Sandra Sabattini

Sandra Maria Assunta Sabattini was born on 19 August 1961 in Riccione, to Giuseppe Sabattini and Agnese Bonini, the elder of two children. The family lived in the rectory of the church of Madre del Bell 'Amore: Agnese's brother, Giuseppe Bonini, was priest there. In 1965, Giuseppe was appointed as parish priest of the newly formed parish of San Girolamo in Rimini; the family followed Giuseppe to live in the rectory.

From an early age, Sandra was noted for her faith. She would pray early in the mornings and late in the evenings. From 24 January 1972, aged ten, Sabattini began to keep a journal recording her spiritual reflections. She met Oreste Benzi, founder of the Pope John XXIII Community at a meeting organised by Bonini. In September 1974, Sabattini volunteered at a youth summer camp for disabled children.

Sabattini met her fiancé, Guido Rossi, at a carnival party in February 1978. Guido was also a member of the Pope John XXIII Community. For their first date, Sabattini brought Rossi to a cemetery to visit the graves of the forgotten. They were engaged in 1979. Sandra passed her high school diploma in 1980 and enrolled as a medical student at the University of Bologna, aspiring to become a missionary doctor in Africa. On weekends she volunteered at a drug rehabilitation centre run by the Pope John XXIII Community. 

On 29 April 1984, Sabattini was due to attend a meeting of the community. She arrived at 9.30am, accompanied by Guido and a friend, Elio. Sandra and Elio were hit by a vehicle as they left their car. Oreste Benzi accompanied her in the ambulance. After three days in coma, Sandra Sabattini died on 2 May 1984.

Following her death, Benzi promoted Sabattini's cause for beatification. He noted that while many saints were spouses or parents, there was no "holy fiancée". On 22 April 2009, as part of the canonisation process, Sabattini's remains were exhumed. The exhumation recovered only a pair of small plastic hospital socks, and a strip of transparent plastic used to tie a bundle of flowers. The Bishop of Rimini suggested that the empty sarcophagus nevertheless be installed in the church as a monument to Christ's resurrection. On 6 March 2018, Pope Francis declared Sandra Sabattini to be Venerable. On 24 October 2021, Sabattini was beatified, her only remaining mortal remains being a hair strand kept by Guido Rossi.

In 1985, Oreste Benzi published the first edition of Sabattini's journal, which was republished in 2003 with biographical notes. A biography in two volumes was edited by Laila Lucci, entitled 'The Saint Next Door and Sandra Sabattini: This life is not mine'.