“To the children who came to play near the house she offered sweets and candies, and they also learned to call her, although they had never seen her except through the window.” (Testimony of Sr. Imelde Stecco, who lived with Mother at the time of her exile)
“Mother was very fond of birds…. She kept several small sparrows in her room, which she called by their names. Later, some died and others flew away, but she fed them at the window and it was beautiful to see, when she looked out with her white cap, a flock of sparrows flying and perching on the terrace below. She also had compassion for dogs. In Marcellina there were many, and some abandoned. He would beg the kindergarten nuns to bring him some leftover bread and, at night, one of them would come barking under the window to get his dinner. She also raised pigeons and fed the little ones with her hands, giving them numbered corn: three grains, for example, in honor of the Holy Trinity, seven in honor of the Holy Spirit, etc.” (Testimony of Sr. Imelde Stecco, who lived with the Blessed Mother during the time of her exile)
