Fr. DOMENICO SERAFINO SANTORO R.C.J.

A CONCISE
HISTORICAL
PROFILE
OF THE
ROGATIONISTS’
CONGREGATION

Rogationists
Rome 1985 – 2014 Silang
ORIGINAL ITALIAN EDITION:
FR. DOMENICO S. SANTORO, RCJ, Breve profilo storico della Congregazione dei 2
Rogazionisti, Roma, 1985.

NULLA OSTA:
Fr. Gaetano Ciranni, RCJ
Superior General
Rome, January 31, 1985

PUBLICATION “PRO MANUSCRIPTO”

c/o Postulation of the Rogationists
Via Tuscolana 167 – 00182 Rome

TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH by Fr. Giuseppe Aveni:

- 1st Translation, according to the Italian Original Edition (Chapters 1-4 & Appendixes):
FR. GIUSEPPE AVENI, A Monograph of the Rogationist Congregation, Manila 1995.

- 2nd Translation, with additional chapters 5 & 6:

A Concise Historical Profile of the Rogationists’ Congregation, Silang, 2014.
By RCJ Novitiate
INDEX
Preface 5
About this Translation 8

Chapter I: The Origins 9

1 God’s work 9
2 Evangelical origin 9
3 Obedience to the Rogate 10
4 The beginnings of the male Congregation 12
5 The first taking of the religious habit 13
6 The first fruits of the clericate 13
7 The first vows 14
8 An historical event 15
9 The Baptism of the Congregation 16
10 The first Parish Priests formed in our Work 17
11 Fr. Pantaleone Palma 19
12 Fr. Pantaleone Palma enters the community 19
13 The vanishing of the clericate 20
14 Effects of that exodus 21
15 The new scholasticate 22
16 The death of Bro. Francesco Maria Drago 24

Chapter II: Providential opening to Puglia 25

1 Fr. Hannibal and the Puglia Region 25
2 The 1908 earthquake of Messina and Reggio 25
3 The Father’s anguished return 26
4 Canon Francesco Vitale 27
5 In Puglia 28
6 And in Messina? 29 3
7 The Father and Fr. Eustachio Montemurro 30
8 Founding of Rogationist House in Oria 32
9 The painful events of Francavilla 33
10 The death of the first Rogationist priest 35
11 Back to normal life. 37
12 The ‘Montemurrini’ 37
13 The classes at the Seminary of Oria 38
14 The ‘Montemurrini’ become Rogationists 40
15 The first flower of Oria harvested for heaven 41
16 The House of Messina 41
17 A memorable year 43
18 The House of Gravina 44
19 New members come, others leave for heaven 44
20 Fr. Vitale Superior of Oria 45
21 The 1915-1918 First World War 46
22 The war and our youth 47
23 The 1918 ‘Spanish flue’ 49
24 Community life slowly resumes in the Houses 51

Chapter III: The canonical approval 52

1 The Constitutions 52
2 A Painful event 53
3 The activity of the church continue 56
4 The Aspirantate in Messina 57
5 The start of the internal ‘Bollettino’ 58
6 The laborious journey of the Constitutions 59
7 Rome 60
8 Msgr. Francesco Parrillo 61
9 The canonical establishment of the Congregation 62
10 The perfecting of the decree 63
11 The pious death of Father Founder 64

Chapter IV: After the death of Father Founder 67

1 A premise 67
2 The male Congregation 67
3 The ordination of Fr. Tursi 68
4 Fr. Leo Kirchels, Passionist 69
5 Fr. Leo in America 70
6 The Opening of the first Novitiate 70
7 The Lateran Pacts 71
8 Novitiate Life 71
9 Our Lady takes two beloved sons. 72
10 A Sacred Ordination in Messina 73
11 Fr. Leo leaves his mandate 74
12 Ordinations in Oria 74
13 Celebrations for the centennial of St. Anthony’s death 75
14 The New Superior: Fr. Agnello Jaccarino 76
15 Foundation of the House of Trani 76
16 Fr. Jaccarino resigns 78
17 Msgr. Luca Ermenegildo Pasetto 79
18 The first numerous entrance to Novitiate 80
19 Towards normality 80
20 Fr. Vitale’s Government 81
21 Extension of Fr. Vitale’s mandate 82
22 Messina into the war 83
23 The houses of Puglia in the midst of the war 84
24 The requisition of the Institute of Trani 86
25 The foundation of the House of Rome 88
26 Towards the First General Chapter 89 4

Chapter V: The First normal Chapter and its consequences 90

1 The 1945 General Chapter 90
2 The first steps of the new Government 91
3 Three urgent problems 93
4 The reaction of disappointed members of the Chapter 94
5 The Visit of Fr. Jaccarino 95
6 Fr. Larraona as Visitor 97
7 The construction of the House in Rome 99
8 The administrative separation of the two Institutes 100
9 The Theologate in Rome 102
10 The Closing of Two Houses 103
11 New foundations 105
12 The acknowledgment of pontifical right 106
13 Gloomy clouds at the horizon 108
14 Fr. Santoro resigns 109
15 Consequences 110
16 Laborious conclusion 111
17 Farewells 113

