Sr. Maria Rosa Querini

Sister Maria Rosa Querini, M.P.V.

With profound gratitude for a life lived entirely in service to God and His people, the Venerini Sisters, the parish family of Saint Anthony's Church, and the countless lives she touched announce that Sister Maria Rosa Querini, M.P.V., entered peacefully into eternal life on August 3, 2026 at Ellis Hospital with nearly six decades of devoted ministry in Schenectady.

Sister Maria Rosa was born on June 18, 1935, in San Giovanni al Natisone, Udine, Italy. She was the beloved daughter of Francesco and Caterina Forgirini Querini. From an early age, she answered God's call to religious life, entering the Venerini Sisters on March 1, 1952, in Rome, Italy. She began her postulancy on September 1, 1952, entered the novitiate on September 12, 1955, professed her first vows on September 22, 1957, in Viterbo, Italy, and joyfully made her perpetual profession on August 15, 1963, in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Her formation prepared her in Early Childhood Education and Pastoral Associate, gifts she would generously share throughout her entire life.

Following her first profession, Sister Maria Rosa began her ministry as a second-grade teacher in Viterbo, Italy (1957–1959) before teaching kindergarten in Caprarola, Italy (1959–1960). In 1960, she came to the United States, where she taught kindergarten in Providence, Rhode Island, until 1963. She continued her ministry in Lawrence, Massachusetts (1963–1965) and Worcester, Massachusetts (1965–1967).

In 1967, Sister Maria Rosa arrived at Saint Anthony's School and Church in Schenectady, New York, where she would remain faithfully for the next 59 years. What began as an assignment became a lifelong vocation within a community that soon became her family.

To generations of children, she was their beloved kindergarten teacher, introducing them not only to letters and numbers but to kindness, patience, respect, and the love of Christ. She taught CCD, shared the beauty of the Italian language and culture with elementary students, and quietly shaped thousands of young lives. Decades later, former students would still remember her warm smile, gentle encouragement, and unwavering belief in each child's potential. Many would return with children and grandchildren of their own, eager to introduce them to the Sister who had first taught them.

Yet her ministry extended far beyond the classroom.

Sister Maria Rosa faithfully lived the example of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the charism of Saint Rosa Venerini, believing that every act of service, no matter how small, was an act of love offered to God. She possessed an extraordinary ability to see Christ in every person she encountered. Whether preparing children for their First Communion, bringing the Eucharist to the homebound, comforting the lonely, organizing parish ministries, or simply offering a listening ear, she made each individual feel seen, valued, and loved.

Her hands were never idle. They taught in classrooms, folded in prayer, prepared countless meals, rolled pepper cookies, crafted her famous guanti, stirred pots of her cherished marinara sauce, and lovingly served hot bowls of homemade cavatelli that nourished both body and soul. She became the heart behind Saint Anthony's beloved annual Festa, working tirelessly year after year to preserve a treasured tradition that brought together families, parishioners, and the entire community.

Her determination became legendary. If vegetables were needed for the parish pantry, she found them. If Thanksgiving or Christmas baskets had to be filled, she made certain no family went without. Bake sales, fundraisers, food drives, parish celebrations, and countless charitable efforts all seemed to flourish because Sister Maria Rosa quietly refused to accept that something couldn't be done. She inspired others not by asking them to serve, but by serving first.

The full measure of her life's work can never truly be counted. It lives instead in the thousands of children she helped form, the families she comforted, the hungry she fed, the elderly she visited, the faithful she encouraged, and the countless quiet acts of generosity that only those who received them, and God Himself, will ever know.

Sister Maria Rosa leaves behind not simply memories, but a living legacy of faith, compassion, perseverance, and unconditional love that will continue to bless generations to come. Her life reminds us that true greatness is found not in recognition, but in humble and faithful service to others.

She was predeceased by her beloved parents, Francesco and Caterina Forgirini Querini; her sisters, Angelica Querini and her husband, Velio Pallavisini, Valentina Querini and her husband, Emilio Gubiani, and Alba Querini and her husband, Giovanni Raffaelli; her brother, Felice Querini and his wife, Barbara; her brother-in-law, Riccardo D'Osvualdo; as well as many cherished friends, Venerini Sisters, and Associates.

She is survived by her loving sister, Nodia Querini, of Osoppo, Italy; her brother, Saulo Querini, and his wife, Elvia, of Osoppo, Italy; many beloved nieces and nephews throughout Italy; her Venerini Sisters and associates; Father Richard A. Carlino; The Pratico Family; and the countless friends, parishioners, former students, and families who became her extended family during her 59 years of devoted service in Schenectady. To them, she was not simply “Sister”, she was a mother, grandmother, teacher, mentor, confidante, and faithful friend.

Friends are invited to call on Friday from 12 p.m. until 6 p.m. at Saint Anthony's Church, Seward Place, Schenectady.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Saint Anthony's Church. Interment will follow in Saint Anthony's Cemetery. The Mass will be livestreamed.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Venerini Sisters Retirement Fund, 374 main Street, Rutland, MA 01543.

"Well done, good and faithful servant." Sister Maria Rosa's earthly work is complete, but the seeds of faith, hope, and love she planted in countless hearts will continue to bear fruit for generations.