Giuseppina Gabriella Bonino

Giuseppina Gabriella Bonino (also Josefine Gabriela ; born September 5, 1843 in Savigliano , Italy ; † February 8, 1906 in Savona ) was an Italian nun and founder of the congregation " Sisters of the Holy Family of Savigliano ". She was beatified on May 7, 1995 by Pope John Paul II and was given the nickname "Patroness of Families".

Life

Her parents were the doctor Domenico Bonino and Giuseppina Ricci. One day after she was born, she was baptized Anna Maria Magdalena Josefina . Giuseppina (Eng. Josephine) was the only child and grew up in a wealthy and religious family. Her good intelligence was noticed at an early age , she started primary school in 1857 and shone with her great eagerness to learn. The director supported Giuseppina and led her to First Holy Communion when she was seven, instead of ten . This first school period in a religious school institution was to shape her further life, she developed a high level of devotion to Mary at an early age .

When Giuseppina was twelve years old, she moved with her family to Turin in 1855 and attended college with the Sisters of Saint Joseph. At the age of 18, she made a provisional vow and pledged to be a virgin . During this time she looked after her sick father until his death on January 16, 1874. She also took on pastoral and pastoral tasks in her local parish and developed the desire to join a religious community .

On March 18, 1875 she entered the Third Order of the Carmelites as Sister Gabriella and in 1876 also joined the Third Order of St. Francis (penitent). On March 19, 1877, she took the perpetual religious vows . In the same year, after recovering from illness, she traveled to Lourdes with her mother, who died shortly after her return, to thank the Blessed Mother Mary. Here she was inspired to devote her life to the service of the poor.

Founding of the order

From 1875 she worked at the Colombo plant in Savigliano, which was founded by Johanna Colombo. She looked after orphans in this social institution and, with the support of Canon Luigi Da Vicino, built another home for poor orphans. This home was called the “ Holy Family ” because Giuseppina believed that the family was the most primitive cell in society. This house quickly developed as a refuge for socially failed children who were no longer accepted by public institutions. In 1880 she prepared for the foundation of her order by means of a few stays in the monastery . The sisters she led were to be fully at the service of the Holy Family of Nazareth . The new congregation took the name "Sisters of the Holy Family," which members vowed

" To do the work of charity for the glory of God and for the salvation of souls with humility , diligence and modesty ."

In April 1881 Giuseppina Gabriella Bonino took over the office of superior , which she exercised until her death. On September 8, 1887, the diocesan bishop of Turin granted the religious community canonical-diocesan approval. On October 6, 1887, she and eleven fellow sisters took over the new habit and made her profession under the name Josefina Gabriela von Jesus .

spirituality

In 1877 Giuseppina fell ill with a spinal cord tumor that could be removed from her without anesthesia . Here her spiritual life began and she went to Lourdes out of gratitude. In this place she wants the Holy Mother of God to inspire her to commit herself to charity. Giuseppina had already worshiped the Mother of God as a little girl and was now striving for a life in the spirit of the Holy Family. In order to strengthen her spiritual feeling, she stayed several times in the pilgrimage site of Loreto . She spent about four years there with the Loreto Sisters and there, too, built an orphanage based on her own ideas. Here in Loreto she drew new strength from hope and faith in the glory of God. According to their will, all who are of good will should experience the human warmth and familiar atmosphere. Her task was shaped by a spirit of willingness to make sacrifices and absolute devotion to the service of the poorest.

Death and beatification

Her compromised health led to some physical impairments in the early days of life. She died on February 8, 1906, in Savona at the age of 62 of pneumonia . In her will she had expressed her dearest wish:

“I bequeath my soul to the Lord with the request that he may accept it in his mercy, and for this I implore the intercession of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph , the Archangel Gabriel , St. Anna , St. Francis of Assisi , St. Theresa , my Guardian Angel and the whole heavenly army. "

First she was buried in the city ​​cemetery of Savigliano and on April 8, 1961, her body was placed in the chapel of the mother house of the women's order she founded.

On March 26, 1994 Josefina Gabriela Bonino was made Venerable Servant of God and beatified by Pope John Paul II on May 7, 1995.

Web links

• BLESSED - SAINTS by JOHN PAUL II .; described by P. Andreas Resch
• Biography
• Short biography
• Congregazione Sacra Famiglia di Savigliano (Italian)