, Father Francesco Cellerino O.Carm., obtained for her an audience with Pope Paul VI on May 28, 1969. She spoke of her vocation of entering Carmel for the sanctification of priests to the Pontiff, but the Pope replied, "Go for the pilgrimage up to the world until you meet a bishop who will welcome you. Welcome all those young people who are lost and are searching for light." "Holiness - replied Anna Maria - I am blind." And the Pope told her: "Fear not: providence will take you".
Her spiritual father of the time, Father Fernando D'Urban, a Camillian, told her "Obey the Pope. Get on a train without asking where it goes, take neither luggage nor money. Believe that God will accompany you. Do not seek anything or anyone, let others seek you".
Boarding a train, providence immediately presented itself to her. A soldier paid her ticket to Rome. From city to city, Anna Maria travelled for seven long years. Father D'Urban kept always in touch with her through phone calls.
Monsignor Giuseppe Franciolini, Bishop of Cortona, in accordance with Cardinal Giuseppe Siri, Archbishop of Genoa, gave Anna Maria the Carmelite habit. As foundress, she received the yeligious name of Madre Provvidenza.
In 25 years, with the help of Father Luigi Duilio Graziotti, 150 priests were sent all over the world. They opened houses not only in Italy but also India, Philippines, Samoa, Angola, West Indies, Colombia, Ecuador, Vietnam, Myanmar, Venezuela, Brazil and Argentina.
Cardinal Siri wanted Mother Providence to dedicate herself, like a real mother, to all the necessities of the candidates, whether they were spiritual or material ones, such as the clothing, the feeding and the general order. He proposed to her also to edit a booklet for lay friends called "Svegliarino" with the supplement "Missionarium".
Suffering from various illnesses, including diabetes, glaucoma and osteoporosis, she retired to her native Cornale di Pradalunga, where she passed away following a respiratory crisis at the Alzano Hospital on Sunday, June 16, 2002, at 00.35 am. Her funeral Mass, held on June 19, at 16.30 pm., saw the participation of hundreds of people and about sixty priests. Interred at the Cemetery of Cornale di Pradalunga, her remains were transported from her original vault to a specially constructed chapel inside the same cemetery in 2005.
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