Celestina Bottego was born in Ohio on 20 December 1895 as the second child of three sons to Giambattista Bottego and Mary Healy. She was the niece of the Parmesan explorer Vittorio Bottego. Her father took Maria and Vittorio with him and Celestina accompanied her mother in the summer of 1910.
On 31 October 2013 she was proclaimed to be Venerable. She remained in the United States of America until the age of 15. Bottego continued her studies in Pisa and qualified as an English teacher.
She taught at schools for over two decades in Parma.
She was well-regarded as a teacher amongst her peers. Bottego decided then and there it was her mission from God to help others who required help the most.
In 1922 she chose to become a Benedictine Oblate. Maria became a nun in 1924 and left for India.
She engaged in the Catholic Action in order to devote her time to charitable activities and was concerned with education.
During World World War II she helped different kinds of people who experienced difficulties and made new friends with ease. Yet twelve months later she changed her mind. In mid 1945 she established this branch with Spagnolo.
In 1966 she resigned as the General Superior in order for leadership to pass hands.
She continued to assist the order from afar in service as a mother and continued to follow the affairs of the order with great interest. Bottego died on 20 August 1980 in Parma.
The beatification process commenced under Pope John Paul II on 24 November 1994 with the commencement of a local diocesan process in Parma that accorded her the posthumous title Servant of God. The process spanned from 22 April 1995 until a short while later on 5 November 1997 and was granted the formal decree of ratification on 5 June 1998 in order for the cause to proceed.
The Positio was compiled and submitted to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome in 2001.
Bottego was proclaimed to be Venerable on 31 October 2013 after Pope Francis had recognized that she had lived a model Christian life of strong heroic virtue.
