Feast Day: December 30
Born: January 4, 1845 – Milan, Italy
Died: December 30, 1900 – Genoa, Italy
Beatified: April 27, 2003 by Pope John Paul II
Early Life
Blessed Eugenia Ravasco was born into a devout and noble family in Milan, Italy, in the year of Our Lord 1845. Orphaned of her mother at an early age, and later of her father, Eugenia was entrusted to the care of her relatives. Despite the sorrows of early loss, she bore all with a gentle spirit and an early inclination to piety. From childhood she was known for her deep love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and a great concern for the needs of the poor and the unlearned.
In a time of political upheaval and rising secularism in Italy, young Eugenia remained steadfast in her Catholic identity, drawing strength from the Holy Eucharist and the example of the saints. Her spiritual maturity grew rapidly, and she discerned in her heart the call to dedicate her life to the glory of God and the salvation of souls.
Foundation of the Ravasco Institute
In obedience to the promptings of Divine Providence, and after careful spiritual discernment under the guidance of wise confessors, Eugenia founded in Genoa the Congregation of the Daughters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in 1868. This religious family was born in an era when the Church in Italy faced growing hostility and anti-clerical sentiment. Her foundation stood as a courageous witness to the abiding charity and social mission of the Church.
The mission of the Congregation was manifold: to educate young girls, especially the poor; to care for the sick and the abandoned; and to spread devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. With maternal tenderness, she tended to the moral and spiritual formation of her pupils, forming them not only in the sciences and domestic skills, but more importantly, in the Faith.
Blessed Eugenia had a profound understanding that the regeneration of society must begin with the education and sanctification of women, who in turn would form Christian families. Thus, she taught with conviction, humility, and joy, never seeking her own glory, but only the greater glory of God.
Spiritual Life
A soul inflamed with divine charity, Blessed Eugenia found her strength in constant prayer, daily Mass, and fervent devotion to the Sacred Heart. She was often seen in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, drawing from it the light and fortitude to carry out her apostolate. Her union with the Heart of Christ was the source of her zeal and patience, particularly in trials and misunderstandings.
She practiced the evangelical counsels with heroic fidelity, and she guided her sisters to a similar love for poverty, chastity, and obedience. Her interior life was marked by humility, simplicity, and unwavering trust in Divine Providence. Even in the face of physical suffering and administrative burdens, she remained joyful and recollected.
Death and Beatification
After a life wholly given to God and His Church, Blessed Eugenia Ravasco surrendered her soul to her Creator on December 30, 1900. Her death, like her life, was peaceful and marked by abandonment to the Divine Will. Many soon began to invoke her intercession, and numerous favors were attributed to her prayers.
The Church, after careful examination of her life and virtues, declared her Venerable in 1988, and she was beatified in 2003 by Pope St. John Paul II, who praised her as a “woman of great courage and apostolic zeal, entirely consecrated to the glory of God and the good of souls.”
Her daughters continue her apostolate today in various parts of the world, carrying forth her charism of education, care for the marginalized, and promotion of devotion to the Sacred Hearts.
Key Virtues and Legacy
- Zeal for souls: She labored for the salvation of youth, especially young girls in danger of moral and spiritual ruin.
- Devotion to the Sacred Hearts: Her spirituality was deeply anchored in the twin devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
- Charity in action: She lived the corporal and spiritual works of mercy in daily life.
- Feminine sanctity: Her life was a model of how women, especially in religious life, can transform society by forming the hearts of future generations.
Prayer for Her Canonization
O God, Who in Blessed Eugenia Ravasco, didst raise up a woman of great faith, charity, and zeal for the education and sanctification of youth, grant that through her intercession, we too may be inflamed with the love of the Sacred Heart and serve Thee faithfully in our state of life. Deign, we beseech Thee, to glorify Thy servant by granting the graces we ask through her intercession, that she may be raised to the glory of the altars. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.