"Luigine" Sisters in Italy

“For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past” - Psalm 90,4

On October 15th, 1815 in La Morra, a delightful town in the Langa Hills (Province of Cuneo): the Congregation of the “Oblate Sisters of Saint Luigi Gonzaga” was born, or, as they are now familiarly called, the “Luigine Sisters.”

luigine sisters in Italy
A religious family was born from the immense heart of don Giovanni Battista Rubino. Priest at the diocese of Alba, birth, life and death in La Morra (1776-1853).  A precious "rubino" - ruby - in name and in fact. His life was extraordinary in its daily simplicity and poverty, through which the Holy Spirit accomplished true marvels of humanity and spirituality. The historical cradle of the Rubino project was the 18 Hundreds, called “the Disconnect Century,” inasmuch as the period when a new world rose, one inspired by progress, science and reason - yet child of the so-called Enlightenment and atheist.

Hard times for the Church and for the Pope! But when are times ever not so?

Along his earthly pathway, Don Rubino encountered young ones, questing boys and girls, persons who dreamed of a more beautiful and just world, a world in the image and likeness of God. And so the Lord set along the young don Rubino's path two great women: Maddalena Caminale born in La Morra the 26th of October, 1774 and Teresa Moscone, born in Monforte the 6th of May, 1772 - they too enamoured of God and his Gospel of justice, peace and brotherhood - and dreaming of a world in which even women were respected, allowed to blossom and become protagonists. Don Rubino, 39 years old, Maddalena 43 and Teresa 41, were the co-founders.

Don Rubino called them the “Oblate” Sisters, that is, totally self-offering to the Lord, the Church, and impoverished girls. His motto: “God and souls.”

TODAY: We can only feel admiration, gratitude and affection for the Father Founder and for what the sisters achieved in this 200 year history of generous and unstinting service in favour of children, the young, the elderly and the sick. Today the charism has taken on other aspects but the demand and need to serve those who are fragile, weak, and female, remains. And above all there remains the request to see in those consecrated to God, His image and a witness to the Gospel fully and credibly borne.