Cayetana Sterni (1827–1889)

Biography

Founder of the Sisters of the Divine Will, Cayetana Sterni learned to recognize God's will among family losses and unexpected changes. Married before she turned sixteen to a widower, she was a loving mother to her three children; She soon became a widow and also lost the son she was expecting. After a brief attempt at religious life, she entered a poorhouse as a servant, where she remained for years sharing its conditions. She gathered companions willing to care for the sick and abandoned, teaching them to accept any sacrifice useful to their neighbors.