Since 1925 this order has had the privilege of working in the sacristy of St. Peter's Basilica. Leading up to that, their work had caught the attention of Pius X. They have since provided for every pope since then.
Pope Pius XI called them to service in the Vatican in the Holy Year 1925, taking care of the forty-seven altars of the Basilica of St. Peter along with the sacred vestments of the sacristy.
In addition, the nuns also came to provide the hosts and altar wine, a service they still maintain today.
At their convent in Rome, the good sisters provide the finest tradition of quality work. There they receive clergy in their shop who visit to custom order not only altar linens, but also the finest in albs, surplices, rochets, and amices. Although the sisters are best known for their linen items, they also make vestments.
The work of the sisters continues full-steam ahead. In this way, they live their unique charism, consecrating their lives to the service of the cult of the Eucharistic mystery. The sisters therefore manifest their faith and love in the Eucharist through their very specific call of service, maintaining behind the scenes the liturgical life of the Vatican while also servicing priests and parishes all over the world.
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| The sisters' convent in Rome |
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| The sisters in Rome welcome all with a smile |
Interested clergy may visit their convent in Rome in Trastevere on the Lungotevere Farnesina, 7 in order to purchase already made or custom commissions. The showroom in their shop offers draws of samples. The sisters do not speak English. When you go, know what you want and be ready to communicate in Italian.
Also as a service to the Vatican and neighboring clergy, the nuns launder and starch altar linens. They provide this not only for the Vatican, but also other parishes in Rome drop off their soiled altar linens in order for them to be laundered professionally by the sisters. The linens include amices, purificators, finger towels, altar clothes, albs, etc.
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| The sisters' vestment shop in Rome |
Although the sisters sell vestments and other liturgical appurtenances, they shine with their linen works and hand-made lace. Much of the quality lace they sell was made by sisters who have since passed. Meanwhile, the craft has been passed on to other younger sisters. Most of the new generation today are from Brazil. Below is an image of the entrance to their shop in Rome, located off the street, accessible through their convent garden.
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| A bust of the founder of the order, Don Clemente Marchisio, at their convent in Rome |
The Sisters were founded by Blessed Fr. Clemente Marchisio, who was born in 1833 in Racconigi, near Turin. The son of a shoemaker, he grew up in a Dominican parish where he discovered his vocation as an altar boy and was led to study for the priesthood. In Turin he came under the tutelage of St. Joseph Cafasso, the rector of a local sanctuary and boarding school.
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| The arms of the Rivalba nuns |
It was in his youth that Fr. Marchisio developed a strong love for the Mass and sacred vestments. He was fond of saying: "Mass is my life." Indeed, it was the center of his life.
After his ordination, Providence led him to the village of Rivalba where he made his home and went on to live for forty-three years. This is where he founded his religious institute, known as the Figlie di San Giuseppe. That was in the year 1875 - difficult years of revolution in Italy, when the Masons took over the country and waged war on the Church, especially in big cities such as Turin and Rome.
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| The co-founder of the order, Sr. Rosalia Sismonda |
At his side from the beginning in Rivalba was a woman of great faith, Rosalia Sismonda. Born and raised in Turin, she felt the call to be a sister while Fr. Marchisio eventually felt called to start a religious order. He took her on as his first vocation when in 1875 in a small house in Rivalba, four young ladies made private vows without yet wearing any habit. This was the start of the future congregation, co-founded by Sr. Sismonda.
Thus, under the guidance of Fr. Marchisio, Sr. Sismonda became the first vocation and the co-founder. She was an artist and was very gifted at embroidery, a skill she cultivated for service at the altar and she later taught her sisters to apply this same skill to vestment making.
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| The shop has a modest collection of items on display |
Sr. Sismonda then designed the original habit of the sisters, for generations a welcome sight in St. Peter's Basilica as visitors would observe the nuns tending to the altars. Soon after their founding, the nuns moved into the 1,000-year-old castle of Rivalba that was to become the cradle of their new congregation. Sr. Sisomonda went on to be the foundress of many more convents in Turin and Venice and Rome and even in Africa and South America. The nuns' gradually grew in number.
Although the sisters began with a kindergarten in 1872, God led them to later irradiate the sacred liturgy with beauty, forever defining their ultimate charism. In Piacenza the sisters established an embroidery shop, although they were not yet in the business of vestment making.
In their early years, the sisters helped establish a textile workshop to make sure the local girls were educated in the craft of sewing. This was to save them from having to move to Turin to work as house maids or in the big factories of the Industrial Revolution.
Although this work began as a type of social action to help alleviate local poverty, the sisters themselves became adept in the making of vestments and altar linens and thus their vocation as a religioius order came to its full fruition. This is how they have helped support themselves over the years and make a name for themselves, through the creation and sale of quality liturgical items sewn for service at the altar.
This then led naturally to the making of wafers to be Holy Communion hosts and they began to bottle and sell altar wine. For this reason, the sisters of San Giuseppe have for many years been called "the vestment sisters" and "the host sisters."
Since those early years, this unique work has consumed the good sisters, giving rightful importance to their order and a shining legacy of service to the central action of Christian worship, the Mass.
Below is what their doorbell looks like in Rome. Be sure to ring the button for Congregazione Suore (the other button is for their religious guesthouse for pilgrims -- located in their former novitiate building).
One of the nuns will buzz you in. The gate will open for the car entrance. Enter and walk across the small cobbled parking area to their shop. You will notice the door down the ramp on the left, past the lovely flowers. Although the nuns can mail finished items to you, it is always easiest to return and pick them up in person as U.S. customs can be tricky.
May God reward these good sisters.
Historical images of the sisters in their beautiful old habit can be seen here.
Below are a few sample images of some of their hand-made lace products.
Do visit their shop in Rome. Tell them "Little John" sent you.
