St. Paola Frassinetti: Foundress of the Congregation of Saint Dorothy and Pioneer in Youth Education

•Religious 
•Feast day: June 12 
•1809-1882 

St. Paola Frassinetti, born in Genoa, Italy, in 1809, was the foundress of the Congregation of Saint Dorothy. She was the daughter of Giovanni Battista, a cloth merchant, and Angela. After losing her mother at the age of nine, Paola, along with her aunt, managed the household. Influenced by the spiritual and apostolic fervor of her elder brother, Fr. Joseph, the founder of the Sons of Holy Mary Immaculate, she, along with her siblings, consecrated their lives to God—three brothers became priests, and Paola embraced a religious vocation.

At 19, Paola left home to join Fr. Joseph in Quinto, near Genoa. In 1834, she, along with six companions, established the Daughters of Holy Faith, focusing on teaching catechism. This small community eventually grew into the Congregation of Saint Dorothy, dedicated to the education of youth. The Dorothy Sisters went on to open schools, boarding houses, and orphanages worldwide.

Paola Frassinetti passed away in 1882. Her body was found incorrupt in 1906, a testament to her sanctity. She was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1984.