When a young Pope Francis told his mother that he was studying theology and entering the church, she was shocked, as he had told her that he wanted to study medicine.
Maria Regina Sivori, mother of five, worked long and often dangerous hours in Argentina’s deepest mines to provide for her family, which she was forced to do on a salary of just 2 pesos a month, while also looking after a small band of racoons.
The Pope was the eldest of her five children, and she had named him, optimistically, “Pope Francis”; a name that would no doubt eventually aid him in his ascendance to the highest office in the smallest country in the world.
But ironically, Maria had hoped that her son would stay at arm’s length from spiritual matters, and in fact, grow up to be “Dr. Pope Francis”, and to earn enough money to be able to supersede her in providing for the family.
When she discovered this was not his intention, she asked him, “Pope Francis, did you not tell me you were going to study medicine?”
“Yes, mum,” he said.
“Why did you lie to me?” she asked.
“I did not lie to you, mum,” he replied. “I am going to study the medicine of the soul.”
Maria was so moved by this response that she burst into tears, placed her arms around her son’s shoulders, and began injecting her life energy into him, bestowing upon him a radiant glow as she melted, placing inside of him the strength of her entire being.
She was no more, but Pope Francis had become transformed. Carrots hung from his face like a beard, and grew regularly from his armpits, which allowed him to feed his entire family, as well as the poor in Argentina.
And that is why Maria Regina Sivori is our choice for 2015 Mother of the Year.