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Eurosia Fabris was born in
Quinto Vicentino, an agricultural area, some kilometers from Vicenza in
Italy, on the 27th of September, 1866. Her parents, Luigi and Maria Fabris,
were farmers.
In 1870, at the age of four, Eurosia moved with her family to Marola, a
village  in the municipality of Torri di Quartesolo (Vicenza). She lived
there for the rest of her life. She attended only the first two years of
elementary school between 1872 and 1874 because even at such a young age,
she was forced to help her parents with farm work and her mother in
particular with the household chores. It was enough, however, for her to
learn to read and write with the help of the Holy Scriptures or religious
books such as the Catechism, Church history, the Philothea, and the Eternal
Maxims of St. Alfonso Liguori.
Besides her domestic tasks, she helped her mother in her work as a
dressmaker, a practice which Eurosia would also take on later. Even as a
child, she was rich in virtue and spirituality, always very careful in
providing for the needs of her family.
She was twelve years old when she made her First Holy Communion. From then
on, she received Holy Eucharist on all religious feasts, since at that time
daily communion was not the practice. It was not until 1905 that daily
communion was permitted by a Decree of Pope St. Pius X.
Eurosia joined the Association of the Daughters of Mary in the parish church
of Marola, and was faithful in participating in their devotions. She
diligently observed the practices of the group which helped increase in her
a love for Mary. In Marola, she lived within sight of the shrine of the
Madonna of Monte Berico.
Her favorite devotions were to the Holy Spirit, the infant Jesus, the Cross
of Christ, the Eucharist, the Virgin Mary, and the souls in the Purgatory.
She was an apostle of good will in her family, among her friends, and in her
parish, where she taught catechism to the children and sewing to the girls
who came to her home.
At the age of eighteen, Eurosia was a dedicated, pious and hardworking young
lady. These virtues, along with her pleasant personality, did not go
unobserved and several young men proposed marriage to her, though she did
not feel called to accept.
In 1885, Rosina, as she was called by her family, was affected by a tragic
event. A young married woman near her home died leaving three very young
daughters. The first of them died shortly after her mother. The other two
girls, Chiara Angela and Italia were only 20 months old, and 2 months old,
respectively. The father of these girls was away, living with his uncle and
a grandfather who suffered from a chronic disease. They were three very
different men, always quarrelling among themselves.
For six months, every morning, Rosina would go to care for the children and
take care of their home. Later, following the advice of her relatives and
that of the parish priest, and after praying about this turn of events, she
decided to marry. Rosina was joined in marriage to a man named Carlo Barban,
well aware of the sacrifices that married life would hold for her in the
future. She accepted this fact as the will of God who she now felt was
calling her through these two babies to embrace a new mission. The parish
priest would often comment: “This was a true act of heroic charity towards
others.”
The marriage was celebrated on the fifth of May 1886 and, in addition to the
two orphaned babies, was blessed with nine other children. Her home was
always opened to other children as well. Among them were Mansueto Mazzuco,
who became a member of the Order of Friars Minor, taking the name, Brother
Giorgio. To all these children, “Mamma Rosa”, as she was called since her
marriage, offered affection and care, sacrificing her own needs to provide
for them a solid Christian formation. Between 1918-1921, three of her sons
were ordained priests, two for the Diocesan clergy and one as a Franciscan
(Fr. Bernardino), who would become her first biographer.
Once married, she embraced her marital obligations, always showing the
greatest love and respect for her husband and becoming his confidant and
adviser. She had a tender love for all her children. She was a hard worker
and a person who could be counted on to fulfill her duties.
Mamma Rosa lived an intense life of prayer, which was evident by her great
devotion to God love’s, to the Holy Eucharist and to the Blessed Virgin
Mary. Like the strong woman in Sacred Scripture, she became a real treasure
to her family. She knew how to balance the family budget and at the same
time exercised great charity towards the poor, sharing her daily bread also
with them. She cared for the sick and gave them continuous assistance,
showing heroic strength during the final illness of her husband Carlo, who
died in 1930.
Mamma Rosa became a member of the Franciscan Third Order, known today as the
Secular Franciscans. She faithfully attended all their meetings, but above
all tried to live the true Franciscan spirit of poverty and joy in her home,
in the midst of her daily work and prayer. She had a gentle manner with
everyone and praised God as the Creator and source of all good and the giver
of all hope.
Mama Rosa’s family home was an ideal Christian community where her children
were taught to pray, to obey, to respect the will of God, and to practice
Christian virtues. In her vocation as a Christian mother, Mamma Rosa
sacrificed and consumed herself day by day like a lamp burning brightly on
the altar of charity. She died on the 8th of January 1932 and was buried,
with the hope of final resurrection, in the church of Marola.
The canonical process of beatification and canonization was initiated on the
3rd of February 2005 at the Diocesan curia of Padova, after getting passed
several difficulties and misunderstandings among the different juridical
persons trying to promote the Cause.
Mamma Rosa was a model of holiness in what should be the daily life of a
Catholic family. Her three sons who became priests were encouraged in their
vocation by her example of holiness. She was proclaimed Venerable on the 7th
of July, 2003, by Pope John Paul II who recognized the testimony of her
heroic and singular virtues. It was the wish of Pope Pius XII that the life
of this marvelous woman be known among all Christian families of our day. |
