Savina Petrilli

On August 15, 1873, in the chapel of her family home in Siena, Savina and five companions pronounced their vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience in the presence of their confessor and with the consent of the Archbishop of Siena, Mgr. Enrico Bindi. On December 8, 1873, she officially founded the Congregation of the Sisters of the Poor of Saint Catherine of Siena.

In January 1874, the community welcomed its first orphan, a little girl so malnourished that she was nicknamed "Three Ounces." Faced with the influx of the needy, the family home quickly became too small. On September 7, 1874, Savina moved with five companions and several orphans into a larger apartment.

Under the spiritual direction of Blessed Pio Alberto Del Corona, a Dominican bishop, she drafted the Constitutions of the institute. The congregation received its first diocesan approval, followed by the definitive approval of pontifical right on June 17, 1906.

Despite financial difficulties and trials (notably the interference of Canon Ballati, who considered himself a co-founder), the work developed rapidly. In 1881, a first foundation was established in Onano (Viterbo). In 1903, Mother Savina sent the first missionaries to Belém, Brazil, and then to Argentina in 1909. She visited the Latin American missions herself in 1912.

From 1890, Mother Savina was afflicted by serious health problems, suffering from fibroids (cancer) that spread throughout her body. She endured these physical sufferings with heroic patience, continually offering herself to the will of God.

She passed away in Siena on April 18, 1923, at 5:20 PM, at the age of 71. Two years later, in 1925, her mortal remains were transferred to the Church of the Visitation in Siena.

The cause for canonization was officially introduced on October 15, 1981. After the examination of her virtues and the drafting of the Positio, Pope John Paul II declared her Venerable on November 16, 1985. A miracle of healing attributed to her intercession was officially recognized by pontifical decree in 1987, paving the way for her beatification.

Savina Petrilli was proclaimed blessed by Pope John Paul II on April 24, 1988, during a solemn Eucharistic celebration in Saint Peter's Square in Rome. Her current canonical status is that of blessed. Her liturgical feast is celebrated on April 18, the day of her birth into heaven.

The spirituality of Blessed Savina Petrilli rests on an intimate union with Christ the Priest and Victim, the adorer of the Father. It is directly inspired by the "four great loves" of Saint Catherine of Siena: the Eucharist, the Crucified, the Church, and the poor.

Mother Savina made four heroic personal vows that guided her entire existence: 1. To refuse nothing voluntarily to the Lord. 2. Perfect obedience to her spiritual director. 3. Not to complain deliberately about interior and exterior sufferings. 4. A complete abandonment to the will of the Father.

For her, the poor person is the "sacrament of Christ," a mystery of faith comparable to the Eucharist. She often repeated to her sisters: "Whoever looks at us must see Jesus in us."

Today, the Congregation of the Sisters of the Poor of Saint Catherine of Siena continues her work of evangelization, the education of the youth, and assistance to the most destitute. The sisters are present in Italy, Brazil, Argentina, India, the United States, the Philippines, Ecuador, and Paraguay.