Luigi Variara was born in Viarigi (Asti in Italy) on 15 January 1875, and
was
baptised the same day, since he was not expected to live.

Twenty years previously, in 1856, Don Bosco had preached a mission in
Viarigi;
he had made a great impression and it was on that occasion that Luigi's
father,
who was a primary-school teacher, under-secretary of the commune, and
parochial
organist, made the acquaintance of the saint. It was natural, then, that he
should turn to him when deciding to further the education of Luigi, the son
of
his second marriage. The boy became a pupil at Valdocco in Turin on 1
October
1887, four months before Don Bosco's death. The joyous spirit of the Oratory
suited the lad's character, and being endowed with a fine soprano voice, he
soon
became a soloist much appreciated by choir-master Brother Giuseppe Dogliani.

The 20-year-old had been profoundly impressed by the way Don Bosco had once
looked at him intensely. In Luigi's own words, "It was a wintry afternoon,
and
we were playing in the large courtyard of the Oratory, when there was a
sudden
shouting all around us: "Don Bosco! Don Bosco!" Instinctively everyone raced
to
where our good Father was to be taken for a drive in a carriage. I pushed my
way
through the crowd to where he was being helped into the carriage, and was
able
to catch sight of him surrounded by my excited young fellow pupils, all
seeking
to work their way into a place to be near him. I too was most anxious to get
close to him and strove to be as near as possible to where he was being
helped
into the carriage, Then suddenly he looked at me in a most kindly way, and
his
eyes held my attention. I really don't know how to describe my feelings at
that
moment. That day was for me one of the happiest of my life; I was sure I had
gazed on a real saint, and that that saint had read in my soul something
that
was known only to God and himself." Don Bosco died soon after, but the
memory of
that look proved such an influence on Luigi that it helped set his mind on
the
Salesian life. He entered the novitate on 17 August 1891, and as he made his
perpetual vows into the hands of Don Rua, Don Bosco's successor whispered in
his
ear "Variara, non variare" a play upon Italian words meaning "Variari never
vary..".

Luigi did his philosophy studies at Valsalice, together with the Venerable
Andrea Beltrami then suffering from consumption and spending his last years
in
cheerful acceptance of the will of God. This reference to Beltrami is
important,
since it would have influenced Luigi to develop and propose to the
Congregation
of Sisters he was to found in later years, a spirituality closely devoted to
the
sick and infirm. The Congregation was the Daughters of the Sacred Hearts of
Jesus and Mary)

Another decisive event in the life of Luigi was his meeting in 1894 with
Father
Michael Unia, a missionary who worked for the lepers of Agua de Dios. Luigi
already was keen to devote his life to the missions, and was delighted to be
invited by Father Unia to join him on his return to his leper refuge in Agua
de
Dios.

"I was absolutely amazed and thrilled when I was chosen from my 120
companions
who all had volunteered for the missionary apostolate. Father Unia looked at
me
and said, 'This is the one I choose'. He then spoke to me personally and
asked
if I would return with him to his leper colony in Agua de Dios. Delighted, I
agreed; and I never ceased to recall the incident as a magnificent grace, a
grace I treasured as a gift from Mary Help of Christians," he recalled.

Actually Father Unia died a little over a year after his return to Agua de
Dios.
He had written to the young Variara shortly before his death: "Someone more
worthy than I am, will inherit this work with my blessing. Courage! Maybe
this
good fortune will be yours." Indeed, Luigi took possession of his
inheritance
and devoted his life entirely to the service of the lepers with the
freshness of
youthful energy and a wealth of talent, He set up a musical band that
performed
in the presence of the President of Colombia; and in the 'city of sorrow' he
created an atmosphere of joyousness that profoundly moved all who witnessed
it.

To teach the young lepers how to play the wind instruments, he would show
them
certain techniques, using the instruments without changing the mouthpiece
they
had just blown into. He preferred to run the risk of infection, as was
believed
in those days, than to humiliate them with precautions. One witness
maintained
that he was both mother and father to the youngsters, "He cheerfully dressed
the
most repugnant sores of these little ones; and the more helpless ones he
assisted with their personal toilet needs with the care of a mother."

In 1898, four years after his arrival, Luigi was ordained to the priesthood.
His
was the first Salesian ordination in Colombia, To his long list of labours
he
now added the duties of his priestly ministry, and immediately proved
himself a
wise spiritual director, an apostolate greatly furthered by his kindly
understanding, respect, human sensitivity and interior spirituality.

Amongst his penitents were members of the Children of Mary Sodality, a group
of
some 200 girls among whom were many lepers. Luigi was faced with the fact
that
quite a few of these girls would have become religious, but there was no
Congregation that would accept lepers, or even children of lepers. This gave
him
the idea of founding a Congregation for women that would accept such
applicants:
'a wonderful and carefully conceived unique concept in the Church'. In
practice
it started off as merely an association; for the idea of a definite
Congregation
was still not thought of as possibility. The aim was simply to found a
'Religious Community' exclusively for the Agua de Dios apostolate.

