GOD IS MY FATHER

[Charibel R Hilario]

Short Biography of Mother Eugenia Elisabette Ravasio

Who is Mother Eugenia, whom God the Father called “My beloved daughter”, “My little plant”?

In our opinion, Mother Eugenia is one of the greatest lights of our times, the little prophet of a new Church, in which the Father is the centre and apex of all mankind, and in which unity is the highest ideal of spirituality.  She is a light given by the Father to the world at this time of chaos and darkness, so that we may see the road that has to be followed.

She was born in San Gervasio d’Adda (now Capriato San Gervasio), a small town in the province of Bergamo, Italy, on 4 September 1907, in a family of peasant background'.

She received only an elementary education.  After a few years working in a factory, she entered the Congregation of Our Lady of the Apostles at the age of 20 years.  It was here that her great charismatic personality developed, leading to her election as Mother General of the Congregation at the age of only 25.

Quite apart from her spiritual qualities, her work in the social field alone would suffice to ensure her a place in history.  In twelve years of missionary activity she opened over 70 centres - each with infirmary, school and church - in the remotest spots of Africa, Asia and Europe.

It was she who discovered the first medicine for the cure of leprosy, extracting it from the seed of a tropical plant.  This medicine was later studied and developed further at the Pasteur Institute in Paris.

She encouraged the apostolate of Raoul Follereau, who, following in her footsteps and building on the foundations laid by her, is regarded as the apostle of the lepers.

During the period 1939-41 she conceived, planned and brought to fruition the project for a “Lepers’ City” at Azopte (Ivory Coast).  This was a vast centre, covering an area of 200,000 sq.m., for the care of leprosy sufferers.  It remains even today one of Africa’s and the world’s leading centres of its kind.

In recognition of this achievement, France conferred the Couronne Civique, the highest national honor for social work, on the Congregation of Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of the Apostles, of which Mother Eugenia was Superior General from 1935 to 1947.

Mother Eugenia returned to the Father on 10 August 1990.

Her most important legacy to us is the Message of the Father (“The Father speaks to His children”), the only private revelation made personally by God the Father and recognized as authentic by the Church after ten years of the most rigorous examination.  We reproduce at the beginning of the text the statement issued by Mgr Alexandre Caillot, Bishop of Grenoble, following the investigation.

It is noteworthy that the Father (in 1932) dictated the Message to Mother Eugenia in Latin, a language totally unknown to her.

In 1981 this Message came to our notice, and in 1982, its fiftieth anniversary, we published it in Italian.

The many miracles of grace worked by the Message have led us to disseminate it gratis, especially in prisons, barracks and hospitals.  In addition to English, it is available in French, Italian, Spanish and German and other languages.

Father Andrea D’Ascanio
OFM Cap.

Preface to "God is my father"

“God is my Father!” This cry is being heard ever more frequently in today’s world:  people are coming to recognize that God is indeed their Father.

Consequently, we feel it our duty to publish a message, given to the world by God the Father through one of His creatures who loved Him so much, Sister Eugenia Elisabetta Ravasio, and recognized as valid by the Church.

We consider it appropriate to introduce this work by quoting the testimony of a former Bishop of Grenoble, the Right Reverend Alexandre Caillot.  In 1935 he set up a board of experts, drawn from various parts of France, to conduct a diocesan inquiry, which lasted ten years.

Its members included the Bishop of Grenoble’s Vicar General, Mgr Guerry, theologian; the Jesuit brothers, Fathers Albert and Auguste Valencin-Amons, who ranked among the foremost authorities in the field of philosophy and theology and were expert in evaluating such cases; and two doctors of medicine, one of whom was a psychiatrist.

We are sure that this message will help people to understand the deep tenderness the Father has for each one of us, and we hope that it will receive the widest possible circulation.

Father Andrea D’Ascanio
OFM Cap.

GOD IS MY FATHER
(by Mother Eugenia Elisabetta Ravasio)

My Father in Heaven, how sweet it is to know that You are my Father and that I am Your child! Especially when the skies of my soul are cloudy and my cross weighs more heavily, I feel the need to repeat to You:

Father, I believe in Your love for me!  Yes, I believe that You are my Father at every moment of my life, and that I am Your child!  I believe that You love me with an infinite love.  I believe that You watch over me night and day and that not a hair falls from my head without Your permission!  I believe that, in Your infinite Wisdom, You know much better than I, what is good for me.  I believe that, in Your infinite power, You can bring good even out of evil.

I believe, but increase in me faith, hope and love!  Teach me always to see Your love as my guide in every event of my life.  Teach me to surrender myself to You like a baby in her mother’s arms.

Father,You know everything, You see everything, you know me better than I know myself; You can do everything, and You love me!  My Father, since it is Your wish that we always turn to You, I come with confidence to ask You, together with Jesus and Mary
... (here request the favour that you desire).  For this intention, and uniting myself to their Most Sacred Hearts, I offer You all my prayers, my sacrifices and my mortifications, all my actions, and greater faithfulness to my duties.

Give me the light, the grace and the power of the Holy Ghost!  Strengthen me in this Spirit, that I may never lose Him, never sadden Him and never allow Him to become weak in me.  My Father, I ask this in the name of Jesus, Your Son!  And You, Jesus, open Your Heart and place in it my own, and, together with Mary’s, offer it to our Divine Father!  Obtain for me the grace that I need!  Divine Father, call all men to Yourself.  Let all the world proclaim Your Fatherly goodness and Your Divine Mercy!

Be a tender Father to me and protect me wherever I am, like the apple of Your eye.  Make me always a worthy son(daughter); have mercy on me!

Divine Father, sweet hope of our souls, may You be known, honored and loved by all men!

Divine Father, infinite goodness poured out on all peoples, may You be known, honored and loved by all men!

Divine Father, beneficent morning dew of humanity, may You be known, honored and loved by all men!

Partial indulgence +GIRARD, Vicar Apostolic of Cairo 9 October 1935 +JEAN, Cardinal VERDIER, Archbishop of Paris 8 May 1936

(If this prayer it to be recited as a novena, add: “I promise to be more generous, especially during these nine days, in a given circumstance, to such and such a person ...”)

Imprimatur: †Petrus Canisius van Lierde, Vic. Generalis e Vic. Civitatis Vaticanae, Roma die 13 Marti 1989

[Charibel R Hilario]

Divine Father, sweet hope of our souls, may You be known, honored and loved by all men!

[Charibel R Hilario]

Divine Father, sweet hope of our souls, may You be known, honored and loved by all men!

[Charibel R Hilario]

Divine Father, beneficent morning dew of humanity, may You be known, honored and loved by all men!