Pope Francis recently recognized the heroic virtues of six Italian missionaries, bringing them one step closer to sainthood.
In 1995, six sisters of the poor paid the ultimate price while serving their community in Kikwit, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, during an Ebola outbreak.
Within three weeks of each other, Sisters Floralba, Clarangela and Dinarosa became the first of the six to succumb to the deadly disease.
Sr. Linadele, in Italy at the time, remembers the helplessness she and the other sisters felt as they received updates of the deteriorating situation.
SR. LINADELE CANCLINI
Sisters of the Poor
“We were in shock here at the institute. By then we knew it was Ebola. The superior of the community at that point said, 'I'm going.' And another sister from the Congo also volunteered, saying, 'I'm going. Let's go help.'”
And so the final three, among them the mother superior, lost their lives while accompanying their sisters in their final moments. And it's with that same selflessness that the sisters of the poor have faced the Covid-19 pandemic.
SR. LINADELE CANCLINI
Sisters of the Poor
“Unfortunately, in one of the residences we serve, quite a few of the elderly died during the pandemic. In another home for disabled people, many of the residents were infected. So the institute called the younger nuns to help. And they stepped up without hesitation.”
This innate sense of service was given to them by their founder, Bl. Luigi Maria Palazzolo, who invited the sisters to take an additional vow of sorts.
SR. LINADELE CANCLINI
Sisters of the Poor
“The vow was this: 'My sisters, the Suore delle Poverelle, will be at the service of the sick, even in times of contagious diseases.' Those six sisters had those words from the founder very clear in their hearts. And it's the same spirit present in our congregation today.”
The 33-day ordeal remained engraved in the sisters' memory, and their selfless courage and bold dedication to their mission continue to be a source of inspiration today.
CT
