A few years after his conversion, he and a pious companion, Francesco, were entering a Church to hear Mass when they noticed a poor leper, half naked. Leprosy is a disease which inspires repugnance in others - for a number of reasons. The main reason is that the skin of the poor leper suffers from a horrible decay and foul stench. The sight and smell drives most everyone away. It is also a contagious disease which means that someone can get leprosy by simply being near or touching someone who has it. It required great courage to help these poor creatures afflicted with so repulsive and deadly a disease. Giovanni looked at the despised person and was filled with compassion.

"Come", he said to Francesco, "Look at this poor creature here, deprived of every human aid. Shall we take him home and, for the love of Christ, take care of him? We were about to hear Holy Mass - this will be to do it!" Convinced by his friend’s pleadings, Francesco helped to carry the invalid to Giovanni’s home. Mona was disgusted and horrified however when she saw the ghastly disease-ridden man.

"Are these the goods that you bring to me? Have you brought home corruption and rottenness? I will leave your house and you can do as you please!" she protested.

He gently pleaded, "I beg you to have patience. This is one of God’s creatures, redeemed as we are by His Precious Blood. We might become like this poor man, if God willed it. For the love of Christ, I beg you to allow me to put him in our bed, so that he may rest awhile. Oh remember, how many pleasures we have had and how many sins we have committed! Don’t let it trouble you to make some little reparation for them; know that the poor and the sick represent the person of Christ, because He says in the Holy Gospel, ‘Whenever you remember and do good to one of these, My least ones, you do it unto Me.’"

She replied, "You have plenty to say, do as you will; I will not meddle in it, and if you put him into our bed, I will never lie there again. Do you not now perceive and smell the stink he gives forth? I can bear it no longer!"

As she left, the men got the poor leper ready for a warm bath and carefully washed him all over. Then they gently dried him (his sores were very painful) and laid him to rest upon the very best bed - which was the wife’s bed. This only made her more angry. Giovanni, to mortify himself even more and to destroy his natural repugnance and fear of leprosy, drank some of the water they used to bathe the leper. Then he and Francesco returned to Church to hear a Mass. Before leaving, though, Giovanni told his wife that she should check on the poor man and visit him from time to time while they were gone.