Florenza Giovanna Profilio

During this time, her brother Antonio, who had become a priest, settled in Lipari. In 1904, he invited his mother and his siblings to return to Italy. Back in Sicily, Sister Florenza's mother suggested to the Bishop of Lipari, Msgr. Francesco Maria Raiti, O.F.M., that he bring her daughter back to found a new local religious community to meet the spiritual and social needs of the island. After seeking the advice of Msgr. Diomede Falconio, O.F.M., then Apostolic Delegate to the United States, Sister Florenza accepted the bishop's invitation. She left America and returned to Italy on February 7, 1905. On October 30 of the same year, she opened the first house of the new congregation in Lipari. The very next day, November 1, 1905, Msgr. Raiti signed the decree approving the constitutions of the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of Lipari (Suore Francescane dell'Immacolata Concezione di Lipari). Sister Florenza made her temporary vows on December 3, 1905, and her perpetual profession on August 2, 1906. She was appointed the first Superior General of the institute, a position she would hold with dedication until her death. Under her leadership, the congregation grew rapidly: it opened a novitiate in 1908 and, in 1922, transferred its general headquarters to Acireale (Catania). The institute expanded its activities in Sicily and then throughout Italy. In 1953, the congregation opened itself to international mission work by founding its first house in Brazil. The institute was officially aggregated to the Order of Friars Minor on July 4, 1938, and received the decree of praise (decretum de laude) from the Holy See on April 25, 1949. Its constitutions were definitively approved on March 7, 1958. The Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of Lipari are primarily dedicated to the human and Christian education of children and young people (through state-recognized schools, orphanages, and kindergartens) as well as to the assistance of the sick, the elderly, and the most destitute (nursing homes, clinics, and charitable works).

Mother Florenza governed her congregation through the strength of her personal example rather than through long speeches. She was admired by her sisters and by the faithful for her deep piety, her tireless apostolic zeal, and her love for the poor. In imitation of Saint Francis of Assisi, she lived a spirit of radical poverty and confident abandonment to the divine will. She spent the final years of her life in Rome, demonstrating great spiritual maturity and a wisdom forged by trials. She passed away peacefully on February 21, 1956, at the generalate house in Rome. Her mortal remains rest today in a chapel adjoining the church of Sant'Antonio, within the generalate house of her congregation, located on Via delle Benedettine in Rome.

The reputation for holiness of Mother Florenza Profilio led to the opening of her cause for canonization at the diocesan level in 1982. On April 14, 2018, Pope Francis received in audience Cardinal Angelo Amato, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, and authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing the heroic nature of her virtues. By this solemn act, Mother Florenza Profilio was declared venerable.

The spirituality of the Venerable Florenza Profilio is articulated around a spiritual triptych that she placed at the heart of her life and the constitutions of her institute: 1. The Crib: mystery of the Incarnation and of incarnate love. 2. The Cross: mystery of the Passion and of immolated love. 3. The Eucharist: mystery of love given and of the real presence. Her legacy continues today through the work of the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of Lipari, who continue to serve in Italy, Brazil, and Peru (notably in Lima with the Comedor Madre Florencia). In recognition of her social and spiritual work, several Italian municipalities, including Palermo and Lipari, have dedicated streets and civic honors to her memory.