Liduina Meneguzzi was an Italian religious sister belonging to the Sisters of Saint Francis de Sales. Born in 1901 in Abano Terme, near Padua, she later dedicated her life to nursing. She eventually traveled to Ethiopia, where she served at the Parini Civil Hospital. Known locally by the name Sister Gudda, she gained the nickname the Ecumenical Flame for her dedicated service. She died of cancer in Dire Dawa in 1941, during the Second World War, while caring for the wounded.
Life and service
After joining her religious order and taking the name Liduina, she focused her vocation on medical care. During the conflict of the Second World War, she worked as a nurse in Ethiopia. Her selfless assistance to those suffering during the war earned her significant recognition. Following her death in 1941, her remains were transferred from Dire Dawa to Padua in 1961.
Veneration
The Catholic Church recognized her sanctity through several stages. She was declared Venerable in 1996, and her beatification took place on 20 October 2002 in Saint Peter's Square. Her feast day is observed on 1 December.