Luigi Variara

In Agua de Dios, a leper colony that then had about 2,000 inhabitants (including 800 patients), Luigi Variara gave of himself without measure. To restore joy and hope to the sick, especially the children, he used music and theater, notably organizing a brass band. After the premature death of Father Unia in 1895, Luigi remained to assist Father Crippa. Ordained a priest on April 24, 1898, he became a highly sought-after spiritual director. He observed that many young women in the leprosarium, whether they were themselves afflicted with leprosy (Hansen's disease) or were daughters of patients, desired to consecrate themselves to God. However, no existing religious congregation would accept them due to the disease or social stigma. Faced with this situation, Father Variara was inspired to found a new religious family. On May 7, 1905, he inaugurated the Congregation of the Daughters of the Most Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary (also called the Daughters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary). This institute was distinguished by a unique feature in the Church: it allowed for the admission to consecrated life of young women afflicted with leprosy or from families of lepers. That same year, he completed the construction of the "Dom Michele Unia" house, a boarding school intended to welcome and educate orphans and the children of patients. However, starting in 1905, Father Variara had to face harsh trials, including slander and misunderstandings that forced him to move away from Agua de Dios in obedience to his superiors. He was transferred successively to several cities in Colombia (Mosquera, Contratación, Bogotá, Barranquilla), then sent in 1921 to Táriba, Venezuela. His health declining rapidly, he was transported to Cúcuta, Colombia, where he passed away on February 1, 1923, at the age of 48. In 1932, his remains were transferred to the chapel of his Daughters in Agua de Dios.

The cause for the beatification of Luigi Variara was introduced after his death, carried by the reputation of his holiness and his heroic dedication to the excluded. Pope John Paul II recognized the heroic nature of his virtues and declared him Venerable on April 2, 1993. To pave the way for his beatification, a miracle attributed to his intercession was examined by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. It involved a scientifically inexplicable healing. Following the favorable opinion of medical consultants and theologians, the decree recognizing this miracle was officially promulgated by Pope John Paul II on December 20, 2001.

Father Luigi Variara was solemnly proclaimed blessed by Pope John Paul II on April 14, 2002, during a celebration in Saint Peter's Square in Rome, alongside five other servants of God. His liturgical feast is set for February 1 (the day of his birth into heaven) in the Roman Martyrology, and is also celebrated on January 15 (the day of his earthly birth) within the Salesian Family.

The spirituality of Blessed Luigi Variara is deeply rooted in the Salesian charism of Don Bosco, but it is enriched by a strong dimension of offering and victim spirituality, inspired by his model, the Venerable Andrea Beltrami. He lived his exile and his separation from his foundation in absolute and joyful obedience, uniting his sufferings with those of Christ. The legacy of Luigi Variara endures through the Congregation of the Daughters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. This institute, which constitutes the eighth group of the Salesian Family, has developed beyond the borders of Colombia. Today, the sisters continue their mission of spiritual assistance and care for the sick and the marginalized in about ten countries around the world.