On Oct. 29, 1971, a daughter was born to Ruggero and Maria Theresa Badano in the northern Italian town of Sassello who they named “Chiara.” At the age of nine, she attended her first Focolare meeting. That first encounter changed her young life. She fell in love with the Lord Jesus. Described by her biographers as a “normal girl” who loved to sing and dance, to play tennis and listen to pop music, she was an attentive student in school but failed math. Her friends remember her as a popular teenager who enjoyed the company of her friends, but also as a girl with deep faith. She was nicknamed “Sister” by her schoolmates because of her unapologetic devotion to the Catholic religion, Mass and prayer.
At the age of 16, in 1988, Chiara traveled to Rome, where she met Chiara Lubich. She began a lively, regular correspondence with Lubich, who gave her the nickname “Luce,” which means “light,” writing that “your luminous face shows your love for Jesus.” That same summer, Chiara “Luce” Badano began to experience some pain in her shoulder while playing tennis. Tests revealed that she had developed a rare form of aggressive bone cancer, osteogenic sarcoma. This diagnosis did not dampen her spirits, but instead became her way of uniting her suffering with “the forsaken Jesus on the Cross.” “It’s for you, Jesus,” she would pray. “If you want it, I want it, too.” Her attitude never wavered, despite excruciating pain. Refusing morphine, young Chiara reflected, “I want to share as much as possible in his (Christ’s) suffering on the Cross.” Her teenage faith sustained her and inspired all around her. Her thoughts and actions during her suffering were always directed toward others, giving away her possessions and making plans that her parents would have only happy memories after her impending death, hiding a Christmas card so that her mother and father would find it the following Christmas.
Chiara shared with those who came to see her that, during a complicated surgery, she was “visited by a lady” who grasped her hand with love, filled her heart with joy and then disappeared. Her “vision” was later considered an apparition of the Blessed Mother. Despite the realization that her condition would not improve, Chiara asked her mother to help plan her wedding, choosing hymns and Scripture readings and describing her wedding gown. She wanted to be a “Bride of Christ.” Her “wedding” would be her funeral, and she was buried in that gown.
Just shy of 19 years of age, Chiara “Luce” Badano received absolution and Holy Communion and died on Oct. 7, 1990, with her parents at her side. “Bye, Mom,” she whispered, “Be happy because I am.” Over 2,000 people attended her funeral. Within 10 years of her death, efforts began to pursue her canonization under the patronage of Bishop Livio Maritano of Acqui. Given her reputation for holiness from a very young age, Chiara “Luce” Badano was declared “Venerable” July 3, 2008, and following the verification of a miracle attributed to her intercession, “Blessed” on Sept. 25, 2010. Her feast day is celebrated on the day of her birth, Oct. 29.