Monache Basiliane
Piazza Luigi Sabatini, 5
00041 Albano Laziale
Tel.: (39) 06 932 0880

History

   In order to escape the czarist persecution of the Uniate Greek-Catholic monastics, the foundress of the Basilian Sisters in Albano, Mother Macrina Mieczyslawska, found her way to Italy on November 6, 1845. She escaped from Myeddzyoly a town near Minsk in Byelorussia, where the persecuted Basilian nuns were forcibly placed into Orthodox monasteries by the decree of the tsar. Pope Gregory XVI received Mother Macrina in an audience to hear of the persecution of the Uniate Church. In Rome, Mother Macrina stayed for a while with the Madams of the Sacred Heart on Trinita Dei Monti and won over the support of influential persons. With their help, she established a monastery to which young women of the Latin Rite were attracted.

  For a while, Mother Macrina resided on Piazza Esquilino near Maria Maggiore. Later she acquired Palazzo del Drago, in Castelgondolfo. Since this building was inappropriate for a monastery, it was remodeled into apartments. In 1873, Pope Pius IX provided the nuns with a separate monastery on the papal grounds in Castelgandolfo. There their life continued in prayer and manual work.

   In 1966, with the encouragement of Josyf Cardinal Slipyj, who knew the history of the Albano monastery, the nuns requested to be incorporated into the Order of the Sisters of Saint Basil the Great. Today, of the original community, only Mother Giuseppina and Sister Michelina remain. They continue to lead a simple hidden life of prayer and work.


Ministries

Being a contemplative community, the life of the Sisters is mainly one of prayer for the Catholic Church and its wellbeing, the Holy Father, priests, bishops, missionaries, God’s people and the entire world. It is a hidden life, lived to please God in prayer, work, sacrifice and self-denial. Their day begins with the Divine Praises and Mass and ends with Vespers. During the day Sisters spend time in spiritual reading, private prayer and recitation of the Rosary.   The Day is interspersed with work. There is the Sister sacristan who takes care of the Chapel, keeping it clean and beautiful for the Lord. In the kitchen Sisters prepare simple meals.

The daily program includes time for recreation designed for time to relax and share in community. Sisters also grow a garden. One means of self-support for the Sisters is knitting sweaters.

   The ministries of Sisters in the contemplative monastery of Saint Basil the Great are planned to provide peaceful times of prayer and work that the Sister may praise the Lord throughout the day with minimum interruption and distraction.

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