Her father, Angelo Boscardin, would testify during her beatification process that he was jealous, violent, and frequently drunk.
[1] After being rejected for admission to one order because of her slowness, she was accepted as a member of the Teachers of Saint Dorothy, Daughters of the Sacred Heart at Vicenza in 1904, taking the name "Maria Bertilla".
However, upon completing her training, she was promoted to working with victims of diphtheria in the hospital's children's ward.
During the air raids of Treviso following the disastrous Battle of Caporetto, the hospital fell under the control of the military.
Sister Bertilla was noted for her unwavering care of her patients, particularly those who were too ill to be moved to safety.
However, her superioress did not appreciate Sister Bertilla's work and reassigned her to work in the laundry, a position she remained in for four months until being reassigned by a higher superior, who put Sister Bertilla in charge of the children's isolation ward at the hospital.
[3] Her reputation for simplicity and devoted, caring hard work had left a deep impression on those who knew her.