Saint Maria De Mattias
Foundress of the
Adorers of the Blood of Christ
Stories for the Young and Old

 

Vallecorsa is dedicated to
St. Michael the Archangel

This is the entryway to Maria's first home.

This is the stairway to the home where
Maria was born. She lived here
until she was about 9 years old.

On Feb. 4 1805 Maria was taken to St. Martin's Church and baptized.

The Church Register lists this special event.

Baptismal Font

Baptismal Font after remodel

Place of Baptism

At the foot of the statue of Maria is a reliquary containing a large portion of Maria's hair. 

The story is told that the hair of Maria was promised to the people of Vallecorsa in 1906 when the body of Maria was exhumed.  Nothing happened for a long time and the hair remained in Rome.  The Mayor of Vallecorsa came to visit the Gerneralate in Rome and asked to see the relic of the hair.  He took note of where the relic was kept and as he left the Gerneralate he took the relic with him.
So the story goes as to how it came to be in Vallecorsa.

The left picture shows the street leading to the De Mattias Home.
On the right are the steps leading to the home.

The next set of pictures are of the inside of the De Mattias home.
The home has been set up to look like it did at the time of Maria.

Kitchen

Dining Room

Oven for baking.

Above: Maria's bedroom and the picture that seemed to call her to change her life.  
To the right: Mirror in Maria's room that she used to comb her long hair.

Confessional

Picture of the Lamb of God

When it was time for Maria to leave home to start her work in Acuto,
she walked down these stairs ( Left)
and through the city gate. (Right)
Here she said good-by to her father for the last time.

Around the corner from St. Michael's Church,
you can walk up a set of stairs to a plaza,
where the people of Vallecorsa set up a statue
to honor their St. Maria.

Many years after Maria left Vallecorsa, she sent
Sisters back to her home town to start a school.

Door to enter school