A Place of Peace and Purpose: The Istituto Maria SS. Bambina, Rome, Home of the 2026 MaterCare International Conference

Nestled beside the towering dome of St Peter’s Basilica, overlooking the very heart of the Vatican, the Istituto Maria Santissima Bambina is far more than a guesthouse. It is a living witness to faith, charity, and the quiet strength of religious service, an oasis of calm and contemplation at the crossroads of Catholic history. In 2026, this remarkable institute will open its doors to the MaterCare International Conference in Rome, gathering physicians, midwives, and advocates dedicated to the dignity of motherhood and the sanctity of life.

Located at Via Paolo VI 21, just steps from St Peter’s Square, the Istituto Maria SS. Bambina enjoys one of the most privileged views in all of Rome. From its rooftop terrace, guests can watch the light rise over Michelangelo’s dome, a panorama that has inspired generations of pilgrims. The peaceful cloisters and lovingly kept corridors make it an ideal place for reflection and community, a fitting home for a conference centered on faith in action.

The institute is entrusted to the Suore di Carità delle Sante Bartolomea Capitanio e Vincenza Gerosa, more widely known as the Sisters of Charity of Maria Bambina. Founded in 1832 in Lovere (northern Italy), the congregation has served for nearly two centuries in hospitals, schools, and missions across the world. Their name “Maria Bambina,” the Infant Mary, reflects a devotion to purity, innocence, and the beginnings of life itself.

During the Second World War, the sisters’ Roman house was among those that opened their doors to refugees and the wounded during the 1943 bombings. To this day, the community continues to live its charism of service through hospitality, education, and care for those in need.

Today, the Istituto Maria SS. Bambina welcomes pilgrims, clergy, and lay visitors from every corner of the globe. Its guest rooms are simple but serene, designed for rest and renewal. Meeting rooms within the complex have hosted countless retreats, ecclesial gatherings, and theological events, spaces where dialogue and discernment naturally flourish.

The 2026 MaterCare Rome Conference will build on this tradition. As participants discuss maternal healthcare, ethics, and the challenges of providing life-affirming medical care in today’s world, they will do so within walls steeped in compassion and prayer.

Choosing the Istituto Maria Bambina as the venue for MaterCare’s international gathering is not only a logistical decision, it is a symbolic one. This is a place that reflects the heart of MaterCare’s mission: to serve mothers and children with professional excellence and deep Christian compassion. Beneath the gaze of St Peter’s, surrounded by the legacy of women who have given their lives to mercy, the conference will stand as a beacon of hope for families and caregivers worldwide.

As 2026 approaches, we invite all MaterCare members, supporters, and friends to prepare for an experience that unites professional formation with spiritual renewal. In the shadow of the Basilica, in a house that has sheltered generations of faithful servants, we will gather to reaffirm our shared calling: to bring life, healing, and dignity wherever mothers and babies need them most.

Istituto Maria Santissima Bambina📍 Via Paolo VI, 21 — 00120 Vatican City / Rome, Italy, Operated by the Sisters of Charity of Maria Bambina

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