Mappa: wawacekisa amaKhristu, wabona uMadonna, waba ngumfundisi
UAlfonso Maria Ratisbonne, owazalwa ngo-1812 eStrasbourg, unyana womgcini-bhanki ongumYuda, ugqirha wezomthetho, wenkolo yamaYuda, wayewathiyile amaKristu. Kwelinye icala, umntakwabo Teodoro, waba ngumfundisi wamaKatolika eneminyaka engama-24. NgoJanuwari 20, 1842, kwenzeka ummangaliso omkhulu wokuguqukela kwakhe kubuKatolika. URatisbonne wafuna ngokungxama uxolelo kwaye ke wabalisa, phantse ecaleni kwakhe, kuTata uFilippo de Villefort: "Ngelixa ndandihamba icawe yase Sant'Andrea delle Fratte e-Roma, ndilinde umhlobo wam u-Baron Theodore, ndaziva ndiphazamiseka, ke yonke into kuye kwaba mnyama ngaphandle kwelinye icala lendlu yecawa, kubonakala ngathi konke ukukhanya kugxile kuyo. Ndiphakamise amehlo am ndisiya ecaweni ekhazimlayo ngokukhanya okungaka kwaye ndabona esibingelelweni, ndimi ndiphilile kwaye ndinobungangamsha, ndizisonge ngokukhanya okuqaqambileyo, ndimhle kwaye ndizele yinceba, uMama kaThixo olungileyo, iNtombikazi enguMariya, osembongeni izibuko. Ndawa emadolweni andakwazi ukuphakamisa amehlo am kubuqaqawuli bayo. Emva koko ndabuqonda ubugwenxa besono sikarhulumente endandikuyo, ubuhle benkolo yobuKrestu, ngegama elinye ndayiqonda yonke into ngephanyazo elinye ».
NgoJanuwari 31, u-Alfonso wafumana umthendeleko wobhaptizo kwindlu yecawa yase-Sant'Andrea, ngentsimbi yethoba kusasa, ezandleni zikaKhadinali Patrizi. URatisbonne wangena kuMbutho ka Yesu kwaye wahlala khona kangangeminyaka elishumi elinanye, ukusukela ngo-1842 ukuya ku-1852, waba ngumfundisi ngoSeptemba 23, 1848. Ekugqibeleni, ngemvume ephezulu kaPius IX, wafudukela kwiBandla leNkolo yeNkosazana yethu yaseZion, eyasekelwa ukuguqulwa kwamaYuda. Waseka isihlalo seli Bandla ePalestine.
Wafa ngoMeyi 6, 1884 eYerusalem, eneminyaka engama-70, iminyaka engamashumi amane anesibini emva kokubonakala, ebiza uMariya (lowo mhlawumbi wambona kwakhona ngelo xesha). “Ndiza kukuxelela imfihlo yam. Ndixelela yonke into kwiNtombi Enyulu, yonke into enokundithuthumbisa, indinike iintlungu kwaye indikhathaze; emveni koko ndamyeka wayenza ». La ngamagama asishiyileyo u-Alfonso Ratisbonne.