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Photo by
Sr. Jean Raspolich, mpf
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American Pioneers
 t the command of Pope Saint Pius X, the first five Religious Teachers arrived in the United States on August 17, 1910. Their destination was Saint Joachim Parish, Trenton, New Jersey and their mission was to serve the neglected Italian immigrants. When they arrived in Trenton, they were greeted with the jubilant sounds of a marching band accompanied by over 1000 parishioners! However, conditions in the scantily furnished convent were unbearable, and they struggled to provide food for themselves. Yet, they registered children in the kindergarten and first grade, and the doors of the school opened, on September 5, 1910. Later, when the immigrants' needs lessened, the Religious Teachers continued to staff schools for all children, regardless of race, nationality, or creed.
Sister Ninetta Ionata was the youngest of the five missionaries who spoke their language, understood their customs, and cherished their traditions. And she was undoubtedly one of the most unforgettable characters of the twentieth century! Born and raised among the Abruzzi mountains in Guglionesi, Campobasso, Italy, Ninetta had an inclination to consecrate her life to God, Not knowing any religious congregations, she wrote to various communities with the intention of entering the first one to respond. The Pontifical Institute of the Religious Teachers Filippini was the first to answer her request. Soon after, with- out any hesitation, she entered the Motherhouse in Rome.
Two years later Pope Pius X sent her to the United States of America.  On the 8th of December 1908, Ninetta received the habit of the daughters of Saint Lucy. When asked if she would be ready to go to America, Ninetta answered with the words that were to characterize her life: '…if I am sent, I will do God's Will.' And God willed that she should leave her native land to forge a path for the work of Saint Lucy in the United States. Marked by daily sufferings, deprivations, and even rejection, and despite the discouragement of her companions, Ninetta's spirit proved undaunted. She was determined to carry out the mandate of the Holy Father to evangelize the Italian immigrants in the environs of Trenton. She had complete trust in Divine Providence. Her vision and her faith in the goodness of every person led her to work with new impetus. She taught in the classroom and directed Saint Joachim School, visited families, cared for the poor, and brought solace to the sick. She is recalled with fondness and reverence by those who were fortunate to be her students and those who were privileged to know her.
 Upon the return of the Superior to Rome in 1916 Sister Ninetta was appointed to replace her. Endowed with the necessary qualities for leadership - persistence, good will, and hard work - she willingly accepted the challenge. She urged the Sisters to seek out the destitute and the sick and to assist them during the 1917-18 Spanish influenza epidemic. They served as nurses for the afflicted and provided hot meals for them. Under her administration, the Sisters extended their apostolate by giving catechetical instruction to the young and old in nearby centers.
Within a period of 50 years, through her efforts, the small band of five Religious Teachers numbered 500 and the children of Italian immigrants whom they taught were over 50,000. For the American Province of Saint Lucy Filippini, the year 1954 was a memorable one. Sister Ninetta was elected Superior General with residence in Rome. She soon realized that it was time to spread her missionary spirit elsewhere, so she established a foundation in England. Several years later, on the Golden Jubilee of her Oblation, December 8, 1958, a chronicle of her staunch faith in God and her accomplishments was published, with the title Five Decades: Epoch of an Apostle.
The 1960's witnessed the consolidation and expansion of the entire Institute: a mission center, in answer to the appeal of Pope John XXIII, was opened in ltaberaba on the outskirts of Sâo Paulo, Brazil (1961); a nursery in Basel, Switzerland, for the children of Italian workers was established (1962); a 'pensione' to assist visitors on pilgrim- age to Rome was renovated (1962). In fact, it was Mother Ninetta who implemented Lucy's desire to be in every corner of the earth. It was she who began foundations in England, Ireland, and Switzerland. She willingly fulfilled Pope John XIII's request to bring the Good News to the poor of Brazil. There she revived hope and brought relief to the poverty-stricken areas and founded a flourishing, spiritual and educational center and it was there that she spent the final ten years of her life, working among the underprivileged.
The General Chapter of 1966 bestowed on her the title of Mother General Emerita. She joined the Brazilian mission, which she had recently established, and continued her role of leadership. Mother Ninetta Ionata died in Brazil, September 29, 1976. She is buried there in Sâo Paulo, Most appropriately, Monsignor John Abbo, in praise of her accomplishments, wrote in the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, 'we must not forget or underestimate what burned within her and gave content and form, impetus and color to her ideas, her words, her actions: a clear, staunch faith that 'moved mountains' and let her pass untangled 'per ignem et acquam', an unshakable conference in God - and indirectly, in the potential goodness of every human being - which alone can explain such daring and resolution in a woman absolutely indifferent to earthly ambitions and greed.'
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