The Sisters of Charity in Sulmona
There are stories that are not seeking an applause. There are presences that are not making any noise. Yet, if Sulmona is breathing a little more light today, we also owe it to the Sisters of Charity, who for more than a century and a half have been the silent heart of this city. The Sisters of Charity in Sulmona It was 25 October 1853. The city was in need. The schools of San Cosimo and the almshouse were left without staff, and the people, at that time, grabbed for who could bring relief, education and care. The Municipality of Sulmona and the Holy House then turned to Bishop Mario Giuseppe Mirone, asking for the help of the Sisters of Charity, already present in Castel di Sangro. The response came from afar, written in the hand of Mother General Sister Genoveffa Boucon. And so it was that, with Bishop Mirone’s successor, Monsignor Sabatini, the first four Sisters of Charity arrived in Sulmona. It was a feast. The bells rang, the band played its music, people crowded to the streets. They were not aware, at that time, that they were not only welcoming four women in simple dresses… but four pillars of mercy intended to sustain, for centuries, the dignity of an entire people. Two of them were sent to Sant’Onofrio, to the institute for the poor: there, among the sick and the poor, they learned to heal the wounds of the body and the much deeper wounds of the soul. The other two settled first at Palazzo Corvi, then at San Cosimo, where they opened a school: they taught French, music, painting, embroidery and sewing. Not only knowledge, but hope — the hope that arises when someone believes in you, even if you have nothing.
In 1900, with a royal decree signed by Giolitti, two more nursery schools were opened, one in Santa Chiara and one in Via Francesco Crispi. Hundreds of children found not only teachers within those walls, but also spiritual mothers, attentive to the most needy, to families without a voice, to the children of poverty. And then there was the hospital. Until the 1960s, the Sisters of Charity were a constant, discreet, dedicated presence in the wards of the Annunziata. In the cold, bare corridors, they brought a warmth that no medicine could provide. Alongside the patients, anxious mothers and lonely elderly people, there was always a nun watching over them, smiling and praying in silence. In 1968, thanks to a donation from Italians abroad, they founded the Regina Margherita Nursery School. Three sections, then more and more children. In the 1970s, there were over 250 children.also welcomed those who could not pay. Because for them, charity is not calculated, it is given. Every child, rich or poor, deserved to grow up surrounded by love, joy and dignity. And when school ended, another day began. Sulmona was still poor at that time. Beyond the ring road, there were fields, Shallow huts and forgotten families. The Sisters of Charity went there every day to bring life: they did the shopping for those who couldn’t, cleaned houses, cared for the sick, cooked, prayed and embraced.
And then, in the evening, they washed, ironed, sewed clothes, prepared theatre shows for the children, and made costumes and sets designs with their own hands. Tireless. Humble. Radiant. With very few resources, but with hearts as big as the heavens. They taught, nourished, and comforted. They served without asking for anything in return. They loved without ever being in the spotlight. Their commitment to schools lasted until 2011. Catechism and hospitality until 2024. But true charity has no end date. Even today, those invisible hands reach out, grip hands, and become bread and comfort for those who live on the margins. They are still here, among us, silent as ever, but alive, active, necessary. Today, in front of them, there is no need for great speeches. All that is needed is a gratitude. The Gratefulness that comes from the heart. Because while the world rushes, shouts and forgets, the Sisters of Charity have continued, day after day, to heal the wounds of an entire city. And if Sulmona still has a good soul, part of that light belongs to them — to the Sisters of Charity, who have silently done what so many preach: to love without measure.