Chapter VI: Towards the legal normality 115

1 The Government of Fr. Tusino 115
2 The preparation to the 1956 General Chapter 116
3 The mission of Fr. Servo Goyeneche C.M.F. 116
4 The Government of Fr. Appi 117
5 The 1962 General Chapter 118
6 Conclusions 119
 Preface
“Often we talk about our venerable Father Founder and we frequently appeal to him. It is a sign that we sincerely
love him, that we jealously want to keep him, that we would like to be never separated from him. Still better, we are
interested to conform to him all the initiatives of our humble Congregation, as it is proper to the Works nourished by
the breeze of the Holy Spirit. However, each of us, almost inadvertently, sees the spirit of the Father through his own
spirit, that is, through his own views, character and aspirations.
Then, how can we, as much as possible, genuinely and directly know him?
My dearest Confreres, if we did not feel the flame of his heart and did not directly draw light from him, let us try
not only to read, but also to meditate assiduously his life, to study his writings, which still keep the mark of his spirit,
and to listen to the witness of the people who lived with him”.1

These are the words Fr. Serafino Santoro addressed to the confreres in 1945, when he was Superior General, in
his only Circular Letter.
This Concise Historical Profile of the Rogationist Congregation, which is to be printed for the first time, is part of
this need of witnessing to our Father Founder and his Work for the confreres who did not have the “ opportunity to live
during the earthly life of our saintly Father Founder, and to have frequent contacts with him ”2, nor to be among the
pioneers of his Work or to be part of those historical years which shaped the Rogationist Congregation.
But let us also briefly give a look at some biographical data of this Rogationist of the ‘first hour’, Domenico
Santoro.
He was born in Ceglie Messapica (Brindisi) on March 9, 1898. Having discovered his vocation, in 1910 he was
accepted as an aspirant among the little Brothers of the Blessed Sacrament, a new foundation of Fr. Eustachio
Montemurro. Because of a sequence of negative circumstances which overwhelmed Fr. Montemurro and his
foundation the young Santoro, together with the group of the so called Montemurrini, transferred to the Orphanage in
Oria. There, having been accepted among the Rogationists, on November 1, 1912, he was given the religious habit by 5
Fr. Hannibal who gave him the name Serafino (Seraphim). Later he made his consecration to the Lord through the
perpetual vows in Messina where, one year later, on June 14, 1924, he became a priest.
Together with Fr. Tusino, he was the first priest with a full Rogationist formation.
Fr. Hannibal was particularly affectionate to him because of his goodness and kindheartedness, and because he
was the first of “his” priests.
During his last sickness, Fr. Hannibal surrendered to the insistent pleadings of Fr. Santoro asking him to talk
about the beginnings of the Work, for the greater glory of God and for the edification of his children.
It was thus that Father Founder started telling him about the first vicissitudes of the Work and to dictate to Fr.
Santoro several pages of our history with important details and many edifying events, among them, under promise of
secrecy, Fr. Hannibal’s vision of Jesus in the appearances of a poor dumb boy. These stories told by Fr. Hannibal and
published by Fr. Santoro in our Bollettino, formed the initial core of the history of the Rogationist Congregation.3
1
Circular Letters of the Most Rev. Fr. Francesco Vitale, first successor of our Father Founder, Appendix 1; Circular
Letter of the Most Rev. Fr. Serafino Santoro, Oria 1950, pages. 216-217.
2
“I think that it has been a great grace of predilection by the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, our Divine Superiors
to have the luck of living during the time of our Father Founder and of having frequent contacts with him. And I don't
know how to thank them sufficiently, thinking that I made only little profit due to my negligence and my not much
understanding of the greatness of the grace: we often come to appreciate a good when we lose it.
But it is not only a grace, even though not well corresponded, it is also a particular and a great responsibility. It is
not without a purpose that the Lord called me through unthinkable ways to live together with the Founder during the
heroic time of the Congregation. Clearly, I had to receive properly and transmit faithfully his teachings: it is a very
great responsibility for which I will be accountable to the Supreme Judge, and which can also have unexpected
consequences on the future vitality and preservation of our minimal Congregation.
For all these reasons, having a little time of freedom, I thought of narrating everything without pretenses and with
simplicity, even when some details might sound not so pleasing. I leave it to the reader to discern, among the human
things, the work of Divine Providence and the virtue of the man chosen for this holy work “. (From an unpublished
writing of Fr. Santoro).
3
Cfr. Bollettino della Rogazione Evangelica, 6, 1927, pages 131-134. About the first novitiate: Cfr. Bollettino della
Rogazione Evangelica, 7, 1928, pages 65, 77-79
 Because of his piety and intense interior life, which were his characteristic throughout the entire life, Fr. Santoro
was appointed as Novice Master of the first Rogationist Novitiate which started in Oria in 1928 and later, in 1931,
transferred to Trani.
Fr. Santoro was able to grasp and to make his own the ideal of Father Di Francia, the Rogate, as he wrote in the
above mentioned circular Letter: "Our venerable Father Founder began with such sublime ideal and it is under this
light that we have to look at his priestly activities. Even his charitable works, which are certainly more evident for us,
sprout from and are nourished by the Rogate as its very rich inheritance and as its vast and fruitful implementation.
Let us not forget it, because if, engrossed in our charitable works, we neglect our specific internal and external
apostolate, we would turn upside down the reality and stray from our very high aim”. 4

In line with these sentiments, Fr. Santoro thought of spreading more and more the Divine Command of the
Rogate among people by starting a monthly newsletter named “Rogate Ergo”. In its first issue (January – February
1938) he wrote: "Our leaflet is born on the occasion of an important fiftieth anniversary, a jubilee unknown to
outsiders, but very interesting for all the members of the Pious Work of the Evangelical Rogation. Our most venerable
Father Founder, Canon Hannibal M. Di Francia, fifty years ago, exactly on January 31, 1888 offered the first great
petition (Supplica) to the Eternal Father in the Name of Jesus... Thus we have reasons for rejoicing that also this
humble leaflet is born at the dawn of this fiftieth anniversary in order to thank the Lord, together with all the members
of the Pious Work, for the many mercies granted to us in fifty years in the name of Jesus”. 5

