Mother Maria Negro Fracasso peacefully joined her Creator on August 21, 2022. She was a zealous and well-loved missionary in the country for 60 years, spent mostly with the poor. She was born in Vicenza, Italy in 1931, the 4th child of five children of Giuseppe Fracasso and Antonia Negro. Mother Maria was fun-loving, a free soul, simple and childlike. She left Italy for Novitiate in Hongkong in 1951, professed her vows in 1952, and served in Hong Kong and Macau. In 1962, she was sent to the Philippines and was assigned as a teacher in Canossa School, Sta. Rosa, Laguna and after two years sent to Calamba as one of the pioneer sisters in this 3rd community to open a school. In both schools where she spent a total of 18 years, she was well remembered by her past pupils who continued to support her in her projects for the poor even as an elderly sister.
The wake was held in the Provincialate in Paco, Manila and later in Canossa College chapel in San Pablo City where Sisters, priests, lay partners, and friends came to offer their prayers. The funeral Mass was held on August 25 in Canossa College Chapel and was presided by Fr. Jordao Leoveras, Delegate Superior of the Canossian Fathers, together with other Canossian priests – Fr. Giovanni Gentilin, Fr. Ralph Santos, Fr. Joel Raymundo and Fr. Allan Dizon. It was preceded by a solemn Rite of Christian Funeral where Sisters and her alumni friends placed a white cloth, Cross and Bible on her casket. The chapel was full due to the easing of pandemic protocols and there were also volumes of attendees online. The liturgy was beautiful. The music was perfect since Mother Maria personally chose her funeral songs and the sky gave way to the sun after days of rain due to typhoon Florita. After the last farewell and viewing, her body was laid at the nearby Sisters’ cemetery.
M. Maria had been an endearing teacher, but her missionary zeal, shone even more in pastoral work. She was one of the pioneer Sisters in Tondo community in 1971 to serve the poorest of the poor, responding to the health care needs of the people, the Sisters opened a small clinic. M. Maria cared specifically for the sick, abandoned and handicapped. Her heart was always moved to compassion that she would do everything to alleviate them from their suffering, unmindful of her own discomfort. This small clinic was later transformed into a bigger one now called Canossa Health and Social Center Foundation, Inc. serving thousands of indigents from Tondo. When Tondo became even more congested, some people were relocated by the government to Silang, Cavite, 55 km south of Manila. The Sisters followed them up and replicated their health care services to the people with M. Maria at the helm of the pioneer Sisters in Bulihan where she served for 7 years. At the age of 73, does a missionary retire? That was not so for M. Maria. Her availability overcame unfamiliar environment and language when she was sent to Cagayan de Oro in Mindanao with ministry to animate the Lay Canossians and be in charge of the farm garden for 3 years. Back in Luzon, her Novitiate assignment for 4 years looked like retirement but instead, she was engaged in teaching the Novices and Canossian seminarians and taking care of the Pasadena scholars and their families.
Wherever Mother Maria was assigned, she brought joy and light because of her many stories about her encounter with different people especially the poor whom she gave catechesis, and visited in the hospital and prison. She was not afraid to risk her life for others, especially the poor in Tondo where together with the other sisters they gave their best in a tireless way to help the people, to bring not just medicine and food but peace and reconciliation”.
Her care and passion for the poor never stopped even when she moved in 2011 to the nearby house for the elderly in San Juan for 11 years. Her getting more and more physically sick and weak didn’t make her self-centered or feel useless. At the age of 79, she saw the need to use a laptop for her various communications, then the cell phone and in these last 2 years, learned to use the tablet. This made it easier for her to connect with her family whose younger members were already into social media, her friends and benefactors through email or facebook from where she continued to find people who could help in the various projects and needs of the most in need.
Her ability for inculturation and to walk with the times are edifying and admirable. Not only was her mind still sharp but her heart was still pumping for the others and gave herself till the end. Indeed, in sickness and in health, she loved God, her community and the poor. In her favorite passage, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me as you say.” her Fiat is woven in various events and obedience received in her life. Obeying wherever she was sent, and doing whatever the Lord wanted her to do which she did lovingly wherever she was.
We are grateful that a beautiful soul has gone to Heaven. We are grateful for the wonderful life she lived in fidelity to the legacy of our Foundress St. Magdalene of Canossa. She loved God and loved Him in others especially the most in need– of material resources, Yes, but also those most in need of motherly love, and presence.
To our brothers and sisters, we continue to recommend Mo. Maria to your prayers and to the infinite love and mercy of God. May she rest in God’s embrace.
