Sr Vincenza lived in one of our communities in Lombardy. When the epidemic spread dramatically, her two older sisters were affected by the coronavirus and developed a high fever. She herself, who had cancer, was expected to resume treatment, but could not go to a hospital, since they were all overwhelmed by admissions of people with the virus.
Due to a lack of treatment, Vincenza therefore knew that she would suffer again in the short term but, with a smile, she took care of her two older sisters who were confined to their rooms. Since their fever did not go down, the three of them went into a community of older people, which had an infirmary with facilities for isolation. Vincenza looked after them, continuing to take meals to their door and being attentive to all their needs. She took care of them with great generosity, staying by their side, without worrying about her own illness which was progressing. “She was a gift, happy to serve the Lord through us. She said to us: Leave it to me, because these are the last acts of love that I can offer ".
When the quarantine ended, the two sisters could finally leave their rooms and meet the others around a large table, set in a bright hallway so as to keep at a distance. “We were finally able to have lunch and dinner together and talk about what we had experienced and how the Lord acted in our lives during the pandemic."
From then on, Sr. Vincenza was confined to bed. Her strength was diminishing, her mission had been accomplished and she felt that the time had come to go and join the Lord. She placed her whole life in his hands.
She always had a "thank you" and a smile for everyone. There was never a complaint on her lips, but only the words: "I am fine, I will meet the Lord". Her perception of her life was that it was simply an offering. A few days later she died.
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