Very soon, in 1932, Fr. Santoro was elected as a member of the first General Council of the Congregation, and
during the first General Chapter, in 1945, he was appointed to the highest level of service in the Congregation as
Superior General.6 He held his office for slightly more than two years: on December 4, 1947 he officially resigned.7
He went back to Trani as Superior of the House. During the 1956 General Chapter he was called to the office of
Councilor and Vicar General of the Congregation.
Fr. Santoro spent the last ten years of his life as spiritual director, the task more important and more fitting to him.
In the Pius XII Seminary in Criciuma (Brazil), in our Theological Scholasticate in Grottaferrata (Rome), in our Mother
House in Messina, and finally in Trani (Bari), the latest generations of Rogationists, like those he already formed in the
first novitiate, had a chance to listen to his spiritual advices, to be formed with enthusiasm into the ideals of Father
Founder and to be initiated to love and intensify the specific works of the Congregation.
6
He died in Trani on May 15, 1974.
Fr. Santoro’s life could be summarized by paraphrasing the conclusion of an interview which he granted to a
young confrere some years before his death.8
He unconditionally loved his Religious family and diligently followed the examples and teachings of its Founder.
He was always thankful to the Lord for his vocation and strove to correspond to it with the greatest fervor. He never
hid behind the sanctity or the weakness of his confreres, but felt always accountable to God for his own actions.
He fostered not only his personal humility, but also the collective one, because he used to say " if we are humble,
for sure the Lord will bless us, multiply and make prosperous the family composed by humble and mortified persons".9
The published and unpublished works left to us by Fr. Santoro are many. They are writings about our history and
our formation. In all of them there is a mark of rigorous objectivity and of a strong and profound spirituality.10
After having talked briefly of Fr. Santoro's life, it is fitting to present in the same concise way this unpublished
work of his.
In the 70s Fr. Santoro felt the necessity to write the historical outline of the Rogationist Congregation in simple
words and without literary pretenses. In this way he has gifted us with a concise but passionate survey of the events
which marked and troubled the birth of our Congregation and its initial development.
In reading the pages of this concise historical outline we have the impression to be in front of a large fresco,
where persons and institutions appear, where confreres, orphans and poor peep out, indeed all the people who met
Fr. Hannibal or his Work.
4
Cfr. Circular Letters, p 122
5
FR. SANTORO SERAFINO. The light of a fiftieth anniversary, in Rogate Ergo I, 1-2, 1938, pages 2-3
6
Acts of the 1st General Ordinary Chapter of the Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus, in Bollettino della Rogazione
Evangelica, 1945 (1st supplement), pages 12ss.
7
Cfr. Bollettino della Rogazione Evangelica, 24 (1948), pages 111, 112, 115, 229 passim.
8
FR. SANTORO SERAFINO, A confidence and an answer, in Bollettino of the Evangelical Rogation, 52 (1974).
Page 234. Interview by Fr. Vito Magno
9
Ibidem
10
Cfr. MAGNO VITO, Fr. Serafino Santoro. A patrimony of writings and history, in Studi Rogazionisti, (1984),
pages 43-47.
 The account offers us brief but sharp impressions about persons, situations, events, Superiors and Religious,
and, at the end, the figure of Fr. Santoro stands out.
Maybe this work does not always analyze thoroughly and systematically some of the events, favoring instead
some particular themes: this was indeed the intention of the Author. He in fact did not want to hand on to us a
biography of Fr. Hannibal or a systematic history of the Congregation. He was well aware that others had done it
before him availing of the historical sources.
He wanted only to present to us, from the point of view of the charism of Father Founder, a wide panorama of
facts and problems which marked the birth of the Congregation, mostly as he himself lived them.
The author had the fortune to live those pioneering years initially close to the great figure of Fr. Founder, and,
later on, through the effort to continue his difficult Work, trying to focus the ideals and aims of the new Congregation.
Even in the pages where there are just lists of names, the reader is involved personally because they are the
names of persons who the reader knows even directly; persons who worked or are still working in the Congregation to
realize God’s plan through the charism of Fr. Hannibal.
So as to highlight some attitudes of Fr. Founder, or some particular events, in the foot notes we have added some
beautiful pages from another unpublished writing of Fr. Santoro. We have equipped the text with notes so to enable
the reader eventually to research the source of the quotation and verify the context of what is being narrated.
In order to complete the historic background of the events we have also added as appendixes two documents
already published and known. We wanted to propose them again. The first about our First General Chapter so as to
complete the historical framework of the events; the second, the only Circular letter of Fr Santoro, so as to call our
attention about the charism, ideals and finalities of the Rogationist Congregation.

Fr. Gaetano Ciranni

Superior General of the Rogationists.

