Deepertruth: Stand In The Gap With Us And Blessed Mary Angela Truszkowska

Stand In The Gap With Us And Blessed Mary Angela Truszkowska 1/30/2024

Blessed Mary Angela Truszkowska, baptized as Sophia Camille, was born in Kalisz, Poland, on May 16, 1825. Members of noble families, her parents were well-educated. Her mother, a devout Catholic, had a great influence on her faith.

Today we honor a woman who submitted to God’s will throughout her life—a life filled with pain and suffering. Born in 1825 in central Poland and baptized Sophia, she contracted tuberculosis as a young girl. The forced period of convalescence gave her ample time for reflection.

As a child, Sophia was highly intelligent and generous. However, because of her fragile health, most of her education was completed at home under the supervision of private tutors. Her days as a young student were characterized by schoolwork and reading, as well as daily Mass, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and nightly prayer.

Her compassion for the underprivileged grew as she gained invaluable insight into the social ills and issues of her time from her father, a juvenile court judge.

Sophia seriously considered joining the cloistered Visitation Sisters. However, at the age of 23, while traveling with her ailing father, she was enlightened by the Lord during her prayer in the cathedral of Cologne. Despite her love of prayer and solitude, she was destined to go among the suffering poor and to serve Christ in them.

Sophia felt called to serve God by working with the poor, including street children and the elderly homeless in Warsaw’s slums. In time, her cousin joined her in the work.

The residents of the Capital City, upon seeing the little group of children being led before the St Felix altar in the Capuchin church, started calling them children of St Felix. With time, the name Felician became associated with the sisters.