this article published on Asia News<\/a> on the occasion of Pope Francis\u2019 trip to Dhaka \u2013 they needed 4 nuns and a nurse. It was August 1948, Monsignor Balconi arrives and calls me. No preamble, he asks me: \u201cif you are sent to a mission are you afraid of dying of tuberculosis?\u2019<\/p>\nI answer: \u2018Not at all, the only fear is not leaving\u2019. In youth certain calculations are not made: what difference does it make to die at 28 or 58? Well, Monsignor tells me, \u2018if you leave willingly, the Lord will help you and you will resist.\u2019\u00a0 \u201cThis is indeed what happened\u201d.<\/p>\n
Having returned to Itakly due to health problems in 1973, she was asked to collaborate with the communications office at the Pime Center in Milan. She worked alongside Fr. Gheddo in the communications office for almost 50 years, as his secretary, spreading the passion for the mission that the missionary \u2013 journalist had recounted in many books. Sr. Franca recalled: \u201cFrom him I learned the virtue of patience. When I got angry about delays and hassles at work, he always repeated to me: \u2018Calm down Sr. Franca, the mission takes a long time and people need to be listened to\u2019. I thank the Lord for all people I met at PIME, for Elena who took my place as secretary and still today makes me a part of that work that had become my life\u201d.<\/p>\n
Two years ago, when she turned 100, she said: \u201cI dont lack anything, except meeting the Lord, forever; but I know that He is present everywhere and I feel that, that moment will be beautiful for me and for everyone\u201d.<\/p>\n
Here, Sr. Franca, this moment has arrived…We are certain that you will be able to intercede for all the Missionaries of the Immaculate from heaven.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
On September 6, Sr. Franca Nava returned to the Father\u2019s house. She was 102 years old, the oldest among the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":47770,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"googlesitekit_rrm_CAow8ovLDA:productID":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-69726","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-missionary-life"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t