7
 SOME NOTES ABOUT THIS TRANSLATION
a. In the late 1960’s Fr. DOMENICO SERAFINO SANTORO, RCJ wrote the “Breve profilo storico
della Congregazione dei Rogazionisti” – a first, tentative history of the Congregation of the
Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus. After his death in 1974, his manuscript was edited and
published by the Rogationist Postulation Office in Rome, in 1985. Since the last part of the book
was about persons still alive, the editors made the choice of not publishing the last 2 chapters of the
manuscript.
b. In 1995 Fr. Giuseppe Aveni, R.C.J. translated this book into English, particularly for the novices. It was
a plausible and noteworthy effort, but it did not go beyond the boundary of the novitiate because his
translation had several limitations [Italian construction of sentences, non-proper use of words, missing
details, added interpretations...]
c. In 2014, being still in need of a textbook on the history of our Congregation, a new translation was
readied with the help of some novices for proofreading. Though based on the translation of Fr. Aveni, it
became practically a new translation. The main difference and merit is the recovery and translation of
the chapters 5 & 6 which were missing in the previous edition, thus extending the coverage of the
history of the Congregation from 1945, as it was in the translation of Fr. Aveni, to 1962 as it is in this
text. Furthermore, in this way we have access to the integral manuscript of Fr. Santoro.
d. In the printed book there are two appendixes - the “Acts of the 1945 General Chapter” and the only
“Circular Letter” of Fr. Santoro. By publishing the 2 missing chapters both the Appendixes become
redundant and useless. Anyway, they are easily available in the Bollettino and in other Rogationist
publications.
e. The Italian text often refers to the Founder just with the pronoun “he”. Since English requires a more
specific indication we alternatively, but without any particular intent, referred to him as “Father
Founder”, “Fr. Hannibal”, “the Father”, or seldom even as “Canon Di Francia” or “Fr. Di Francia” …
f. When Fr. Santoro wrote this book, the process of canonization of Fr. Hannibal was still in its 8
beginnings, thus at times in presenting the Founder he used the title: “Servant of God, Fr. Hannibal M.
Di Francia” according to the canonical prescriptions of that time. In this translation we will normally
use Fr. Hannibal.
g. Square brackets [ ] are used to add comments, specifications or names which ARE NOT PRESENT in
the original text but are deemed necessary for the proper understanding of the text itself.
h. The evaluations about people and events are to be considered personal opinions of Fr. Santoro; for ex.:
A certain inclination favoring Fr. Vitale more than Fr. Palma; the triumphal presentation of the 1929
Lateran Pacts, some comments about the Visitors, etc.…
i. The last 2 chapters (chapters 5 and 6) were not edited by the Postulation but have come to us in their
rough transcription from the manuscripts, that is why there are still repetitions, overlapping, and even
some incomplete or non-understandable sentences. For the same reason, the straightforward style of Fr.
Santoro becomes more visible; at times with its redundancy of details, some confusion in the action, or
at times, even some gossip, or a certain implicit apologetic tendency about his governance. Even though
this might sound as limitations for an historical reconstruction of facts and events, at the same time it
gives a profound human dimension to the history of our Congregation.
j. The original names of persons and places were retained, as much as possible, so as to avoid confusions.
k. Before the numbers “L.” means ‘Lira’, or its plural, ‘Lire’, the currency of Italy at the times of the
Founder.
l. Where it was possible and understandable we tried to keep the flavor of the original text even though
the expressions might sound redundant or devotional, for ex. “He surrendered his beautiful soul to
God” = he died (ch. 2,19).
m. Where no correspondent translation is available, the references are based on the original Italian book.
n. This translation is hurried up and not yet properly edited. Corrections and suggestions are welcomed.
o. This text is just a starting point. We have to write the real and living history of the Congregation…
 Rcj Novitiate
Chapter I

THE ORIGINS
1. God’s Work

In its journey through the centuries, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Church has given birth to
many religious congregations according to the needs of the times and the demands of salvation’s plan. The best
proof of this is the history of the last century and of the first half of the twentieth century.
In the past century, the evil’s fight against good and against the Holy Church had become so violent and
destructive to the point of suppressing all monastic and charitable institutions, closing all the convents and
confiscating all their patrimonial goods in spite of their great merits, in the name of progress and freedom. It seemed
that everything had to be destroyed and desecrated to the detriment of faith and civilization. In the hands of God all
these events served instead to purify the religious institutions from human encrustation and to raise new religious
families accomplishing the divine inspirations of the Gospel.
It would become a very long litany just trying to list the generous souls who, under the thrust of the Holy Spirit,
started new institutions. It would be enough to consult the Yearly Pontifical Directory of the Catholic Church with the
data about time and numbers, to admire the marvels of God’s Goodness and the irresistible action of the Holy Spirit.
Also our Congregation started during this wonderful springtime blossoming of the Holy Church. And our saintly
Father Founder can be placed among the marvelous group of holy and generous persons who have adorned always
the refulgent mantle of the Bride of the Redeemer in our century.

2. Evangelical Origin

Our Congregation can be considered in its evangelical mission, in the personal charism of the man God chose 9
as His own instrument and in its effective realization.
As an evangelical idea, the congregation was born of the Sacred Heart of Jesus who, in the Holy Gospel,
launched this idea at least twice as an ineffable groaning and as a definite command.
St. Matthew narrates: “Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was
moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to
his disciples, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers
for his harvest."
11

St. Luke tells: “After this the Lord appointed seventy (-two) others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every
town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the
master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs
among wolves”. 12

St. Matthew and St. Luke are very close in reporting precisely the expression which sprang from the Heart of
Jesus, though in a different circumstance. This means that the Lord used to repeat to His disciples this painful
observation of the harvest of souls who were lying like sheep without a shepherd, and that the workers called to work
with Him, were very few and insufficient. Therefore he suggested and commanded the remedy: the prayer to the
Owner of the harvest to rise up workers, other helpers while Christ himself was also working for the harvest and
sending His disciples to work. It was a very sensitive and intimate pain for the Heart of the Redeemer.
This thought came to the servant of God, Fr. Hannibal M. Di Francia, since the initial years of his youth, before
reading those expressions in the text of the Gospel. Perhaps he was oriented in this sense by the Holy Spirit in front
of the sad condition of the Holy Church in those years of anti-clericalism. In fact he wrote to the Holy Father St. Pius
X on July 11, 1909: “I dedicated myself since my early youth to the holy Word of the Gospel, Rogate etc.”13

