Blessed Leonella Sgorbati

Biography

Blessed Leonella Sgorbati, also known as Rosa Maria Sgorbati, was born on 9 December 1940 in Gazzola, Piacenza, Italy. She was the youngest of three children born to Carlo Sgorbati and Giovannina Teresa Vigilini. Leonella was baptized shortly after her birth at the parish church of San Savio.

When Leonella was 9 years old, her family relocated to Milan in search of better employment opportunities for her father Carlo. However, tragedy struck the family when Carlo passed away less than a year later, on 16 July 1951, leaving Leonella at the age of 10.

From a young age, Leonella felt a strong calling to religious life and missionary work. At the request of her mother, she patiently waited until the age of 20 to make her final decision. Eventually, on 5 May 1963, Leonella joined the Consolata Mission Sisters in San Fre, Cuneo, Italy. She made her religious profession in November 1972, taking the name Leonella.

During her early years as a sister, Leonella pursued studies in nursing, completing her training and becoming a registered nurse in 1968. In September 1970, she was assigned to Kenya, where she began her mission work at the Consolata Hospital Mathari in Nyeri. She later moved to the Nazareth Hospital in Kiambu, where she served until 1983, working as both a nurse and a midwife.

In 1985, after receiving further training, Sister Leonella started teaching nursing at Nkubu Hospital in Meru, Kenya. Her dedication and passion for nursing education made a lasting impact on her students and the local community. In November 1993, she was appointed as the regional superior of the Consolata Mission Sisters in Kenya, a role she fulfilled until 1999.

In 2001, Leonella embarked on a new endeavor, establishing the Hermann Gmeiner School of Registered Community Nursing. This educational institution was connected to the SOS Children's Village hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia. The school opened its doors in 2002 under Sister Leonella's leadership, where she also took part in teaching.

Tragically, during a trip to Italy in 2006, Sister Leonella encountered difficulties returning to Mogadishu due to the control of Islamic courts over the area. Nevertheless, she managed to overcome the obstacles and bravely resumed her work at the hospital on 13 September 2006.

Just four days later, on 17 September 2006, Sister Leonella was shot and killed in the street as she walked from the children's hospital in Mogadishu. Her murder was seen as a retaliation for Pope Benedict XVI having quoted a centuries-old text that dismissed the contributions of Islam. Remarkably, Leonella displayed immense forgiveness even in the face of her attackers.

After her untimely death, Sister Leonella's funeral was held at the Consolata Chapel in Nairobi, Kenya. She was buried in Nairobi, where her memory and example continue to be venerated.

Recognizing Sister Leonella's martyrdom, Pope Francis proclaimed her venerable on 8 November 2017. Later, on 26 May 2018, Pope Francis beatified her as Blessed Leonella Sgorbati during a ceremony at the Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta e Santa Giustina in Piacenza, Italy. The beatification celebration was presided over by Cardinal Angelo Amato.

Blessed Leonella Sgorbati's life serves as a testament to her unwavering commitment to the mission of the Church and her selfless dedication to caregiving and education, even in the face of adversity. Her willingness to forgive her attackers echoes her deep faith and embodies the Christian virtue of compassion.