{"id":75772,"date":"2026-07-02T00:31:52","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T22:31:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mdipime.org\/?p=75772"},"modified":"2026-07-02T00:31:52","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T22:31:52","slug":"see-you-in-heaven-thats-how-sr-giacomina-the-universal-sister-bid-us-farewell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mdipime.org\/en\/missionary-life\/see-you-in-heaven-thats-how-sr-giacomina-the-universal-sister-bid-us-farewell\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cSee you in Heaven\u201d \u2013 that\u2019s how Sr Giacomina, the \u201cUniversal Sister\u201d, bid us farewell"},"content":{"rendered":"

On the night of 11\u201312 June 2026, just as the Church was celebrating the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, our dear Sr Giacomina (Giuseppina) Armici returned to the Father\u2019s house. At the age of 87, after a life entirely devoted to the Gospel in both Italy and Brazil, Sr Giacomina leaves us a testimony of everyday holiness characterised by patience, gentleness and, above all, by her profound sense of being a \u2018universal sister\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

A vocation born of sacrifice and patience<\/b><\/p>\n

Born in Castelli Calepio (Bergamo) in 1939, Giuseppina felt her heart drawn to the mission as early as the age of 14, having been deeply moved by the life of Father Damiano of Molokai. However, life immediately called for an act of patience on her part: the sudden death of her father forced her to put her dream on hold in order to help her family, working in a suitcase factory.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was during a pilgrimage to Lourdes that, in her memoirs, Sr Giacomina recorded a resolution that would shape her entire life:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I asked if the nuns were good, someone replied: \u2018Not always; sometimes they lose their patience.\u2019 And I thought to myself, if I become a nun, I will try to be patient.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This promise came to fruition during the forty years she spent in Brazil (from 1970 to 2010), where she faced enormous challenges: from teaching children with disabilities in Assis, to living in the stilt houses of Macap\u00e1, right through to her mission amongst the poor of Mato Grosso. Her patience was not resignation, but a gentle strength that enabled her to start afresh each time, with a suitcase always packed and her \u2018foot on the door\u2019 ready to set off wherever the Lord called her.<\/span><\/p>\n

The gentle and welcoming \u2018Universal Sister\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n

\"\"

Durante la festa della mamma. Sr. Giacomina Armici e sr. Celestina Magni conducono la festa.<\/p><\/div>\n

As well as patience and gentleness \u2014 which her fellow sisters describe as a \u201cgentle smile that speaks of the Father\u2019s love\u201d \u2014 the trait that best defines Sr Giacomina is her spirit of being a universal sister. She herself writes this clearly in her spiritual testament:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI have always felt, amongst everyone, like \u2018a universal sister\u2019, as a Pope once said, and therefore \u2018in my rightful place\u2019.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This sense of being \u201cin her rightful place\u201d wherever there was a need led her to be a presence of peace both in the Brazilian favelas and, in recent years, in Cornuda and Monza. In Brazil, she became \u201cthe voice of the voiceless\u201d during the strikes for social justice in Caracol; in Italy, inspired by the teachings of Pope Francis, she sought out the \u201cexistential peripheries\u201d amongst lonely elderly people, organising pilgrimages and visits for them. Her capacity for love was so vast that her heart expanded to embrace every new face she encountered, ensuring she was \u201cloved in return\u201d wherever she went.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

The final destination: joy in the midst of sorrow<\/b><\/p>\n

Even when her illness \u2014 diabetes mellitus with serious complications \u2014 confined her first to a wheelchair and then to bed, Sr Giacomina never lost her serenity.<\/span><\/p>\n

In her diary, looking back on the end of her earthly pilgrimage, she wrote with confidence:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI feel that the little boat of my life, guided by Jesus, is near the other side of the lake and is now drawing in; I hope, through Jesus\u2019 goodness and mercy, to enter the House of our Heavenly Father\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now that little boat has reached its harbour. We thank the Lord for the gift of this missionary woman, who was able to transform suffering into a generous \u2018yes\u2019 and to proclaim, right up to her last breath, the Gospel of Joy.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t\t