Sister Filomena Alicandro, “more Bengali than the Bengalis themselves,” passed away in Monza on June 8, 2026 after dedicating 56 years of her life to the mission in Bangladesh.
Born in the province of Latina in 1937, Sister Filomena left for this land a year before making her final profession in 1967. At that time, Bangladesh did not exist; it was not a separate People’s Republic, but part of East Pakistan. Everywhere, eyes focused on poverty and backwardness: “Children in rural villages did not go to school, women were treated like servants at home and counted for nothing in society.” Sister Filomena was a pioneering figure in this environment, capable of transforming her vocation into a tireless service for the emancipation of the poorest, as well as a welcoming and active presence during the war of independence from Pakistan.
She chose from an early age to live her vocation among the people and with the people: for ten years, she lived in a mud house to share the hardships of the local population, until an attempted break-in by strangers through a hole in the wall convinced her to move into a brick dwelling. She also learned Bengali on her own, listening to the girls at the Bonpara hostel, her first destination.
Her personality was a blend of humility and boldness: gifted with boundless energy, she never hesitated to hop on a motorcycle to reach the most remote villages, braving mud and dust to visit families and spread the Gospel. Her missionary passion was not based on abstract discourses, but on a deeply and radically embodied faith; as she herself loved to repeat: “Evangelical witness is not so much expressed through words, but through life.”
What mattered most to her, however, was the plight of women, abused and deprived of any form of respect. She believed that work could become the key to their dignity: “As a girl, I had learned sewing and embroidery, so I thought I’d use that skill of mine to try to improve girls’ lives,” and with this initiative, she managed to lead a true social revolution… First on a small scale, since “Little by little, some of them managed to open simple home-based tailoring shops, becoming more independent from their husbands and earning greater respect and consideration at home.” Then, in 1989, she founded the Women and Development Center in Gopalpur, a tailoring shop that has enabled thousands of girls to acquire hidden talents and achieve economic independence.
The liturgical vestments worn by Pope Francis and the priests to celebrate Mass when the Pontiff visited Bangladesh in 2017 were made by the seamstresses at her center, and for this commitment she received the prestigious “Cuore Amico” award in 2021.
Her temper, however, knew no bounds, and certainly didn’t end with helping only girls. During the 1971 war of independence, she offered protection to those fleeing the bombings, making available the brick structure where she lived and all the tables she could find for people to sleep under, providing further protection.
During that period she even risked arrest, as the military suspected her of supporting the Bengali partisans, but she was saved by the locals who rushed to her defense.
Furthermore, she never stopped visiting homes, offering a listening ear, help, and presence… and bringing the truths of the Gospel to families and raising awareness of the importance of giving children the opportunity to go to school and study.She then encouraged dialogue between local factions, and despite the difficulties she encountered daily and the personal trials that always arose, including the loss of her parents and a sister while she was in mission, she always declared that she was “absolutely happy to be a missionary.”
In 2022, serious health problems forced her to return permanently to Italy, not without the great sorrow of leaving her people forever, and what had now become her homeland: Bangladesh. But even in her final suffering, she remained steadfast in the trust and surrender to the will of the Father, which had always guided and accompanied her… around every turn on her motorcycle, under tables, and with her eye through the eye of a needle.
Grateful for this inexhaustible passion for life and for Jesus, we accompany Sister Filomena Alicandro on this new mission, so that she may continue to smile upon us and encourage us even from above.
Lucia Rota
