In an age when a widespread view tends to discard what appears fragile or useless, the presence of Sister Leonella Sgorbati, beatified in 2018, stands out as a beacon of hope and a strong reminder of the sacred value of human life.
In the Encyclical Evangelium Vitae (1995) Saint John Paul II stated:
“We must take care of others as people entrusted by God to our responsibility. As disciples of Jesus, we are called to be neighbors to every man (cf. Lk 10:29-37), reserving a special preference for those who are poorest, most alone and most needy… In them we are given the opportunity to serve Jesus, as He himself declared: ‘As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me’ (Mt 25:40). (Evangelium Vitae, n. 87)
For Sister Leonella, life was not only a precious asset to be protected and promoted, but above all a gift to be offered through humble service and the concrete defense of every existence. This conviction guided her work as a nurse and educator during the years she spent in Africa, where she devoted herself lovingly to caring for the sick, protecting the most vulnerable, and training new generations of nurses.
The value of the individual and service to life were for her essential pillars, to be deeply rooted in her students. She allowed no hesitation on these principles; being a nurse was not merely a profession, but an authentic vocation, a calling to be a concrete sign of love and care for those who suffer.
Numerous testimonies about Sister Leonella highlight her profound concern for the individual, understood as a life to be respected and defended. She gave herself entirely, with extraordinary charity, capable of offering herself for the good of others. In this regard, one sister recounted:
“For her, hard work didn’t matter, hard work was joy, hard work cost nothing when she saw a need or an emergency. Always attentive, always leaning toward each person to love them to the end.”
Sister Leonella worked in contexts marked by extreme violence and instability, where life was constantly exposed to the threat of war and poverty. Yet, in the face of death, her response was never flight or hatred, but a faithful and courageous presence.
For her, defending life meant remaining precisely where it was most fragile, reaching out to anyone in need, regardless of faith or ethnicity; and promoting a culture of care, instilling through her example a profound respect for each person.
Her mission was not limited to human advancement alone, but was oriented toward a deeper horizon: to accompany each person toward God, to make known the Giver of life, so that each might experience the joy of a true encounter with the Lord who bestows life in abundance. From this perspective, she wrote in her diary:
“My Lord, my love, my joy, and my hope, I want to bring your love to people. Help me, Lord, to concern myself solely with this: that they may know you, the only true meaning of life, the joy of life, Lord.”
Then there is an even more radical aspect: the definitive choice of total self-giving, embodied through unconditional love, missionary service, and forgiveness, even to the ultimate sacrifice of martyrdom. Her life was a testimony that true existence is found in “giving everything.” Her sacrifice was not sought, but welcomed as a consequence of total fidelity to the mission.
The words spoken by Cardinal Angelo Amato on May 26, 2018, on the occasion of Sister Leonella’s beatification, are striking for their power and depth:
“True believers are heralds of life, not death. The Christian martyr is not a fanatical destroyer, but a defender of life and a messenger of human fraternity, charity, and forgiveness. Blessed Leonella Sgorbati leaves us all a clear message of authentic Christian life, one that opens paths of understanding, dialogue, acceptance, love, and forgiveness in the family and in society.”
The figure of Blessed Leonella Sgorbati poses an open question about the value we place on life in the present. In an age often dominated by indifference and the logic of profit, her testimony urges us to make a radical choice: to cherish, protect, and give life.
These are not exceptional choices, but rather daily fidelity to gestures of care, attention, and responsibility, capable of placing the dignity of each person at the center; from this perspective, her legacy remains timely and challenging.
Sr. Luz Mery Restrepo, mc
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