A year after the birth of her son, Servant of God Chiara Corbella Petrillo wrote a letter filled with faith and love to little Francesco, for whom she offered her own life. In it, the young Italian mother gives witness to the meaning of love and trust in God's providence.
Chiara and her husband, Enrico, lived an intense journey of faith marked by both suffering and hope.
Their first two children, Maria Grazia Letizia and Davide Giovanni, died shortly after birth, but the couple lovingly embraced the short time that God allowed them to share with their children.
The joy of expecting their third child was soon overshadowed by difficult news: Chiara was diagnosed with tongue cancer.
After undergoing initial surgery to remove the tumor, she chose to postpone further treatment until after Francesco’s birth, since the medication could have harmed the baby.
“For most doctors, Francesco was just a seven-month-old fetus. And the one who had to be saved was me. But I had no intention of putting Francesco’s life at risk based on some unreliable statistics that were trying to prove to me that I had to give birth to my son prematurely so I could have the surgery,” Chiara wrote.
On May 30, 2011, Francesco Petrillo was born, and Chiara began the next stage of her treatment.
According to her official website,
“Chemotherapy and radiotherapy begin, but the tumor had already spread, affecting the lymph nodes, lung, liver, and even the right eye, which Chiara will cover with a bandage to limit vision difficulties.”
Chiara died on June 13, 2012. During her funeral, the Vicar of Rome, Cardinal Agostino Vallini, said,
“What God has prepared through her is something we cannot lose.”
Check out this video from EWTN Vatican about Chiara Crobella Petrillo's heroic life:
The Letter Chiara Corbella Petrillo Wrote to Her Son Francesco
Pian della Carlotta, 30.05.12
Dearest Francy, today you turn one, and we were thinking about what gift we could give you that would last throughout your life. So we decided to write you a letter.
You have been a great gift in our lives because you have helped us to look beyond our human limitations. When the doctors frightened us, your fragile life gave us strength to continue.
From what little I have understood in these years, I can only tell you that love is at the center of our lives. We are born from an act of love, we live to love and to be loved, and we die in order to learn the true love of God. The purpose of our lives is simply to love and to learn to love God and others, just as He teaches us.
Love wears you down, but it is beautiful to be worn out like a candle that goes out only after fulfilling its purpose.
Everything you do in life will only make sense if you see it in the light of eternity.
If you are truly loving, you will recognize that nothing belongs to you, because everything is a gift.
As Saint Francis says, the opposite of love is possession.
We loved your siblings, Maria and Davide, and we have loved you, knowing that you were not ours. You were never meant to belong to us. And that is how everything in life is. What we receive never truly belongs to us. It is a gift from God so that we can make it fruitful. Never be discouraged, my child. God never takes anything away from you. If He allows something to be taken, it is only because He desires to give you more.
Through Maria and Davide, we fell more in love with eternity and lost our fear of death. God asked us to let them go, but in return, He gave us a larger and more open heart, able to welcome eternity even now.
In Assisi, I fell in love with the joy of the brothers and sisters who live trusting in Divine Providence. I asked the Lord for the grace to believe in that Providence, in this Father who ensures we lack nothing. With the help of Father Vito, we learned to walk in this trust. We married with nothing, placing God first and believing in the love that asked us to take this step.
We have never been disappointed. We have always had a home and more than we needed.
Your name is Francesco because Saint Francis changed our lives, and we hope he will be an example for you too. It is wonderful to have models who remind us that true happiness is possible here on earth, with God guiding us.
We know you are special and that you have a great mission. The Lord has always loved you and will show you the way if you open your heart to Him.
Trust me, it is worth it.
Mom Chiara and Dad Enrico