Giving your time to others means giving up part of your own plans to serve others. Blessed Leonella Sgorbati embraced this lifestyle from a young age. Even as a child, she stood out for her willingness to help anyone in need, demonstrating a sensitivity that would remain with her throughout her life.
Sr. Leonella treasured every little bit of time
“It would be nice to find time for someone. Time is the wealth we all have, but we are jealous of it, because we want to use it only for ourselves. We must ask for the grace to find time: time for God and for our neighbor: for those who are alone, for those who suffer, for those who need to be listened to and cared for. If we find time to give away, we will be amazed and happy, like the shepherds who found Mary and Joseph and the child. May Our Lady, who brought God into time, help us to give away our time” (Pope Francis, 2021).
Her family remembers her cheerful and joyful nature, enterprising and sunny, combined with a contagious energy that was reflected in her every gesture. As a young woman, she enthusiastically devoted herself to work, pastoral work, and recreational activities; however, what held a special place in her heart was the time she dedicated to the most vulnerable and needy people.
“From a young age, she was committed to others. I remember that before going to Catholic Action on Wednesday evenings, we would go visit the poor. She was committed to sacrificing herself for others, even for small things.”
This memory shows how for Sr. Leonella, the gift of time was not an extraordinary or occasional gesture, but a daily style, lived with simplicity and generosity.
As a Consolata Missionary, she continued to live consistently the value of charity, dedicating her time to the sisters of the community, the poor, students, and anyone she perceived to be in need.
Among the testimonies collected, some highlight how, for Blessed Leonella Sgorbati, time was not something to be shared between oneself and others, but a gift to be offered completely and unreservedly:
“A woman of great charity, capable of giving herself for the good of others. For her, effort did not matter, effort was joy, effort cost nothing when she perceived a need or an emergency. Always attentive, always leaning on each person to love them to the end” (from the testimonies collected for the cause of beatification).
For Blessed Leonella, time was life, a gift she never considered a personal possession. Her constant “yes” to God translated into an unreserved availability to the sisters of the community and to all the people she encountered. For this reason, time was not something to be administered for one’s own sake. Even rest was often transformed into an opportunity to care for those in need:
“She didn’t rest; she was an example to the patients; her time was for lessons… She corrected her homework with great judgment, so she spent a lot of time, staying up late and returning late from the hospital and school. She prayed and participated in community activities, but at night she spent her time praying and working” (from testimonies collected for the cause of beatification).
A sister who shared community life with her testifies that Blessed Leonella:
“Had a busy schedule because she taught morning and afternoon, about eight hours a day. Even though she was in very poor health and had to rely on medicine to stay on her feet, she never missed a lesson. Often the pain in her feet was very severe and she struggled to make the climb from her house to school. We tried to keep up with her, and for this she was very grateful and always had a joke. She knew how to plan and treasured every little bit of time” (testimony of Sister Marzia Feurra).
In light of this lifestyle, martyrdom does not appear as an isolated or sudden gesture, but as the fulfillment of a gift that matured over time. The total gift of self was prepared by a long life of devotion to Christ and active love for others.
Day after day, Leonella had learned to give her time without holding anything back; thus, when the supreme hour arrived, she also gave her life. Martyrdom represented the synthesis and seal of a life lived entirely as a gift: after offering her time every day, she offered what remained: her very life.
To conclude, let us listen to the words spoken by Pope Leo XIV at the general audience of July 30, 2025:
“For the Christian, time is not something to be frenetically ‘filled,’ but something to be lived with meaning. The Gospel speaks to us of the ‘kairós,’ the opportune time, the moment when God passes by. We cannot control this passage, but we can be attentive, vigilant, like the wise virgins in the parable (cf. Mt 25)… May the Virgin Mary, woman of God’s time, teach us to live each day as a gift and not to be afraid of the passing of time, because in it God prepares us for eternity.” (Pope Leo XIV, 2025)
By the Postulation
To learn more about Blessed Leonella, visit her dedicated page.
