“Impossible? It will be done!”: Armida Barelli’s faith

With a heart overflowing with faith and an unwavering love for the Sacred Heart, Armida Barelli stands as a luminous figure of service and dedication to the Church and Italian society in the twentieth century, with much to teach us even today. She was not merely a founder, but a “Big Sister”, an expression she herself chose to describe her role among the thousands of young women she inspired as President of Catholic Action’s Female Youth. Father Andrea Vena, in this new volume in the I Santi del Messalino series, portrays the profile of this tireless woman of God: «An extraordinarily ordinary woman, who in the daily exercise of her work knew how to sanctify herself and the people with whom she came into contact», leaving us the spiritual legacy «of weaving meaningful relationships among ourselves, marked by the desire to love and to make the Lord Jesus loved» (Father Ernesto Dezza, OFM, from the Preface).

«I am Yours, only Yours, Yours forever, my Sacred Heart»
Born in Milan in 1882 to a well-to-do family, Armida did not receive a traditional spiritual education at home, but it was during her studies with the Ursuline Sisters and the Sisters of the Holy Cross of Menzingen, between 1895 and 1900, that she began to know and love the Lord. In that setting, although initially bored by Mass and skeptical about meditation, she had an encounter that changed her life: devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, thanks to her friendship with a fellow student, Agata Braig. This love for the Sacred Heart became the melody that sang in her soul, leading her in 1909 to consecrate herself to the Lord through a private vow of chastity: «I am Yours, only Yours, Yours forever, my Sacred Heart», she noted in her diary in 1913, sealing a life choice guided by unconditional trust.

Meeting Father Agostino Gemelli and a motto for life
In 1910, Armida met Father Agostino Gemelli, an encounter that marked the beginning of a fruitful and lasting collaboration. It was Gemelli who guided her toward the Third Order of Saint Francis, which she joined on November 19, 1910. Armida, endowed with great determination, adopted a motto that expressed her indomitable spirit in the face of challenges: «Impossible? Then it shall be done!». This phrase was not merely an expression of human will, but the manifestation of a profound trust in Divine Providence and the Sacred Heart.

The “Big Sister”: a heart at the service of women and the Church
Her vocation led her to become the “seamstress” of Father Gemelli’s works. Her work unfolded in various fields, always animated by a Christ-centered spirituality:
• The Female Youth of Catholic Action: In 1917, the Archbishop of Milan, Blessed Cardinal Andrea Carlo Ferrari, invited her to care for young women, and Pope Benedict XV appointed her vice president of the Union of Italian Catholic Women in 1918. Initially reluctant about speaking in public and traveling around Italy, Armida accepted, understanding the urgent need to educate Christian women in the face of Marxist propaganda and secularization. She did not want to be called “President”, stating: «The President is Our Lady, who protects us. I am the big sister, everyone’s sister, equal to everyone, only with more experience». Under her tireless leadership, the Female Youth spread throughout Italy, “enlisting” hundreds of thousands of young women.
• The Foundation of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart: together with Father Agostino Gemelli and others, she helped to establish it; despite enormous financial difficulties and the uncertainties of the time, her faith worked miracles. One account tells of the moment when, faced with the need for one million lire to purchase the site and with general discouragement, Armida proposed making a vow to the Sacred Heart: if the money arrived, the University would be dedicated to Him. An hour later, a check for one million arrived from a count who, initially reluctant, was “persuaded” by the Sacred Heart.
• The Work of the Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ: in 1929, she organized this work to spread liturgical life in parishes through a Christ-centered spirituality.

«God’s will, I trust in the Sacred Heart»
Armida’s life was not free from trials: she experienced her family’s financial collapse, an illness that confined her to bed for years, and the bombings that destroyed her home and part of the University during the Second World War. Yet in every difficulty, her «talisman of happiness», as she called it, remained trust in the Sacred Heart. She wrote: «I do not worry about anything: He will take care of every difficulty». Even in the face of the serious degenerative illness that led to her death, her response was: «God’s will, I trust in the Sacred Heart». Although her voice had faded, she continued to work and say: «If I can no longer speak, I can still pray, think, love, write, and direct the Works. And I thank God!»
Pius XII called her «the chosen soul who served the Church with complete faith and absolute dedication». Beatified on April 30, 2022, Armida Barelli continues to be an example of how a life given to God and to one’s neighbor, with unwavering trust in the Sacred Heart, can transform the world and remain a “song” of love forever.