Mother Josephine Biviglia – Righteous among the Nations

Josephine was born at Serrone di Foligno on March 31, 1897, and died at 94 on March 31, 1991. She entered the convent on May 13, 1922. Mother Josephine led the Community as Mother Abbess from 1942 to 1945, from 1945 to 1948, from 1964 to 1967 and from 1967 to 1970.

Mother Josephine left autobiographical writings in which she documented the saving of many Jews and other opponents of the Nazi occupation.

In the words of Mother Josephine, the convent became a “Noah’s ark”, full of all kinds of people fleeing persecution and death; Jews, political opponents, partisans and others. Mother Josephine underlines the importance of the support she received from the priests, sisters and other religious authorities at the time.