Set the scene.
Born Maria Teresa in Naples in 1806, she entered the Benedictine monastery of St Peter in Mdina in 1828. There she took the name Maria Adeodata.
Here’s the twist.
Her duties included caring for sick sisters, looking after the sacristy and serving as porter. Enclosed religious life still involved practical work and contact with people seeking help.
Why it still matters.
She became novice mistress, guiding new members, in 1847 and abbess, leading the monastery, in 1851. Follow the different jobs: one woman’s life also reveals how a community organised its daily work.
🧠 One to think about +
What does this story change about the way you see Malta today? Pick one detail you’d tell a friend — then check its source below.