Cristo Re delle Suore Francescane della Beata Angelina is an early 20th century convent and public chapel at Via Giorgio Bolognetti 4, which is the suburb of Monteverde Nuovo. This is part of the Gianicolense quarter. The chapel is dependent on the church of Trasfigurazione di Nostro Signore Gesù Cristo.
The dedication is to our Lord Jesus Christ, as Universal King. (The convent as a whole is dedicated to the Sacred Heart.)
History[]
The convent was built in the early 20th century as the Generalate or headquarters of the congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of Blessed Angelina (Suore Francescane della Beata Angelina).
The congregation originated as a group of women disciples of the mystic St Angela of Foligno, who began to live a common life as Franciscan Tertiaries at Foligno in 1388. The foundress advised them not to enclose themselves in a nunnery, but to be available to go out into the city to practise works of charity for poor and sick people. This was very unusual among women religious at the time.
The sisters run a small school at the convent, called Beata Angelina. It has about thirty girl pupils.
In 2013, the foundress was canonized. Strictly speaking the sisters should change their name to Suore Francescane di Sant'Angelina, but they have not done this (yet). They would have to change their initials (TFBA) if they did.
Appearance[]
The chapel occupies the street corner of the rather attractive three-storey convent building. The storeys are separated by roll-molded string courses, and the first storey is higher and is rendered in light grey. The other two storeys are in a tan colour. The second storey's corner has a little aedicule cut into it, in which stands a statue of the Sacred Heart.
The chapel frontages have tall round-headed windows with vine-branch iron grilles, having wide recessed frames painted in white. There are three of these windows down the right hand side, and two flanking the entrance.
The entrance doorway is in a vaguely Renaissance style, inserted into a tall shallow round-headed niche. The lintel is a solid block with a cut-away lower edge, bearing a text Cor Iesu, adveniat regnum tuum ("Heart of Jesus, may your kingdom come"). This is flanked by heraldic devices of the congregation (left) and the Franciscan order (right). Above, a half-length statue of the Sacred Heart occupies the tympanum and the upper part of the niche.
The lintel is supported by a pair of quarter-columns cut into three sections by quarter-octagon plates, each section bearing an incised Greek cross.
The covent entrance is to the left of this doorway, and is in a similar style. However, the tympanum is blank and there are no crosses. The inscription on the lintel here reads Istituto B. Angelina, casa S. Cuore.
Liturgy[]
The chapel is not officially a public place of worship, but recently (2016) the sisters were allowing the parish of Trasfigurazione di Nostro Signore Gesù Cristo to use it as a Mass centre. This is despite the parish church being quite near. Private convent Masses are seriously under threat in the Diocese of Rome, owing to a shortage of priests.
Mass was being celebrated:
Weekdays 6:45;
Sundays and Solemnities 18:00 (anticipated), 8:00.