About ten days before December 7, Chiara wrote a letter to her confessor in which she made explicit her desire to give herself to God. That letter no longer exists, everything was destroyed – recalls Fr. Casimiro Bonetti – but I remember it well because you could not hold it in your hand, it was a letter that was all fire and flame. But I was very confused, I understood the generosity, I held back a lot at first because I had just finished theology – you know what theologians are like – I had had good teachers. When Chiara told me that she wanted to give herself all to God I was reminded that the teacher, when talking about offering one’s life to God forever, used to say, “Don’t let anyone make vows,” and he would shout out, “You must not make vows” because guarantees are needed, also because, since human nature is fragile, then only the Pope can dispense. Caught up in these thoughts in the beginning would hold me back a lot. “[1]

Chiara recalls: The priest questioned me by playing the devil’s advocate, to test this vocation. He said, “You will be alone! Your brothers and sister will get married and have a family, and you will remain alone. And what will happen to you?” He was doing this to test me. I didn’t know that and I got scared. And when he said, “And you will be alone,” I said, “Look, Father, as long as there is a tabernacle with Jesus Eucharist I will never be alone!” Then he said, “This one has the vocation. “[2]

The young priest who had recently completed his studies in theology was faced with a great responsibility. I don’t know how it was either: despite having been advised against it, that I remember! Then when I saw the ardour of this soul, well, then I made up my mind, I took the responsibility.  We tried to fix a date, and since we had our Seraphic College and in the chapel there was that statue of Our Lady […] there on the eve of the Immaculate Conception [Chiara] came up to this college of ours and there she consecrated herself totally, without any fuss. Anyway, I remember it was a rather special vow, inspired by the flame of love that consumed St. Francis, and I said to Chiara, ‘I want it to consume you too,’ and she said, ‘Of course, Father, of course!’

[…] We fixed it for 6 a.m. on December 7 in the chapel of the College, we used to call it the Collegetto, now it is no longer there[3], it was above the church, above the Convent […]. In the Chapel there was a big statue of the Immaculate Conception. I prepared a feast on this side of the balustrade, she seemed to me to be a soul so close to God. […] I waited for her in the porter’s lodge looking through a small window, and when she arrived I opened the door, pulling the latch with the cord. The weather was bad.

I told her to follow me to the chapel. I remember that morning as if it were now, I went up first because I had to prepare what was needed for the celebration, because she consecrated herself during Mass. I was looking at her, this Chiara, all flame and fire, eager to give herself completely to the Lord. When I then handed gave her communion I think there was a great celebration by the angels in heaven, because these are things that you cannot…they are too sublime, sometimes we are not able to understand, we will understand them one day.

Before Mass I reminded her ‘so it is forever? ”yes’ she replied.[4]