We are sharing this historical account from Jesuites.com, the website of the French Jesuits, as a reminder of the richness of this heritage and of the many ways in which Jesuits and their collaborators have accompanied people in times of profound suffering and upheaval. The testimony of Sister Saveria offers a particularly moving glimpse into the experience of the Jesuit community and the Sisters of the Helpers in Hiroshima in the aftermath of the atomic bombing of 1945.
On 6 August 1945, when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Fr Pedro Arrupe SJ—who would later become Superior General of the Society of Jesus—was responsible for the Jesuit novitiate at Nagatsuka, about 6 km from the city centre. A community of Italian Sisters of the Helpers, an Ignatian religious congregation, was living in Misasa, approximately 2.3 km from the bomb's hypocentre. Sister Saveria, one of the community members, survived the explosion. In a letter dated 28 October 1945, she described the destruction of their house, their survival and, in particular, how the Sisters worked alongside the Jesuits in caring for those affected by the bombing.
The morning of 6 August began as any other. After breakfast, the Sisters went into the garden for meditation. At around 8:15 a.m., the sky suddenly turned green and blue, followed by an enormous blast. Roofs, windows and doors were torn away, and the clear sky became dark. The heat was so intense that the small pond in front of the statue of Our Lady dried up almost instantly. Instinctively, the Sisters ran back into the house, which was collapsing around them.
Their decision to take shelter indoors saved them from the intense heat and burning debris that swept through the city. The building itself was badly damaged, and several members of the community were injured. Fr Kopp SJ, who had celebrated Mass for the Sisters that morning, was also wounded, but immediately began organising efforts to save whatever could be recovered. The Sisters gathered essential supplies—including food, liturgical objects and personal belongings—and buried them in holes in the garden as the fires approached.
Eventually, the Jesuits told the Sisters that they had to leave the house. They made their way towards the nearby river, where they encountered a scene of unimaginable suffering: people badly burned and wounded, many having lost their clothes in the blast. The Sisters did what they could to help and care for the injured. Sister Saveria was struck by the patience and dignity of the people amid the devastation. The Jesuits later brought the Sisters, including their Superior, to their own damaged residence. Their chapel had also been severely affected, but was transformed into a makeshift hospital for around sixty patients. The Sisters became nurses, while the Jesuit rector, who had been a doctor before entering the Society, treated the wounded. They worked together through the following days, taking turns to care for the sick during the night.
That evening, three of the Sisters returned to the site of their former home. Nothing remained: only hot ashes and cinders. Yet, amid the destruction, they continued to experience what Sister Saveria described as God's providence, particularly through the generosity of the Jesuits who shared everything they had with the Sisters and other survivors.
The two communities gradually formed one household. The Sisters helped with the common kitchen, while the Jesuits provided shelter and whatever resources were available. Their living conditions were extremely poor, with several people sharing the same spaces for prayer, meals and sleep. Yet Sister Saveria described this shared life as a profound experience of solidarity. The suffering and hardship they had endured together created an even deeper bond between the Sisters, the Jesuits and the people of Hiroshima.
In the weeks that followed, Sister Saveria noticed a profound change in the relationship between the religious community and the people of Hiroshima. “The people see us as one of them,” she wrote. “We have suffered with them.” Having shared the same suffering, the Sisters were no longer perceived as outsiders but as part of the local community. She believed this new sense of trust could also open new possibilities for their future apostolic work.
Her testimony offers a deeply personal account of the destruction caused by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, but also of the solidarity that emerged in its aftermath. The collaboration between the Sisters and the Jesuits—particularly in caring for the wounded and sharing the little they had—shows how religious communities responded to the catastrophe through service, presence and mutual care. For Sister Saveria, even amid overwhelming destruction, these experiences became a powerful testimony to faith, compassion and human solidarity.
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