11
Mt. 9: 35-38.
12
Lk. 10: 1-3.
13
FR. TEODORO TUSINO, The Father’s Letters, pages 276-277.
 In fact, he wrote to the Holy Father, Pius XI, on November 6, 1923: “ Since my youth I have been concerned
about the great importance of the prayer to obtain from the Divine Mercy priests according to the Sacred Heart of
Jesus for the salvation of souls. When later I read in the Holy Gospel that divine Command - Rogate ergo..., I was
surprised. Then, when I became a Priest, while I dedicated myself to the works of beneficence and charity as much
as I could in my lowliness, I devoted myself to cultivate explicitly that Divine Word” .14

And in the preface to the Letters to the Sacred Allies, narrating the historical origins of the Work as a third person
he wrote: “There was a man who paid attention to this divine Command even before reading it in the Holy Gospel.
With this intention he started the career of his life .” Previously he had written: “ It is like that the Holy Spirit who blows
where he wills, He himself did inspire this evangelical Revelation, this divine idea, several years before the starting
the Pious Work, since the beginning of a spiritual youth.” 15

Thus, during all his life long, he felt moved, driven and inspired, constantly, poetically, passionately and ardently
by the obedience to that divine command of the Heart of Jesus, springing from His Intimate Suffering for the
redemption of all souls. In his own funeral eulogy Fr. Hannibal had to confess: “ About the Rogate we say only this: he
devoted himself to the Rogate either out of zeal or out of fixation or out of both of them.”16
For the effective foundation of the Congregation, a project which matured little by little in the mind of the
Founder, the Lord wanted a long labor which lasted almost for the entire life of the Father, before reaching the
juridical organization approved by the Church. Fr. Hannibal used to say that his role was that of “ initiator”. The
effective Founder of the Congregation, in his admirable plans, was only the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus.
We have to start from these premises in order to understand the historical events and the long and laborious
development of our congregation.

3. Obedience to the Rogate

Fr. Hannibal Mary Di Francia was all taken by the importance of the divine command and obeyed it since his
youth. He was telling that, even before being a cleric, he used to spend several hours in front of Jesus exposed for
the “Quarantore” [= forty hours of adoration; a 3 days yearly Eucharist Centered Parish Renewal program, held on rotation in 10
the Parishes of Messina ], pleading the Lord to send many holy priests to the holy Church. And since he was usually
availing of devotional books, he was amazed that there were prayers for any necessity, even the most insignificant,
but there were no prayers for this need indicated and suggested by our Redeemer himself.17
This fervor grew all the more when he took the clerical habit on December 8, 1869 in the Shrine of the
Immaculate, the very same morning of the opening the Ecumenical Vatican Council I in St. Peter in Rome.

14
FR. TEODORO TUSINO, The Father’s Letters, pages 722-723.
15
FR. DI FRANCIA HANNIBAL M., Precious Adhesions of the High Dignitaries of the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy to
the Work of the Evangelical Rogation instituted in Messina by Canon H. M. Di Francia, Messina 1940, page 10, 9.
16
FR. DI FRANCIA HANNIBAL M., Writings, Nuper inventa, vol. 7, page 241, cf. TEODORO TUSINO, The
Father’s Soul, page 104.
17
cf. FR. TEODORO TUSINO, The Father’s Soul. Testimonies, page 107-109.
 With this commitment in his heart, when he came in touch with the extreme destitution of the Avignone District 18,
where he understood that he had to sacrifice himself, he couldn’t but introduce the prayer to obtain good workers,
together with other practices of Christian piety.
Regarding this, Fr. Hannibal wrote: “The Word of the Gospel: Rogate Ergo …” was always predominant in my
thoughts … I considered this pious Institute not simply as a charitable institution aiming at saving some orphans and
poor, but as one aiming at a greater and wider goal: to receive from the most holy mouth of Jesus Christ the
Command of His Divine Heart expressed with those sweetest words: Rogate Ergo … and to have zeal for fulfilling
them in the best way for the greater consolation of the Heart of Jesus …
Thus it pleased the Lord to make the children and the youth, the orphans and the poor of this pious Institute
understand the importance of this Divine Word : “Rogate Ergo … The spirit of this prayer became soon the spirit of
this Institute and formed its character, its aim, and its practice.”
19

