Maria Cristina Cella Mocellin (1969–1995) was an Italian woman whose profound faith and selflessness have inspired many. Born on August 18, 1969, in Cinisello Balsamo, Milan, she was deeply involved in her parish and considered a religious vocation during her teenage years. At 16, she met Carlo Mocellin, and they discerned a call to marriage, marrying in 1991. The couple had two children, Francesco and Lucia, and were expecting a third when Maria Cristina's cancer, previously treated during her youth, returned.

Facing this recurrence during her third pregnancy, Maria Cristina chose to forgo chemotherapy to protect her unborn son, Riccardo. She later wrote to him, expressing her unwavering love: "Riccardo, you are a gift for us."

After giving birth in July 1994, she resumed treatment, but the cancer had advanced, leading to her passing on October 22, 1995, at the age of 26.

Maria Cristina's sacrifice and deep spirituality have drawn comparisons to St. Gianna Beretta Molla. Her cause for beatification began in 2008, and on August 30, 2021, Pope Francis declared her Venerable, recognizing her heroic virtues.