Zampese, Adua Anna

• Sister Adua Zampese, SOS

Born 14 October 1935 in Dignano, (Udine), Italy; daughter of Giovanni Zampese and Rina Bisaro; entered 14 September 1967; first vows 15 August 1969; final vows, 12 August 1975; died 30 May 2024.

Born in Dignano, a town in the northeast of Italy, Adua was the eldest of the four children of Giovanni Zampese and Rina Bisaro. Her schooling during the Second World War was completed in Grade 5, the end of the elementary grades. The family’s finances and the war prevented Adua from attending a city middle school and realizing a desire of becoming a kindergarten teacher. Instead, Adua learned the art of sewing from a local dressmaker, who became a mentor and a friend. After the apprenticeship, Adua studied at a design school and subsequently started a dressmaking business in Dignano. Adua left with her brother in 1957 for Regina to join their father, who had immigrated six years previously. She entered Canada in August 1959 at Pier 21. Upon arriving in Regina, Adua enrolled in English-language night classes at Central College. A member of St. Mary’s parish, Adua was a leader of the parish’s cub scouts for five years and a member of the Siena Club, a young women business club. She was employed as a custom seamstress of drapery and upholstery at Eaton’s department store in Regina for nine years.

In entering on September 14, 1967, a decade after coming to Canada, she was a member of the final novitiate class located in the Glen Road mansion. On January 2, 1968, she was assigned to the Halifax mission until 1969. Before moving to a second Atlantic Canadian appointment, Sister Zampese professed first vows on August 15, 1969 in the Toronto novitiate chapel. The posting in St. John’s combined further studies with part-time duties in the women’s residence and a Brownie leader for five years. At night school, she earned a high school diploma and subsequently attended Memorial University, where she completed two years of a bachelor of education degree, graduating in 1978 following summer courses.

Her childhood ambition as a primary school teacher was realized at St. Kevin’s school (1973-1975) in Goulds, a community southeast of St. John’s. Moving in 1975 to Grandois-St. Julien’s, an isolated fishing outport on the Great Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland, she was hired to teach at the two-room St. William’s school. Remaining in Newfoundland, she assumed the position of teacher and principal (1979-1984) of the sisters’ Correspondence School of Religion in Clarenville.

Leaving Newfoundland after 15 years, Sister Zampese prepared for an appointment as the formation director (1985-1987), studying at the Institute of Religious Formation at St. Louis University (1984-1985), St. Louis, Missouri. Accepted for the position by the Toronto archdiocese, she was assigned to Epiphany of our Lord parish in Scarborough. In this east-end parish with five schools, her ministry as pastoral associate (1987-1993) included directing the RCIA program; coordinating sacramental preparation for First Communion and Reconciliation and Renew Animator of 18 scripture prayer groups. With the pastor and other parishioners, she attended a training session at Loyola Jesuit Centre in Guelph to establish ongoing prayer groups based on the model of the Basic Christian Communities (BCC).

After a year’s sabbatical, Sister Zampese returned to Saskatchewan and parish ministry. As pastoral assistant in the Regina parish of Holy Family (1994-1996), she coordinated sacramental preparation for First Communion, Reconciliation and Confirmation and director of the RCIA program. After another year of formation duties in Toronto (1996-1997), Sister Zampese with companion Sister Margaret Ready returned to Saskatchewan and parish ministry. As pastoral minister (1997-2002) of Holy Family parish in Radville, a community in the southern area of the province, she also provided pastoral care to the attached mission of St. Blaise parish in Lake Alma. Back in Regina, she co-ordinated the religious education (2002-2003) at St. Anne’s parish. During the years, further studies included a course on clinical pastoral education in Toronto and three-month sabbaticals at St. Gertrude Benedictine monastery in Cottonwood, Idaho, and All Hallows College, Dublin, Ireland.

In July 2003, Sister Zampese was elected as Pastoral Director of the Sisters of Service. . She remained in administration as assistant to the Pastoral Director (2007-2011) when negotiations of the sponsorship agreement were undertaken with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto. She died on May 30, 2024. Monsignor Samuel Bianco celebrated the Mass of Christian Burial in the chapel of the St. Joseph’s residence on June 6, and her body was buried in the SOS plot in Mount Hope cemetery, Toronto.

Created by F Rousselle, June 25, 2025.
Revised by F Rousselle June 27, 2025.

Biographical sketch adapted for brevity from complete biography written by SOS congregational archivist MC Havey.