Through the parish missions or catechesis in the schools, from the north to the center to the south of Italy, many children from nursery school through high school have “met” Mother Maria Scholastica through the words of the Pious Disciples and through their teachers.  They entered into dialogue with her especially through her smiling image and recounted their impressions in drawings, thoughts, poems, letters and various hand made crafts.

We would like to present some excerpts from this dialogue of the younger generations with Mother Scholastica who, until the end of her long earthly life, retained that simplicity and freshness of the “little ones of the Kingdom”.

Thoughts and letters from children in elementary grades 3-5
To me, the smile of Sr. Maria Scholastica makes us understand that she loves others and feels that she is loved by all.  I believe that she loved Jesus more than anything in the world, her sweet gaze confirms this.  This sister, for me, has a smile on her lips because she is happy to live like Jesus and to be loved by him” (Angela).

Even though I never met her, by seeing her smile I believe that she was a very good person; that she always wanted to help others in difficulty.  Her smile radiates much joy, much love, much serenity.  She is smiling because she is happy and her happiness comes from the fact that she met Jesus in her life and never left him…” (Alessandro).

This smile reminds me of the smile of Mother Teresa of Calcutta.  By looking at her, I see that she is very good, very sweet, and that she saved many persons from the evil of sin.  I also feel that she loved all as she loved Jesus.  I wish that everyone in the world could be like Sr. Maria Scholastica and I commit myself to become like her” (Immacolata).

The smile of Sr. Maria Scholastica is a smile filled with peace, love and joy.  It is clear that she never injured anyone.  According to me, she was a simple woman who helped everyone as Jesus did, and he loved us to the point of dying for us.  I believe that if everyone were like her there would be only peace and joy.  In my life I also want to have such a beautiful smile filled with love” (Milena).

This smile reminds me of that of Mary, the Mother of Jesus.  The smile of this sister is serene, sweet and this makes me understand that in her life she was always good and filled with goodness.  This smile is very cheerful, and transmits to all a great joy in life, in love, in the total offering of ourselves.  Certainly she was a great friend of Jesus” (Michele).

The smile of this sister is very sweet and filled with joy for the love she gives to her neighbors.  That smile on the lips cannot be taken away because it comes from love” (Raffaele).

I do not know much about this sister yet since they only told us about her today, but there is one thing that I understood by myself and that is that she is very beautiful even if she is old.
But in the picture your smile is young, and I love you because you loved Jesus.
Many kisses from a boy in the third grade named Emmanuele.

Dear Sr. Maria Scholastica, my name is Francesca and I am nine years old and attend fourth grade… Even if you are in heaven, will you always remember me?  Your smile is congenial and amusing like mine.  Now that I know you I will think about you every evening as you think about me, I think.  Dear Sr. Maria Scholastica I love you very much even if I do not know you very well yet.  I love you very much and will never forget you.  So long! Francesca

Dear Sr. Maria Scholastica, today Sr. Giuliana told us about you and from her description I understood that you are very good.  I also want to do as much good as you did.  Your smile is as big as the world and maybe bigger.  You have two eyes that sparkle like crackling flames and you are also very cheerful.
The Lord made a good choice in making you his servant.  Even if you look old on the outside, inside you are as young as a child, I wish I had known you.
For me you are a queen of the smile.  I send you as many kisses as there are stars in the universe.  So long from Liana