MARIA GIUSEPPA ROSSELLO, Saint. — Foundress of the Daughters of Our Lady of Mercy, born at Albisola Marina (Savona) on 27 May 1811, died at Savona on 7 December 1880. She spent seven years as a domestic servant and nurse while at the same time zealously fostering virtue and piety among her companions, who called her “la maestrina” (the little teacher). In 1837, to comply with the desire of her bishop, Agostino M. de Mari, she gathered some like-minded friends and opened two schools in Savona, which became the cradle of the new institute. On 22 October 1837 they received the habit together; on 2 August 1839 they made their vows; in 1840 she took charge of the direction of her religious family for forty years, during which time it grew steadily in numbers and institutions in Italy and America. She also assisted in the organization of a small diocesan seminary and aided Fr. G. B. Olivieri and Biagio Verri in their work of redeeming child slaves on the African coast.
She was beatified on 6 November 1938 and canonized on 12 June 1949. Feast day: 7 December.