Saint Giuseppina Vannini

Life story

Giuditta Vannini was born on 7 July 1859 in Rome and baptised the next day. Her father died in 1863 and her mother in 1866, and she and her siblings were placed in different homes. She grew up at the Torlonia orphanage in Rome run by the Vincentian sisters, staying until 1883, and there she first thought of religious life.

On 17 December 1891, during a retreat, she met Fr Luigi Tezza, a Camillian priest recently charged with restoring the Camillian tertiaries. Together they founded the Daughters of St Camillus to care for the sick; she took the name Giuseppina and served as Superior General until her death. Tezza was sent to Lima, Peru, around 1900, leaving her to guide the congregation alone. Pope Leo XIII twice declined definitive approval; the congregation received official approval in 1909, as a diocesan-right institute, from the Cardinal Vicar Pietro Respighi (21 June 1909).

She died in Rome on 23 February 1911 of heart disease, aged 51. At that time the congregation numbered 156 professed religious and 16 houses in Europe and the Americas. Her remains were later moved to the motherhouse at Grottaferrata. John Paul II beatified her on 16 October 1994 and Pope Francis canonised her on 13 October 2019. Her feast day is 23 February.

Works and witness

• Grew up in a Roman orphanage after losing both parents
• Met Fr Luigi Tezza on 17 December 1891 and co-founded the Daughters of St Camillus
• Served as Superior General until her death in 1911
• Led the congregation alone after Tezza went to Peru
• Beatified in 1994 and canonised in 2019

Saints from the same country

Saint Agnes, Saint Lawrence, Saint Cecilia, Saint Sebastian

References

• Vatican News: 'Giuseppina Vannini: From being an orphan to caring for the sick', vaticannews.va (October 2019)

Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.