Blessed Maria Quattrocchi

I was born in 1884 in Florence, Italy into the noble Corsini family. I received a solid cultural formation thanks to my family's involvement in Florence’s cultural life. I loved music and was a professor and writer on educational topics. I also was a member of Women’s Catholic Action. In 1905 I married Luigi Quattrocchi and we had four children. Three of them would enter religious life. While I was pregnant with my fourth child, the gynecologist advised me to have an abortion because of the risk to my life. We refused this, but thankfully everything went well. Family life was never dull. Sports and laughter were part of daily life, and we entertained many friends in our home. Every evening we prayed the Rosary together. Still, I also found time to write and to be a volunteer nurse for the Red Cross during the war. We  created Scout groups for the poor children of Rome. After the death of my husband, I lived for 14 years as a widow before I died in 1965.