Meanwhile the ardent zeal of the young priest branched out in various other
initiatives.

For babies in desperate need Luigi set up a haven which he dedicated to the
memory of Father Michael Unia. It saw the light on 7 May 1905. He also
organised
concerts and plays that were received with extraordinary pleasure. But no
one
was happier than Luigi himself. He wrote on 22 July 1901: "I have never been
so
happy to be a Salesian as I have this year, and I bless the Lord for sending
me
to this leper colony. It has been for me an foretaste of heaven itself".

However in 1903 changes took place that profoundly affected Father Variara.
Father Evasio Rabagliati, who had encouraged the ongoing Salesian
development of
the leper colonies, was succeeded by Father Antonio Aime, whose policy was
to
put a check on the expansion of the leper apostolate. His reasons were
twofold:
he had to develop the educational apostolate of the Province; and he was
having
difficulty in finding confreres for the leper refuge, largely because of the
fear of contracting the disease.

This was a sad blow to Father Variara--it was something that was hard for
him to
understand; and other circumstances contributed to worsen the situation. At
Agua
de Dios there was a community of Presentation Sisters, and the Superior,
Mother
Anna del Pilar, did not favour Luigi's incipient Congregation; she took
every
opportunity to impede its development. Furthermore, Archbishop Bemardo
Herrera
Restrepo, who had given his approval to the Association, had received
mistaken
information given to him mainly by the Presentation Superior, and had
complained
to the Salesian Provincial. Given this situation, the latter transferred
Luigi
to different places without giving sufficient attention to the facts, This
was
contrary to the backing of the Rector Major Don Rua, who had in writing
approved
of Luigi's remaining at Agua de Dios and also of the responsibility he had
to
the new Congregation.

In 1905 he was transferred to Mosquera; then returned to Aqua de Dios and
further sent to Contratacion. However, because of the climate there, he was
returned to Agua do Dios. In 1911 he was in Italy and able to approach the
new
Rector Major, Father Paul Albera, who confirmed his obedience to return to
Aqua
de Dios and resume his work with the lepers.

However, after a few years of fruitful apostolate, he was sent to Bogota
Here
certain sores on his skin appeared, and it was suspected that he had
contracted
leprosy, and the decision was made to transfer him again to Agua de Dios. He
returned there, even though the medical results of the sores had proved
negative. Unfortunately, by this time people worried about having any
contact
with him.Nevertheless, after a few months he was told to transfer to
Barranquilla. In the letter he received, the Provincial gave no explanation
for
this new change, arriving as it did just when Luigi had been told not to
leave
Agua de Dios. It is difficult to understand how he was to be taken from the
leper colony and sent to work with healthy people. It would seem that the
Provincial was plagued by diabetes, and this may have been a contributory
cause
of the contradictions in his authoritative decisions.

The two years at Baranquilla were years of suffering for Luigi. He was
ordered
to cut down on his correspondence with the leper girls of the Religious
Association and not to consider himself responsible for them any more. The
motive for this prohibition seems to have been a painful false accusation
made
against him. Luigi bore this trial in a most edifying way, putting into
practice
the 'spirit of victimisation' that he had preached to his Institute, "We are
victims, and we must accept our share in the cross of Jesus". When Luigi was
told of the accusation he entered the church and remained a long time in
prayer
before the tabernacle.

History was to have the task of unmasking the baseness of the accuser. In
1921
Luigi was transferred to Tariba, Venezuela, on the border of Colombia. Two
years
after his arrival, his health had seriously deteriorated and the doctor
advised
that he be taken to Cucuta, Colombia, where the climate was more bearable
for
his patient, There he was cared for by a Salesian Cooperator, Rodolfo
Faccini.
But his health was soon to worsen, and he died on 1 February 1923 at 48
years of
age and 24 of priesthood--far away, as his obedience demanded--from his
beloved
lepers and his Sisters. He was buried in Cucuta, and in 1932 his remains
were
transferred to the Chapel of his Sisters in Agua de Dios, where they still
remain.

From:
http://www.donbosco.asn.au/Bulletins/2002/dec/variara.htm

Saint Quote:
"What is sufficient for health will not satisfy pleasure"
--St. Augustine (Doctor, 354-430) --"Instructions On Christian Morality"

Bible Quotes:
"But where is wisdom to be found, ... neither is it found in the land of
them
that live in delights"  (Job 28:12-13)

"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink: but justice and peace and joy
in
the Holy Ghost "  (Romans 14:17)

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Prayer

"Servants of Mary,
bless all laypeople on their spiritual journey.
Help us look to Mary for examples of faith, service, and humility.
And help us to remember that God calls us to love him in
his children and our neighbors.
Remind us that it is more important to
live for eternity than to die to time.
Amen."