By ALBERTO CAROSA
ROME — At the general chapter of the branch of the Bridgettine order, founded by St. Maria Elisabetta Hesselblad (1870-1957), at the Abbey of Farfa in late October, Mother Fabia Kattakayam was elected new general abbess. She succeeds Mother Tekla Famiglietti. Vatican Radio made the announcement on October 28.
Indian-born Mother Fabia is 52 years old. She has worked in Italy for the last 30 years and for the past six years she has been prioress at St. Bridget’s Convent in Naples.
Sr. M. Fabia Kattakayam was born at Angadikadavu, Kerala, in southwestern India, on May 31, 1962. She is the fourth daughter of Chandy (Alexander) and Aleykutty Kattakayam, a Catholic family belonging to Sacred Heart Parish.
After religious formation at the parish and after having completed the biennium, on April 26, 1982, she entered the convent of the Order of the Most Holy Savior of St. Bridget, at Mysore, India. After completing her aspirancy and postulancy, she arrived at the generalate house in Rome on June 24, 1984. She made her first profession on September 29, 1986 and her final profession on October 7, 1991.
She holds a degree in the theology of religious life from the Institute “Claretianum” and a degree in religious science from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.
Sr. Hilaria, who comes from the monastery in Maribo, Denmark, was elected to be vicar, deputy general abbess. Sr. Hilaria comes from Mexico and has been in the Scandinavian region for ten years and also speaks Swedish.
Mother Tekla Famiglietti, who on December 23 will turn 80, resigned for reasons of age. She was elected in 1979 as the order’s general abbess, and has thus led the order for 37 years — quite impressive!
During Mother Tekla’s many successful years as a general abbess, the number of monasteries of the order has more than doubled and the number of sisters has also increased considerably. Today, the Bridgettine order has over 600 sisters, who are active in 55 monasteries in 19 countries and on four continents.
The order was originally founded by St. Bridget of Sweden (1303-1373) in 1344. It was banned in Sweden and virtually disbanded following the Reformation. But another Swede, St. Maria Elisabetta Hesselblad, re-established a branch of the order in 1911, not only in Rome but also in Sweden.
Both saints were quoted by Pope Francis in his homily at the Mass for the Catholic faithful in Malmö, during his recent visit to Sweden, as archetypal examples of Scandinavian sainthood.
“The beatitudes are the image of Christ and consequently of each Christian,” the Pope said. “Here I would like to mention only one: ‘Blessed are the meek.’ Jesus says of Himself: ‘Learn from me for I am meek and lowly of heart’ (Matt. 11:29). This is His spiritual portrait and it reveals the abundance of His love.”
Meekness is a way of living and acting that draws us close to Jesus and to one another, he continued, enabling us to set aside everything that divides and estranges us, and to find ever new ways to advance along the path of unity.
“So it was with sons and daughters of this land, including St. Maria Elisabetta Hesselblad, recently canonized, and St. Bridget, Birgitta of Vadstena, co-patron of Europe,” said Francis. “They prayed and worked to create bonds of unity and fellowship between Christians.”
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