18
The poor used to come numerous at noon to get some soup, bread and few coins. They used a small house at the
back of the wooden Church entering through the ancient entrance of the renowned Valore Street no. 7. The man
servant “Zu Salvatore” [Uncle Sal] waited on them. Before giving the soup he had them pray the rosary. When
Father Hannibal was present, on Thursdays and Sundays he taught some catechism. When he was absent, often other
brothers took his place. The poor were exhorted to observe the Precepts, to receive the most Holy Sacraments. But
the poor of Messina were different from those of Oria; they were ‘urban’ poor...
Some of them were living in the nearby street, so called of the Avignone District, not yet acquired by our institution.
They were paying the rent to the Avignone’s heirs and they retained the previous ways of living. There was a certain
‘Sir Louis’ [‘Don Luigi’], domineering, unscrupulous and sinister looking: Woe to somebody who would interfere
with him! Once, I don’t know why, thinking that Uncle Sal had committed injustice against him in giving the soup,
that, he snatched the soup ladle from his hands, and struck uncle Sal’s head until it bled. He was punished and was
not allowed to come for a while, but he was always the same. In the presence of the Father, he used to be a lamb.
But in the alleys, all were afraid of him because he was violent and not just by words. He alone was giving more
trouble than all the other poor together. The Father endured him always with that indulgence which he used towards
all the poor, and which at times seemed even excessive, because, without being aware, he protected them to the
point that it could deprive his collaborators of their authority and make useless their decisions. ‘Sir Louis’ died some 11
years later in an enviable way. Those who assisted him said: “He died like St. Louis Gonzaga, in a way that I too
would like for myself”. Aren’t these all things truly pleasing the Sacred Heart of Jesus?
There was also a certain Jerome, commonly called: ‘Don Mommu’i pezza’(Jerome the rag) because of his display of
elegance. He was tall, thin, always with a cane in his hand and sometimes also with a monocle. He had the vanity to
dye his hairs to look younger. During the summer season the greasepaint or brilliantine, maybe because of their
cheap quality, melted. So he was walking solemnly to the distribution of the food with black streamlets running
down his face and neck, while his companions were laughing seeing the white-dirty color of his hairs; but he would
not stop his haughty walk.
There was another man with one eye which had been reduced to a purulent sore covered by a piece of rag attached
to a string tied around his head, which aroused the disgust of all the others. He pretended to be an atheist. There was
another, who was somewhat learned and earned something by copying documents in the public offices. Once I was
teaching Catechism and I was telling about the life of St. Servulus, who though poor, not only saved himself, but
also became a Saint. The copyist interrupted me asking: “Did St. Servulus like drinking wine?” All the poor
laughed.
There was Alexander. Who among our Religious of those times did not know Alexander who pretended to be the
favorite of the Father? He was almost always present and used to be the group leader, leading the rosary and
warning his companions. He was learned because when he was young, he had been an external cleric and reached
until theology. When he was told that the cleric Alessandro used to get drunk and join not good companies, the
Archbishop imposed him to leave the clerical habit. Which he did, but he did not stop drinking, so he became poor.
It was difficult to find him sober in the afternoon. Sometimes he was making noise at the entrance of the institute
because he was totally drunk; and we had to threaten him. On the contrary when he was sober, he was kind and
intelligent. He asked and obtained to enter as a cook in the Convent of Tertiary Fathers of Calvaruso (Sicily), where
he received even the sacred habit. And he was pleased to also to come to visit us to show himself. But it lasted only
for a short time. They had to send him out and he resumed being our client.
We cannot mention all of them: some of them were lame, limping, deaf, decrepit: a true Probatic Pool. These were
the human outcasts that the Father gathered to feed and to save for God’s love.
There were also some women living in the alley near Avignone District. They had the right to come since the very
beginning. One of them, the very old D. Pasqua who received Holy Communion every day; she remembered the
beginning of the Work when she was still a girl. One day the Father heard from her the words of a song which used
to be sung in the initial years, but had later been forgotten and had not been preserved, printed or handwritten. Later,
 Fr. Hannibal wrote this almost twenty years after his providential entering into the ill-famed slums of the Mignuni
Houses [Avignone Houses]. But in those twenty years of Fr. Hannibal’s untiring work and unimaginable suffering, that
place of vices and sins had become a garden of piety and virtue; the pleading of that prayer commanded by Jesus
had become the main prayer of those children and poor. And not only vocally, but even written: “ The Sacred images
which we used to venerate [in our chapel] were full of petitions asking good laborers for the Holy Church.”20
When the first group of girls who wanted to consecrate themselves to God and to the little orphan girls, the Little
Poor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, started, on their chest and over their habit there was the Sacred Heart surrounded
by the words: “Rogate Ergo…” The Founder wrote: “That Divine Word shows the aim of your vocation. You must pray
to obtain good workers for the holy Church, and, at the same time, you must work to obtain them.” 21
The long and fervent prayers which the Father printed at that time were recited everyday by the first persons
assisted and by their supervisors in that shelter of Charity.
For the same finality of obeying the Command of Jesus, in 1897 Fr. Hannibal tried to call the attention first of the
Bishops and then of the clergy on this issue through the institution of the Sacred Alliance. To call the attention of all
the faithful, in 1900 he instituted the Pious Union of the Evangelical Rogation. It was an admirable sowing of
initiatives to call the attention on that Word of the Heart of Jesus which seemed almost forgotten among the pages of
the Gospel.

