As Jesus Christ said, no prophet is recognised in his own country. It is often down to envy, resentment and prejudice.
When St Bernadette Soubirous entered a convent, the abbess could not comprehend how an uneducated village girl had visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The abbess felt she was better and even dared question the Virgin Mary’s decision to choose Bernadette and not herself. What the abbess did not appreciate is that God, in His infinite wisdom, chooses the meek, “who shall inherit the world”.
People usually follow the boisterous, the rich and the powerful. We have had many instances even here. How could s/he be a saint? We know them and their families. A case in point is the aversion, hatred and resentment vis-à-vis St Publius, even though the popes had recognised him, had him canonised and declared him to be one of the patron saints of the islands. There were others too.
Maria Adeodata Pisani was a humble nun. The sisters acknowledged her sanctity but she lived enclosed in a cloistered convent. At times, the clergy get confused, as in the case of Nazju Falzon and Brother Crispin of the Capuchins community. There were others who were overlooked during the years.
The main problem is that these holy individuals are not ‘pushed’ enough. It is high time that any individual considered to be of holy disposition is taken out from the throng and presented openly to the public.
Therefore, I make a plea to the Benedictine Sisters. Appoint one or more capable nuns, with a steady voice, from the community to study well and familiarise themselves with the virtues and sanctity of Maria Adeodata Pisani and visit the local churches to explain why she was such a holy person and why was she nominated as a saintly person to protect one against cancer. Ideally, such talks must be held during the weekend Mass instead of the homily. They should emphasise the need to believe in her sanctity and pray to God that, through her intercession, a miracle will be granted to help in her final step towards canonisation.
The same would apply to many others too.