Possessing a gentile and docile nature, the young
Attracted by the things of God, she fled from worldly vanities. Furthermore she loves for solitude, and she frequently received the sacrament of penance and was a daily communicant. She carefully thought about the teaching of our Savior, and was habitually to say repeatedly: “I must become holy; I want to be a saint. ” At about the age of 12, before the image of the child Jesus, she professed a vow of perpetual chastity.
When she strongly felt the vocation of the religious life, she tried to enter in the Monastery of the Sacramentine Nuns in
In July 1878 she moved to the Teresian Conservatory in Terre del Greco with her sister Concetta who had left the Poor Clares. They lived as boarders together with a few young women who were discerning a similar call. At this point she understood that the moment had arrived for her to dedicate her life to an Institute to which she had always felt a calling. She laid the foundation for a new religious family that currently bears the name: Vittime Espitrici di Gesu’ Sacramentato (Oblate Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament). The new congregation grew quickly despite of economic constraints and other obstacles, such the unstable health of the foundress herself.
After residing in different places, the community with the spiritual help and advice of the Servant of God, Michelangelo of Marigliano and Blessed Ludovico of Casoria, they settled in
were founded. The Sisters, emulating the example of their Foundress, Sister Maria Cristina Brando, acquired a great devotion in the Blessed Sacrament and to the diligent care in the education of young boys and girls. On
She lived her consecration with generosity, perseverance and spiritual joy. She held the office of Superior General with humility, prudence and amiability, giving her Sisters continual examples of fidelity to God to one’s vocation with zeal for the growth of the
She walked in the path of holiness with perfection and generosity, and with the help of God’s grace, she consistently progressed in her spiritual journey towards God and to reach what her heart has ardently desired – “HOLINESS”.
On
His Holiness, Pope John Paul II beatified Blessed Maria Cristina Brando, on
Today, her spirituality and charism still continue to flourish in three continents: