Origin

Rosa Maria Segale was born in Cicagna, Italy in 1850. Her parents, Francesco and Giovanna, immigrated with their family of five children to the United States in 1854 and settled in Cincinnati. Their family grew to include three more children and Francesco’s humble fruit stand grew to become a produce store. 

Becoming Sister Blandina

Rosa Maria completed grammar school instructed by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. She then attended Mount St. Vincent Academy where she first encountered the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati. She was inspired by the Sisters’ work with the sick and orphaned and as nurses in the Civil War. She graduated at 16 and joined the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati on Sept. 13, 1866, taking the name Sr. Blandina. Her older sister Maddalena joined the same year, taking the name Sr. Justina. 

Out West

After teaching for several years in Ohio, 22-year-old Sr. Blandina was sent on her own to Trinidad in the Colorado Territory. Fortified by her deep love of God and her personal motto, “Do what presents itself and never omit anything because of hardship or repugnance,” she boldly embraced the adventures and dangers of life on the American frontier. 

From 1872 to 1893, Sr. Blandina moved from Colorado to Santa Fe to Albuquerque, teaching, building, and working for peace and justice. She taught in public school, built a trade school for Native Americans, and built a home for the elderly. She started new convents, new schools, and a homeless shelter. 

Her time in the West brought Sr. Blandina into the national spotlight. She encountered Billy the Kid, Geronimo, and “frontier justice.” Stories of her bravery calming mobs of armed men, helping criminals seek reconciliation with their victims, and defending Native Americans, have since been told in novels, newspapers, magazines, and on television. 

Back to Cincinnati

Sr. Blandina returned to Cincinnati in 1893 to aid the poor Italian immigrants in the area. Alongside her sister, she founded and ran Santa Maria Institute, one of the first Catholic settlement houses in the country. There, she was able to support newly arrived immigrants and others living in poverty.

Return to Italy

In 1931, Sr. Blandina, at the age of 81, traveled to Rome to petition to Pope Pius XI for the cause of then Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton’s canonization. During this trip, she visited the city of her birth, Cicagna, for the first time since leaving at the age of four.

Cause for Canonization

Sr. Blandina died Feb. 23, 1941 at the Sisters of Charity Motherhouse in Cincinnati at the age of 91. Her cause for canonization was opened June 2014, giving her the title “Servant of God.” Vatican theologians voted on May 28, 2026, to advance Sister Blandina’s cause for further review by the bishops and cardinals before it is presented to the Holy Father. While Sr. Blandina has not yet been declared “Venerable,” this development represents a significant step in the Church’s canonization process.

“The Sisters of Charity are profoundly grateful for the life of Sr. Blandina and her witness of faith, courage, and care for those most in need,” said Sr. Monica Gundler, president of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati. “As her story continues to be shared with the world, we pray that her compassionate heart will inspire others to emulate her example of charity, justice, and service.”