Sirmione Marks 90 Years Since Blessed Benedetta Bianchi Porro’s Birth

A mass will be held on Saturday, 8 August at 6:30 pm at the Church of Santa Maria della Neve in Sirmione to mark the 90th anniversary of the birth of Blessed Benedetta Bianchi Porro. The service will be led by Mons. Domenico Pompili, Bishop of Verona, with the attendance of Mayor Luisa Lavelli and other local authorities. The event will include musical accompaniment by the Madonna della Neve parish choir.

Born in Dovadola (Forlì-Cesena) on 8 August 1936, Bianchi Porro later moved with her family to Sirmione. She independently recognized the symptoms of neurofibromatosis, a rare degenerative condition that eventually led to deafness, paralysis and blindness. She died in Sirmione on 23 January 1964 at the age of 27; in 1969, her remains were transferred to the Church of Sant’Andrea in Badia di Dovadola. She was beatified on 14 September 2019.
Italian Version