During her fourth year of Secondary School, Gianna’s oldest sister Amelia died at the age of 26 after a long illness. It was a sorrowful event for the entire family but particularly for Gianna. She suddenly encountered the world of suffering, but through this suffering, her faith seemed to grow stronger. Sister Virginia remembers her “reaching out to heaven” during this time:

“Every morning she would spend time in meditation. This practice became her strength. In the afternoon, she would stop at a church for a visit to the Blessed Sacrament. She always kept a rosary in her purse and prayed some Holy Mary’s whenever she could.”