Assunta Marchetti was an Italian Catholic nun born in 1871 in Camaiore. After facing family hardships following her father's death, she joined the religious life in 1895 under the guidance of Giovanni Battista Scalabrini. She traveled to Brazil that same year to assist orphans of Italian immigrants, a mission she pursued until her death in 1948 in São Paulo. Alongside her brother, the priest Giuseppe Marchetti, she co-founded the Missionary Sisters of Saint Charles Borromeo to support these missionary efforts.
Life and mission
Born into a large family, Marchetti's religious path was shaped by her aunt's influence and the early loss of her father. In 1895, she moved to Brazil with her mother and two companions to work with Scalabrini. She eventually made her perpetual profession in 1897. Her life was dedicated to serving immigrant communities and children, work she continued in Brazil for over five decades.
Veneration
The process for her beatification began in 1987. Following the validation of a miracle involving the healing of heart disease, Pope Francis approved her cause. She was beatified on October 25, 2014, in a ceremony led by Cardinal Angelo Amato. Her feast day is observed on July 1.