Maria Bambina, a cult without borders

From the sanctuary in via Santa Sofia 13, where the venerated simulacrum of Maria Child, pilgrims from other Italian regions and other countries come to pray to honor the Madonna. The Sisters of Charity, who founded the institute in 1832, offer a rich spiritual proposal for the feast of the Nativity of Mary, which begins with a novena from 30 August to 7 September. During this novena, the prayer of the Rosary and the Eucharistic celebration are offered every day in the sanctuary.

Le Sisters of Charity continue to follow the mandate received from Pope John Paul II in 1984. This mandate consists in deepening the mystery and spirituality of Maria Bambina. This mandate is carried out through thewelcoming and listening to pilgrims, which come from all the countries of Italy. Pilgrims ask for thanks for their health and that of their loved ones, especially for sick children. Some ask ithe gift of motherhood, while others call for support during difficult and risky pregnancies. The nuns offer advice, prayers and closeness to pilgrims who go to the sanctuary.

The vicissitudes of the simulacrum of Maria Bambina

Il simulacrum of Maria Bambina was modeled in 1738 from sister Isabella Chiara Fornari and brought to Milan by Monsignor Alberico Simonetta. After having wandered in various religious institutes, he was donated to Sisters of Charity in 1842 who placed it in their headquarters in via Santa Sofia in 1876.

In 1884, a young novice named Giulia Macario he miraculously healed after kissing the statue and the sanctuary became a popular destination for the faithful. During the Second World War, the sanctuary came destroyed from a bombing in 1943. The simulacrum was saved and kept in a shelter. A new sanctuary designed by the architect Giovanni Muzio was built in an adjacent area and consecrated in 1953. Since then the simulacrum of the Child Mary has been kept and venerated in the apse of the sanctuary.