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I was nineteen years old when I left my family, they suffered a lot, especially my mum, because I had other brothers and sisters, younger and older than me, to look after. But my calling was strong, stronger than any sentimental feelings, stronger than blood, stronger than flesh, even stronger than the realization. I left for a convent, which is still blossoming today, at Borgaro Torinese, of the sisters of charity of Saint Giovanna Antida Thouret, a French foundress who’s heart was open to service to the poor without distinction. I was in this Community for around twenty eight years.
After some time, inside of me grew a strong desire to work to help young people, particularly for young people who were lost and “searching” something more. They were shouting so loud at him, it seemed to me that they were shouting because of the drugs, falling asleep, becoming desperate, letting themselves die day after day. They wanted to know if love exists, or wisdom, if it’s possible to have peace inside of us, more than outside of us, if their past could be
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rebuilt, remade.
I could read this in their faces and in their mistaken choices. I asked my superiors time and time again, who were right when they told me that I was taking a leap into the unknown, that I was unprepared, that I wouldn’t have been able to do it: all things that made me wait, suffer and pray. For it was like a fire inside, agony waiting for the Holy Spirit to develop what was moving inside of me. I suffered a lot because it seemed to me like I was wasting time, time for God and time for these young people, to protect them, guard them, educate them and love them. Some people also asked me, “Elvira, why don’t you leave the congregation, that way you can do whatever you want?”. But I didn’t mean that I wanted to do what I wanted, but something completely different. So I waited, trusting and hoping a lot, I prayed, suffered and loved until one day my superiors trusted in me and said, “ok!”. And like this we started on a house, given to us by the council of Saluzzo, up on a hill.
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