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Birth:          17 Jul 1922 Santa Lucia di Serino, Italy
Death:          21 Mar 2009 Genoa, Italy

Notes
fb post by Ottaviano Di Biase 11 Apr 2020
Next to Holy Easter I tell you the story of Sister Leontina Bove, a life among the poor 
and for the poor of Latin America.

Leontina Bove was born in Santa Lucia di Serino (AV) on July 17, 1922, to Domenico 
and Rodia Carmela. Third child of 11 children of whom only six will survive: he comes 
to the world after Joseph (1917) and Mariano (1920) and before my mother Mary 
(1925), Michelina (1932) and Immaculate ( 1934).
Sister Michelina and Immaculate sisters are still living.
At the age of sixteen, Leontina takes a cutting class. At eighteen he sets up, in his 
father's house, a laboratory where he gives the first notions of cutting and sewing. On 
October 12, 1942, as the brothers go to war she enters the Congregation of the 
Daughters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, whose Mother House is the well-
known Ravasco Institute of Genoa, where she begins a path of religious and religious 
missionary involving thirteen of her age of St. Lucia, including her sister Michelina and 
one of her cousins Lucia Masucci. After completing the profession of faith, in 1952 he 
arrived in La Paz, at the invitation of the Apostolic Nunziature in Bolivia. During the 
first few months he dedicated himself to caring for a community of deaf people, then 
continues for the Mission of Chochabamba, inland on the borders with Brazil, to 
dedicate his soul and body to the health and training of Indios children. He told me 
during one of the rare visits to sister Maria: "I arrived in those places isolated from the 
world on board a wagon, but once there I gave myself to the life of the community with 
obedience and with great spirit of faith". Between 1955 and 1957 is called to bring her 
experience as a nurse and seamstress to the most needy communities in La Paz and 
Obrajes. In 1957 she was joined by two sisters and together they continued to 
Colombia. At first it is established in peripheral areas of the capital Bogota, such as 
Manizales and Caldas. Meeting with the noblewoman Ines Resprero, of Latin American 
origin, allows her to turn her profession of faith and missionary. Essentially, wealthy 
Ines, having the wealth inherited by her American husband, helps her realize the 
dream of opening a "Home" in that area and for those people in need of everything. 
And Sister Leontina succeeds thanks to her faith and the economic support of this 
rich noblewoman, as well as her brother of her engineer and signatory of the project. 
With the arms of the local community, he runs the construction of what will be the first 
House in Colombia and assumes the charge of Mother Superior. In 1968 he continued 
for Medellin, always giving his contribution as a nurse, seamstress, new ideas, 
religious. But the most important thing is the institution, in every new house, of a 
school of every order and rank open to everyone, welcoming the children of charge of 
Colombia's poorest bands. Still, in these institutes, you enter with attending 
Elementary school and dating a high school diploma. Basically, starting in 1957, the 
new generations of Colombia opened in Bogota in Bogota.
In 1970 the Mother General, who is based in via Pius VIII in Rome, sent her to Buenos 
Aires (Argentina) where, with the blessing of the bishop of the local diocese (Pope 
Francis? ), continues his difficult missionary work. The houses of Calle Maipł and 
Haedo, made in the suburbs of the city, are today the highest testimony you want for 
the results achieved for the Christian and peace message that she had managed to 
convey to every creature on that earth.
Serious health problems emerged, in 1972 she was recalled to Italy to receive first the 
post of Mother Superiora at the detached headquarters of Rome located in Via San 
Pietro station and the following year in Lugano, Switzerland. Obviously, the comforts 
of the modern world did not suit her: having the Latin American continent in its heart, 
she returned to Colombia in 1977 The welcome received pays off the great sacrifices 
made in those lands and for those people: "Only God can do what I, poor creature, 
desire for your good", he often loved to repeat to his young sisters. Meanwhile, 27 
years had passed, the time needed to realize that his seed had turned into reality. 
Following the visit of the Mother General, she is convinced that her missionary work 
would continue anyway.
In 1978 he returned to Italy. After a short period of rest and spiritual withdrawals at 
various institutes he placed at the service of the Bishop of Trivento, H.E. Mons. A. 
Valentini. After all, his health is getting worse and worse. At the same time as the 
transfer of S. E. to the Bishop of Pescara, she continues for the Mother Casa di 
Genoa, where she turns out in grace of God on the afternoon of March 21, 2009. Her 
body rests in the monumental cemetery of Genoa.

Parents
BOVE Domenico Gaetano (24 Dec 1891 - )
RODIA Carmela (21 Jan 1892 - )

Siblings
BOVE Giuseppe (1917 - )
BOVE Mariano (1920 - )
BOVE Leontina (17 Jul 1922 - 21 Mar 2009)
BOVE Maria (1925 - 2016)
BOVE Delizia (28 Jan 1928 - 12 Apr 1928)
BOVE Delizia (1 Jan 1929 - 8 Jan 1929)
BOVE Michelina ()
BOVE Immacolata ()

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