Anna Felicia Viti was born in Veroli, a comune in Italy's Province of Frosinone, on 10 February 1827. Her father was Luigi Viti, a landowner who was a gambling addict and a heavy drinker, and her mother Anna, née Bono, died when Maria was fourteen years old. The third eldest of nine children, Maria was saddled with the responsibility of raising the other children upon the death of her mother. In order to support her family, she worked as a housekeeper. Her father's alcoholism grew worse, and so Maria's employment constituted the majority of the family's income. For a while, she was wooed by a young man from Alatri, but she decided to enter religious life instead. Maria joined the Benedictines at the Monastery of San Maria de'Franconi in Veroli on 21 March 1851, at the age of 24. After her religious profession, she took the name Maria Fortunata. Though she spent more than seventy years in the Order, she never progressed beyond the office of housekeeper: she served the monastery by spinning, sewing, washing, and mending clothing. Sister Maria remained illiterate her entire life, but she had great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. At the age of 95, Sister Maria died on 20 November 1922 in Veroli, of natural causes.
Veneration
After Sister Maria's death, miracles were reported at her gravesite. Also, reports of miracles were attested to during her lifetime, including certain episodes that suggest she had a gift of prophecy. According to one story, she began to cry during Mass, because she had seen that the celebrating priest would leave his calling, and she was filled with sorrow for him. She also predicted that another priest would leave the priesthood, but that he would repent and come back. In addition, two women who had been healed of meningitis in their childhood attributed their cures to her prayers. In 1935, her remains were transferred from a mass grave to the abbey church, and the process of her canonization was begun. Sister Maria Fortunata was declared venerable on 8 April 1964 by Pope Paul VI, and beatified on 8 October 1967 by the same pope. Her feast day is on 20 November. The cause for the canonization of Sister Maria is pending.
