Rosina Balzano Francescon

Rosina Maria Antonietta Balzano was born in Castellone Al Volturno on 17 January 1875, the second oldest among five children of Alessio Balzano and Teresa Antonia Maria (nee D'Amico). Her sister, Fiorangela Balzano, married Presbyterian convert Michele Colantonio, and her niece (Fiorangela's daughter) was Susanna Maria Colantonio Lewen, one of the earliest of many Italian pentecostals to take the experiential teaching back to their home village. She arrived in the USA in 1892.

She and Luigi Francescon were married by Filippo Grill at the Italian Presbyterian Church on West Ohio Street, Chicago, on 1 January 1895, where she was head of the IPC Sunday School. Together, the Francescon family came to constitute Elena ('Helen') (1896-1991), Daniel Louis (1898-1970), Paul Louis (1900-1962), Stephen (1903-1954), Jane (1902-1998) and Mary (1905-1978). They lived at 1319 Grand Ave., Chicago, and then later at 311 Lombard Ave, Oak Park.

Through her evangelism, several families in Los Angeles left a record of being converted. Yuasa describes her as acting as 'assistant missionary' to her husband, performing general missionary work, visiting and assisting the sick, praying for healing, and teaching women. While Francescon and the 'brethren' from the Chicago church were absent, she led meetings for mothers, and of course managed the household often on very little money (Yuasa, 2001: 86) Michele Palma, one of the elders of the Syracuse Church, wrote in 1953 that he felt that Rosina had received a 'special portion' of the faith and knowledge of the scriptures. She fulfilled an important role as "counselor for many brothers and sisters in their problems and difficulties. In a word, she was a zealous and fervent servant of the Lord, and many souls were blessed by her ministry" (Michele Palma, quoted in Yuasa). Though she no doubt saw it as part of the spiritual discipline of the saints at the end of the world, the stern, masculinist culture of early pentecostal evangelism probably no doubt constrained her ministry, which was channeled into predictable paths. Women in this tradition could be prophets and family evangelists and teachers of other women, carers and sustainers, but the Francescon tradition produced few if any Aimee Semple McPhersons. Many (such as her own niece, Susanna) would be founders of new churches, but denied the pastorate once these became established. The fact that people such as Rosina achieved so much despite cultural boundaries makes their achievements all the more remarkable.

Balzano died in 1953.  At her funeral were two representatives of the Congregação Cristã Do Brasil, the pentecostal movement founded in Brazil by her husband, Luigi, and supported in so many ways by Rosina.  They were able to report that, in that one year alone, more than 11,000 people had experienced conversion in a CCB church.  It was a fitting testimony to a remarkable life.

Mark Hutchinson

Sources:

Relatorio e Balanco, 1953, in O Colecionador: Reliquias da Congregação Cristã Do Brasil, http://elielsoaresbatista.blogspot.com.au/, accessed 22.5.2018.

Toppi, Francesco. Massimiliano Tosetto, Rome: ADI-Media, 1998. 

Yuasa, Key, 'Louis Francescon : a theological biography, 1866-1964', D. Theol. dissertation, University of Geneva 2001