Sister Disciples of the Divine Master

Mother Maria Scholastica Rivata (1897-1987), first Disciple of the Divine Master, and first Mother General of the congregation.

Founded by Fr. James Alberione on February 10, 1924, the initial years of their history are closely bound with the Daughters of St. Paul, from which they came.

Present in five continents, the Sister Disciples of the Divine Master have a three-fold apostolate:

Through their eucharistic adoration they obtain "the lymph or lifeblood which nourishes the plant" for the rest of the Pauline Family involved in different apostolic activities.

Through service to the Society of St. Paul and clergy, they participate in the work of evangelization of the ministerial priesthood.

Through their liturgical apostolate, they promote formation in liturgy for the People of God, providing also through the beauty of architecture, sacred objects and other forms of liturgical communication.

Blessed Timothy Giaccardo, the first priest of the Society of St. Paul, holds a special place in the history of the Pious Disciples. It was through his untiring efforts that the Holy See granted approval of their Congregation as an institute separate from the Daughters of St. Paul.

Fr. Timothy offered his life for this intention, an offer which seemed to have been accepted.

Approval was granted January 12, 1948 while Fr. Timothy was stricken with leukemia. Twelve days later, on the feast day of his patron, Fr. Timothy passed away.

In July, 1954, at the end of a novena made to Father Giaccardo, Sr. Maria Luciana Lazzarini, a Sister Disciple of the Divine Master, was completely and instantaneously cured of a terminal case of "bilateral pulmonary tuberculosis."

In 1989 Pope John Paul II declared Fr. Timothy Giaccardo blessed.

More on Sister Disciples of the Divine Master

Night Between the Centuries | An Instrument of God--Alberione
The Woman Who Made It Happen--Mother Thecla | Beloved by All--Blessed Timothy | Pauline Family