Ledóchowska, Maria Theresia

LEDÓCHOWSKA, MARIA THERESIA. - Born at Loosdorf (Austria) on 29 April 1863, died at Rome on 6 July 1922. Of exceptional intelligence, she was well versed in letters and the arts. Called to the court of Tuscany (1885), she remained there five years. In 1890, after the appeal of Cardinal Lavigerie "to Christian women," she left the court and devoted herself to the struggle against slavery and to aiding the African missions. Extremely active, she developed ingenious propaganda to form public opinion on the problem of Africa, traveling through the times and boldly launching appeals throughout the world.

She was a forerunner of the indigenous press, founding (1888) a missionary review Eco dell'Africa, publishing it in various languages. Later she added a supplement for the young: Il fanciullo negro for the various nations; both still appear in some ten languages. She set up polyglot printing houses entirely entrusted to the Sisters of St. Peter Claver - from which issued millions of pamphlets and volumes in 140 languages and dialects of Africa; she promoted and subsidized the establishment of printing houses in mission lands. Having gathered around herself cultured and generous collaborators, she perfected her initiative through experience, giving life to a religious missionary congregation (1894) of a particular structure: the "Sodalizio di s. Pietro Claver," of which she was superior general until her death. Her cause for beatification is in progress.

Valeria Bielak