Vatican City (Fides Service) - Eugenia Ravasco was born in Milan 4 January 1845 to very religious parents who were wealthy aristocrats. In 1848 after the death of his young wife, Eugenia's father returned to Genova taking with him his first born son and youngest daughter. Eugenia remained in Milan with her younger sister Costanza, entrusted to the care of an aunt. In 1852 she was reunited with her family in Genova but her father died three years later and an uncle took care of the orphaned children.
On 21 June 1855 Eugenia made her First Holy Communion and was Confirmed: from that day onwards she never passed a church without stopping a while to adore Jesus present in the Most Holy Sacrament. Devotion to the Eucharist became a pillar of her spirituality together with devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to Immaculate Mary.
On 31 May 1863 at S. Sabina church in Genova, Eugenia Ravasco received a divine call to "consecrate herself to doing good for love of the Heart of Jesus". This event enlightened her future and changed her life. Under the guidance of her spiritual director she consecrated herself to God, to his glory and the good of souls. Bearing with fortitude the protests of her family she devoted herself to teaching catechism, assisting the sick and visiting the poor.
On 6 December 1868 at the age of 23, she founded the Congregation of the Daughters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary with the mission of "doing good" especially to young people. Mother Eugenia's educational project was to educate young people and form them to a sound Christian life, rendering them diligent and open "honest citizens in society and among the saints in heaven".
In 1878, when in Italy there was open hostility towards the Catholic Church and an era of secularisation of society, Eugenia, aware of the needs of the times, opened a Teachers Training School for young women, in view of providing girls with a Christian education to prepare them to become "Christian teachers" for society. With parishes she organised retreats, spiritual exercises, religious services and parish missions. She promoted devotion to the Heart of Jesus, to the Eucharist to the Immaculate Heart of Mary; she started associations for mothers of both the lower and upper classes. With her charity she reached out to the dying, the prisoners, those who had strayed far from the Church.
She turned her gaze also to the missions, but this desire was to be fulfilled only after her death. Around 1890 in fact Mother Eugenia came into contact with the Opera of Saints Peter and Paul for the Missions: every year she collected large sums for Holy Childhood and for the missions. She was asked to open houses in Palestine and in what today is Mexico, to assist children of Italian emigrants, but obedience to the Superiors from whom the Congregation depended made her renounce these undertakings. Her missionary spirit is seen in her last will and testament which she left to the Congregation de Propaganda Fide if her own Institute were to close.
Mother Eugenia led the community with love, farsightedness and prudence, considering herself the least of the Sisters; she worked to keep alive in her daughters the flame of charity and zeal for the salvation of the world. Her health consumed, Eugenia Ravasco died in Genova at the age of 55 early on 30 December 1900 at the Institute's Mother House.
The Daughters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (Institute Ravasco) are today 400 and they work in Italy, Albania, Switzerland, Philippines, Ivory Coast, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay, Venezuela. Inserted in the local Churches the Sisters teach and their schools have thousands of pupils. They also have a home for the homeless at S. Cristobal in Venezuela, a Home for Girls and a Centre for Children in Scutari in Albania. In Ivory Coast they are engaged in elementary adult education, promotion of women as well as social assistance and health care. (Fides Service 25/4/2003 EM lines 50 Words: 690)