Mother Paulina (1865-1942) was an Italian-Brazilian religious leader, and Brazil's first saint
From an early age, she was active in the religious services of her parish, made her vows in 1895 and became Sister Pauline of the Dying Heart of Jesus. She took care of orphaned children and abandoned former slaves.
She was canonized in 2002, receiving the name of Saint Pauline of the Dying Heart of Jesus and was beatified by Pope John Paul II on his visit to Florianopolis, Santa Catarina.
Mother Pauline's will was to serve the most needy and those who live in situations of great injustice with a spirit of poverty and humility.
She became the first saint of Brazil, the largest Catholic nation of the world, with 120 million followers.
Today, the Madre Paulina Sanctuary in Nova Trento, Santa Catarina, receives 70,000 visitors every month.
In 1880, Madre Paulina founded the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Immaculate Conception in Nova Trento, which later expanded to Sao Paulo.
The holiness of life and apostolic zeal of Mother Pauline and her Sister companions attracted many other young women despite the poverty and the difficulties in which they lived.
Madre Paulina's first initiative was to build a small hospital to care for the sick and to educate children. Through her platform, she was able to leverage resources and lead a variety of initiatives aligned with her vision and purpose.
In addition, the Little Sisters started a small silk industry to survive and maintain their charities.