4. The beginnings of the male Congregation

Father Founder suffered immensely for the lack of collaborators of his zeal. For some time some priests helped
him, like Canon Ciccolo, the two brother priests Muscolino and once in a while some other priest. Following some
I think, that song was published in our Bollettino. She lived many years more. I remember her always present in our
Sanctuary, where she never missed a celebration though clothed with her poor rags.
But those were not the only poor to come to our House. As I said before, there were some privileged poor, like that
famous singer who was served meals alone in a particular way. He used to wear mourning. Once Canon Celona,
knowingly, joked that he was mourning Garibaldi [the anticlerical hero of the Italy unification events]; he 12
immediately answered: “As you are mourning Pius IX”. He considered himself a famous singer, though his voice
had been ruined by drinking. He was insisting to show his ability in some occasion, for example, during a solemn
Mass. He insisted so much that the Father, in his kindness consented. A Sunday was set and, to content him, one of
the most attended Masses, the one at 10 o’ clock was chosen. Father Hannibal was absent. The celebrant was a priest
from the nearby military barracks. What a show! Close to the harmonium the singer, dressed in a black, faded and
worn-out habit - we wondered where he had found it – and, beside him, his colleagues, a bass and a pianist playing
the harmonium, dressed in the same way. They were ready to sing: their hands clasping old yellowed papers with the
score, the wooden church was full of people. A splendid sun from the window reflected on the crowd, the majority
of them were standing. After taking courage and clearing their throats, after the preludes of the harmonium they
started to sing, I don’t remember which Mass. The bass and the pianist were more or less acceptable, but the poor
tenor was singing often a wrong note, in a terribly, awful way. Still now I remember Bro. Salvatore running away
bursting with laughter, with the Rosary in his hands saying: “This time the Father has committed a great mistake, a
big mistake!”
There were also the poor who once a week, on Friday or Saturday used to come to get some money. They had a
notebook where the Father, with his signature, wrote how much each of them could receive. When the Father was
present, he reserved this amiable duty to himself. In his room he had a small open crate, where he put the coins for
this purpose and for refilling and also an iron blue enameled pot with cover. He used to get the money from the
small crate to fill the pot and then to go in front of the gate at the corner of Ghibellina Street and Aurelio Saffi
Street, and there he gave the money to the poor, recording it on their notebook with his signature and the date. It
seems that the Father did not follow the sum indicated in notebook; in fact, the poor were very happy when it was
the Father attending to them. He took from the pot and gave to the poor: really his left hand did not know what the
right hand was doing. From his room, where he had the crate, to the door, it was necessary to walk through an open
passage, where at times some of us helped him or met him. In that exercise of charity, he looked agile, fast and
happy. Once showing to me the pot which he had already filled from the crate, he said to me: “See, I put the money
in the pot where they boil and grow. The more we give to the poor, the more we receive from the Providence”. We
both chuckled … and he continued to return to his room, fill the pot with money and give them to the poor.” ( From
an unpublished writing of Fr. Santoro).
19
FR. TEODORO TUSINO, The Father’s Soul, pages134-140.
20
FR. TEODORO TUSINO, The Father’s Letters, page 69-70.
21
FR. TEODORO TUSINO, The Father’s Letters, page 74.
information given to him by his brother, Fr. Francesco, Fr. Hannibal took the courage to propose the project of a
community of priests in Avignone District whose Founder and Superior would have been Msgr. Guarino. 22 The
community would have used the Sacramental Chapel inaugurated two years before, on July 1, 1886.
The proposal was not realized, maybe because it looked too poetical to the Archbishop, but he had to give to Fr.
Hannibal the permission to accept young men as aspirants to the priesthood, allowing them to study in the Diocesan
Seminary. Since that moment, we had young men going to Avignone with this desire and attending classes in the
Seminary as externs. Many, as it usually happens, did not persevere. Let us mention only some of them who later
became priests.
On July 2, 1889, Antonino Catanese, a young man from St. Pier Niceto was accepted. On Aug. 2, 1890 an
elementary teacher from Gualtieri Sicaminò, Francesco Bonarrigo, after overcoming the many difficulties set by his
colleagues and some clergy, was accepted. In his youth he had received the Minor Orders, but he did not continue
into clerical life and had become an elementary teacher in his own village. He was born on 1850, thus he was already
40 years old: one year older than Fr. Founder. Other two young men joined them: Giuseppe Montalto, a nephew of
the Fr. Founder, and Mariano Cicala from Soccorso.
It was necessary to organize a kind of community in a dormitory built for that purpose by the Interdonato
Constructions. The position of that dorm was more or less beside the apse of the actual Sanctuary and Temple of St.
Anthony. It was inaugurated on Oct. 22, 1891.
Later on other people came. On Sept. 1, 1893 Rosario D’Agostino from Castel Mola came together with
Genovese, Abbadessa, Certo, Russello, Chiapparone, Schepis, Micalizzi and many others: it was a small seminary
of about 20 young men.
It was the beginning of the “clericate” which produced wonderful fruits. Those seminarians were aiming at
priesthood, without any intention, at least in the beginning, of forming a religious family.

5. The First Taking of the Religious Habit

In 1897 Fr. Mauro, a Benedictine monk from Monte Cassino, asked for hospitality and was lodged in the poor 13
Houses in Avignone as a guest. He remained there for almost five months maybe he was trying to restart a
Benedictine community in the nearby ancient Monastery of the Magdalene.
The good Benedictine Father started helping Fr. Hannibal in his holy ministry in favor of the persons assisted in
such a way that the Father appointed him as ordinary confessor of the Institute of the Holy Spirit. It was through him
that all the secret intrigues which later led the schism of Roccalumera 23 surfaced. This means that Fr. Mauro imposed
to one of his penitents to tell all that she knew and had seen to Fr. Hannibal.
The Benedictine Father followed up more closely some of the young men in Avignone who were not clerics, but
were pious and committed in the service of charity. There was the young Placido Romeo, an orphan, alumnus of the
Cappellini Boarding School who had left the institution because of having reached the age limit and whom the charity
of Fr. Di Francia had accepted. There were also Di Gregorio and a certain Fazzolati who used to accomplish
diligently their assignments. Maybe, in his heart, Fr. Mauro saw these young men as a new seed which could be
useful for the reestablishment of his monastery. At any rate, he asked and obtained from the Father Founder to give
them a religious habit and to regard them as a kind of novices. The three young men received a black cassock like
that of the Benedictine Fathers, with leather belts around the waist, a black cape with a hint of monastic cowl.
Obviously, there was also a black skull-cap.
According to the monastic tradition, they took also a religious name. Romeo was called Bro. Placido; Di
Gregorio, Bro. Benedetto; and Fazzolari, Bro. Giuseppe. It was the beginning, just a hint, of religious life.
22
FR. TEODORO TUSINO, The Father’s Letters, page 69-71. Fr. Francesco Di Francia (1853-1913), Father
Hannibal’s brother, was a priest of a great virtue, who distinguished himself mainly in the ministry to the sick in the
hospital and in the missions to the villages and countryside in the diocese of Messina. In the initial years he helped
sporadically the Father together with the Frs. Ciccolo and Muscolino. He came back to help the Father at the
Avignone District during the cholera of 1887. After the death of their mother in 1888, Fr. Francesco resided
permanently in the Avignone District. In 1897 he withdrew to Roccalumera (Messina) where, together with Mother
Veronica Briguglio, he founded the Tertiary Capuchin Sisters of the Sacred Heart. Cfr. FR. TEODORO TUSINO,
Father’s Soul, pages 686 ff.
23
On August 1897 a group of sisters who did not accept the administrative system of Fr. Hannibal withdrew to
Roccalumera, where, under the direction of Fr. Francesco Di Francia, they started another congregation: the
Capuchin Tertiary Sisters of the Sacred Heart. See FR. TEODORO TUSINO, The Father’s Soul, page 689 ff
 6. The First Fruits of the Clericate

