Corina Pistamiglio – Sr. M. Saveria
“The Great Step” is the title of a work about Sister Saveria Pistamiglio written at the Charismatic Course by Sister M. Ester Wosinska, from which the following story is derived.
The great step is the frequent and profound expression Sister M. Saveria used in the letters she wrote to her family. In those moments, she reflected deeply on life’s final passage, preparing her mother, and certainly preparing herself as well. In 1935, she was sent to Poland, far from her homeland – Italy – to which she felt a strong natural connection. Despite not knowing the challenging language, with great courage and confidence, she undoubtedly took a great step!
Corina Pistamiglio was born on January 17, 1908, in S. Pietro, a small village near Govone in the Province of Cuneo. She joined the Daughters of St. Paul at Alba at the age of 20 on November 17, 1928. Three years later, she took her First Profession, and on November 1, 1937 (while on a mission in Poland), she made her Perpetual Vows.
Sister M. Lucia Ricci provided an exceptional testimony about Sister M. Saveria’s religious life in Alba:
“We seem to hear her, with her decisive voice reciting the Rosary or singing praises. A voice that reached great distances, and we heard its echo in the various apostolate rooms. The intervals between prayers were spent in faithful silence. When we, the novices, were sent to work in the garden, we found in Sister Saveria an example that inspired us (…).”
In 1934, Sister M. Saveria was sent to Paris, and a year later, she was assigned, along with another companion, Sister M. Agostina Messa, to start a new foundation in Poland. On August 8, 1935, they arrived in Warsaw, and in 1936, following the transfer of the Pauline Fathers, they moved to Częstochowa.
After obtaining permission from the Polish bishops, Sister M. Saveria, then 27 years old, began establishing houses first in Warsaw, then in Częstochowa, organizing religious life and apostolate with the Paulines. When the first postulants appeared, Sister M. Jadwiga Wrońska was the first to go to Italy for novitiate before the outbreak of the war.
Just before the war erupted, Sister Saveria wrote to her family:
“We only passed through Warsaw, and now we live permanently in Częstochowa, where the largest Sanctuary in Poland is, almost like Lourdes in France. It’s beautiful to see a crowd of pilgrims singing and praying every day; they come from all parts of Poland and even from other nations. Now, here, we are going through a very critical period. Being close to the border, we hope that the Madonna of Częstochowa will help this poor nation. Here, at the mere thought of war, people shudder, having been torn apart for many years. We will pray to the Lord and may all join us in our prayer.”
On September 1, 1939, Poland found itself in the flames of World War II; they were difficult times for the nation, the Polish Church, and also for the sons and daughters of Don Alberione. Sister Saveria remained alone with two postulants in a foreign country, with no contact with her homeland and no confidant except Father Tarcisio Ravina, an Italian priest of the Society of St. Paul who stayed with her during the German occupation of Poland.
From a letter to Mother Scolastica:
“I would like to say a few words about my inner self. It seems to me that what unites me most with the Lord is the will, and as long as I keep it strong and strive to conform it to inspiration, I find myself in the light and do everything with ease. As soon as I neglect these acts, I feel without light and strength. I feel that to correspond, I should gather myself before each action and unite my will with the Lord, saying ‘What will I do now?’ I would also like to ask, if possible, to repeat the request that Sister M. Edvige could come. Much more could be done. Also, it would be a great encouragement for the others; a single elderly nun does not make a good impression, and sometimes even courage is lost. In Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, Sister Saveria” (Częstochowa, February 11, 1942).
The suffering of this very sensitive person, who experienced deep depression – not recognized as an illness at the time – made Sister Saveria’s health situation critical. Father Ravina arranged for her to be sent to a psychiatric hospital in Tworki near Warsaw. He did not want her to be left in a hospital near Częstochowa, fearing that the Germans might liquidate it, as they had done with many others. A hospital near Warsaw would have a better chance of accommodating her.
In the archive of the Polish Province of the Daughters of St. Paul in Warsaw, Sister M. Saveria’s medical record is kept as a valuable document for this research. It contains a description of the illness and the cause of death:
“Sr. M. Saveria Pistamiglio spent time in the Psychiatric Facility in Tworki near Warsaw from September 14 until her death on October 25, 1942. Due to her illness, she arrived at the hospital in a state of great physical exhaustion and mental torpor. From the time of admission to the hospital, she was artificially fed, accepting only small portions of food. She refused to speak to anyone except a Sister of Charity who was a nurse. With the authorization of Father Ravina, on September 30, electroshock therapy began. After the first two applications, she began to speak a few words, and spoon-feeding could start. She communicated with those around her through head movements. On October 6, after a calm conversation with Father Ravina in the afternoon, she wanted to talk to the nurse, then began eating by herself. On October 20, she started to have respiratory difficulties, suffering and weakening further until her legs swelled, and her critical condition worsened, leading to her death.
Sister M. Saveria, at the age of 33, was buried in the hospital cemetery in Tworki. After her death, those who knew her in life left beautiful testimonies regarding her holiness. Her biographical profile written by Sister M. Lucia Ricci expresses these convictions more comprehensively:
‘We are faced with a simple and exceptional figure, a true Piedmontese type in the most concrete sense of the word, with the positive characteristics of the region we all love so much, because in this place, God wanted to place the cradle of our institute. A figure not to be forgotten, especially because the examples she left have not only struck the gaze or touched the external, but they have descended into the soul, stimulated the will, and continue to operate. One cannot think of Sister Saveria without feeling compelled to prayer, observance, and generosity. To say that she intensely loved the Most Holy Eucharist is not a rhetorical phrase but a living, vivifying reality, forming the secret of her constant diligence and dedication. ‘Blessed are the steps…’ and blessed steps! Not only do we have nothing to regret, but we must thank God very much because, through Sister Saveria’s generous dedication, He prepared new and many graces for the Pious Disciples! It was on that day, in a double exile, in a Calvary-like solitude, that Sister Saveria completed the mission she had received from God for His glory and the benefit of many souls. Particularly for the beloved Polish nation. The land of glorious and tested Poland guards the humble and glorious remains of our Sister, but her spirit is so close to us. She continues to pray, to work, to ‘sing as they sing in Heaven.’ We believe this, and we ask her to communicate to us her piety, her love for the Most Holy Eucharist, the Pauline Family, the Congregation.”
After the war, we rediscovered Sister Saveria Pistamiglio’s grave thanks to our friends, the Camillian Fathers, hospital chaplains. Sisters and brothers in Poland have the habit of visiting her tomb, entrusting all the intentions of the Pauline Family to her. After many years, her niece, Sister M. Cecilia Cantamessa, became a Disciple of the Divine Master.
We bid her farewell with affection!