The women's section of the Roman prison of Rebibbia is one of the largest in Europe: it has a capacity of 300 people but has come to accommodate more than 400 women. As a Franciscan of the Poor, I have been visiting Rebibbia for more than two years, and I talk with the women who ask for an interview with the religious sister. Right from the start I was amazed at the number of people who signed up. Then I realised that many of these women did not receive any visits other than mine. Many of the women are foreigners whose families are far away. Several of them come from situations of extreme poverty and visits from relatives is an unaffordable luxury. Still others have sick relatives or have lost contact with them even before their imprisonment.
I welcome each one with kindness and sympathy, hoping that from this they can grasp the mercy and tenderness of God. Their friendliness and simplicity as they wait for me turns our interviews into moments that are longed for by both parties; a special space where hope and the strength of Life can emerge, despite the most desolate situations.
Sr. Mariapia IammarinoIrene is Italian and because of her drug addiction she has been in Rebibbia several times. She is sad, but happy to meet me with me because I carry the same cross as Sr. Viera Farinelli, who preceded me in this service. She offered to serve as my guide, stating that “you must know your way around” in prison. So, she introduced me to many lonely, angry and defenceless women. Her solidarity with her companions is moving. She became a bridge between me and them in a creative, light-hearted and unique way. Eventually, Irene was freed from prison and placed under house arrest. She has a late-stage tumour that cannot be treated in prison.  And she kept it from me. I called her and asked her if I could visit her at home. The place where she lives is on the outskirts of town, with social housing blocks as dense as beehives. She tells me more than her shy words can convey about how hard her life must have been. I brought her some supplies, some healthy and light food and warm clothes... and a pretty bunch of roses that I picked from our garden. She welcomed me and we both burst into tears; then we had coffee, a lot of laughs, and she gave me an update on her health, and I promised that I will stay by her side.
As impossible as it may seem, prison has given her a great gift: she rediscovered God, His mercy and His friendship.  She took the roses to her room and placed them before an image of Jesus. She told me that surely it was He who brought us together because if she ever had doubts about being loved by God, those roses and my closeness helped her push them away.
Visiting the women in Rebibbia is a huge privilege for me. Every time I go there, I feel I am following in God’s footsteps…in His immense mercy. Yet, I can only share the gift of Mother Frances' healing charism and say as she did: "Always let Him alone act, and look with wonder and gratitude at His work. Life comes from the Lord; He alone can give it".

Sr. Mariapia Iammarino, SFP

Published: January 27, 2021