Sisters of the Holy Face
R.C. female congregation from Italy
The Sisters of the Holy Face (Sororum a Sancto Vultu) abbreviated SSV, also known as the Institute of Sisters of the Holy Countenance), are a congregation in the Roman Catholic Church. The congregation was founded in San Fior in Treviso Italy in 1930 by Blessed Maria Pia Mastena.
History
Maria Pia Mastena joined the Sisters of Mercy of Verona and obtained her teaching license, but after World War I left to become a Cistercian. Shortly after, on advice of her spiritual director, she left the convent and resumed teaching. She opened a nursery school and soup kitchen. In 1930 she organized a small group called "Pious Rescue" which was aimed at assisting poor children and teaching them a trade. She was soon joined by other young women.
Despite the opposition from some local priests, the congregation was initially approved by the Bishop of Vittorio Veneto on December 8, 1936. During World War II the sisters participated in relief activities for soldiers and victims of the conflict, feeding them free of charge. They received the approval of the Congregation of Pontifical Right on 10 December 1947.
The public source identifies “Sisters of the Holy Face” as r.C. female congregation from Italy. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Sisters, Holy and Face.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Sisters of the Holy Face”, the useful work is to connect “r.C. female congregation from Italy” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 26, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q94135. VIAF identifies the subject as 260067994. 1 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1930, 1936 and 1947.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Sisters of the Holy Face”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Sisters of the Holy Face primary sources, Sisters of the Holy Face archive and Sisters research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Sisters of the Holy Face”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Sisters of the Holy Face” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.