Today, May 19, is the memorial of Blessed Pina Suriano.
Born Giuseppina to Giuseppe and Graziella Suriano in 1915 in Palermo, Italy, she joined the Catholic Action lay apostolate. She was an active member, serving as secretary and later on as president of the Youth Catholic Action. In 1948, Pina established the Association of the Daughters of Mary and became president until the end of her life.
Pina always desired to become a nun, but Graziella was against her participation in her lay apostolate. Her mother even wanted Pina to get married. However, Pina had other plans. With the permission of her spiritual director Fr. Antonio Cataldo, she privately made a vow of chastity and thereafter rejected all marriage proposals. Her parents could not do anything but let Pina do what she wanted.
She joined the Daughters of St. Anne in Palermo. After eight days, she had no choice but to leave as her medical exams showed that she had a heart problem.
After Easter 1948, Pina, with three other ladies, offered herself a victim for the sanctification of priests. Around this time, her rheumatic arthritis started manifesting.
In 1950, while readying herself to attend Mass, Pina suddenly had a massive heart attack which caused her death at age 35.
Pope St. John Paul II beatified her in 2004 in Loreto, Italy.