In 1993, Maria Cristina Cella Mocellin gave birth to her second child, and shortly thereafter became pregnant with her third child.
However, this pregnancy coincided with the reappearance of a tumor in her leg, and chemotherapy treatments would have endangered the life of her unborn child.
According to Vatican News, she later wrote a letter to her son that explained why she chose not to undergo chemotherapy.
With all my strength I resisted giving you up, so much so that the doctor already understood everything and did not add anything else. Riccardo, you are a gift for us. It was that evening, in the car on the way back from the hospital, that you moved for the first time. It seemed as if you were saying, “Thank you mamma for loving me!” And how could we not love you? You are precious, and when I look at you and see you so beautiful, lively, friendly, I think that there is no suffering in the world that is not worth bearing for a child.”
The pregnancy progressed and she successfully gave birth to her son, Riccardo, in July 1994.
Unfortunately, the tumor spread in the meantime and created severe health problems for Maria. The doctors did all that they could for Maria, but it was not enough.
She suffered much during that final year of her life and offered it to God in complete resignation.
Maria died in 1994, at the age of 26 years old.
Her cause for canonization was opened on November 8, 2008, and Pope Francis gave her the title of “Venerable” on August 30, 2021, the next step in the canonization process.
And today we celebrate...