Mr. Francesco Bonarrigo, the Elementary teacher, had come to Avignone to put at the service of the Work of Fr.
Hannibal his experience and academic preparation. He thought of himself as unworthy of priesthood. It might have
been this profound sense of humility to hinder him from pursuing priestly life, after having received the minor orders
from Msgr. Papardo, Bishop of Santa Lucia Del Mela. He had however an immense submission to Fr. Hannibal, who,
in the funeral eulogy published on God and Neighbor, tells us that because of such a childlike submission, Fr.
Bonarrigo used to ask the Father’s blessing on his knees, and was always very docile to all the directives of the
Founder.
The Founder availed of his influence over him to win his reluctance and to have him study Dogmatic and Moral
Theology, because on general culture he was learned enough. Msgr. Guarino used to follow him up and when Father
Hannibal assured him that Bonarrigo was ready for examination, the Cardinal assigned the Father himself to examine
him and to present the related certificate for the Major Orders. After all these things, the Auxiliary Bishop Msgr.
D’Alcontres ordained him as a priest in the Church of St. Mary of the Angels in 1895. We do not know the exact date
of his ordination because the related certificate could not be found in the Curia of Messina. Before the 1808
earthquake that church was near to the Institute of the Holy Spirit24.
Fr. Bonarrigo became a very valid collaborator and Councilor of the Father during those heroic years. He was
the first priest formed in the Work of Avignone and became the habitual chaplain and one of the ordinary confessors
of the Institute of the Holy Spirit, where exactly in that year, the women’s Work had found its place.
The clericate sent to heaven also two little angels, Giuseppe Montalto and Mariano Cicala. The first, a nephew of
the Father, was ardently dreaming of following the footsteps of his uncle and to continue his Work. The other was
intelligent and fervent, was nurturing with ardor the same holy ideal: but God’s plans were different. Both became
sick of that phthisis [tuberculosis] a sickness which at that time was fatal. The Father had to send them home so that
they could be cured for what could be possible. From home they used to write passionate letters with great
attachment to the Institute, with the very livly desire to come back. But the Lord found them ready for Heaven, as first 14
flowers of the Clericate. Montalto died on February 9, 1894. Cicala followed him later on April 19, 1898, in Soccorso.
Those who knew them said that on their deathbed they looked like sleeping Angels dressed as Clerics.
Antonio Catanese was the immediate prefect of his companions. He was very well known and loved by Canon
D’Arrigo because he was his very diligent student in morals and also because he always accompanied the Clerics
whom the Father sent to the Church of Canon D’Arrigo at Archipeschieri for the sacred ceremonies every time that
the Canon asked for them. When Canon D’Arrigo became Capitular Vicar first and then Archbishop of Messina in
1898, one of his first thought was the ordination of Catanese. He conferred to him the Sacred Orders and finally the
Presbyterate on August 13, 1899. Fr. Catanese remained as Prefect of the Clerics until 1902 and was a great
collaborator very much affectionate to the Father. He liked drawing, painting and practical mechanics.
Rosario D’Agostino came after him. His ordinary task had been that of Prefect of the Orphans and related
activities. Msgr. D’Arrigo ordained him a priest on March 15, 1902. He continued to be the Director of the Orphanage
until 1903, when he remained as a parish Priest at Ritiro, as we shall see later.

7. The First Vows

At this point we need some to clarifications.

First of all, we have to remember that the ecclesiastical legislation about Religious life as it is clearly expressed
in the Canon Law of St. Pius X, was still a long way to come: the Code of Canon Law in fact was promulgated by
Pope Benedict XV on Pentecost Day in 1919.
Second, the Father was doing everything with a verbal agreement of his immediate Superior, which means, of
Cardinal Guarino first and Msgr. D’Arrigo later. And even though the Father tried several times to obtain a formal

Fr. Bonarrigo was ordained a priest on March 30, 1895 by Bishop William D'Alcontres, in the church named after
24

Santa Rosa in Novitiate Street. The name St. Mary of the Angels may have been attributed to the church (as is the
case of other churches in Messina) due to the painting of The Virgin of the Angels attributed to the School of
Polidoro. (See GIUSEPPE GROSSO CACOPARDO, Guide of the city of Messina, Messina 1841).
approval for his Works, in their prudence, the Ecclesiastical Authorities were rightly delaying the matter because they
wanted to see some consistency which could allow them to take an official position of approval.
The Father himself in the beginning did not have a clear project for the men’s Congregation. In his mind, in fact,
the idea of a true religious community with the binding of the vows took shape little by little. We may not be far from
truth if we assume that he started to think about the bond of the vows after, Fr. Mauro, the Benedictine, gave a kind
of a monastic style to the taking of the habit of those first three young men.
Fr. Hannibal started to think also of the religious direction to be given also to the Clerics. In fact it was in 1898
that he wanted to withdraw the Clerics from the Seminary for the purpose to create in them a mentality different from
the one of the diocesan clergy, but Msgr. D’Arrigo did not allow.
When it comes to the Sisters the way had been clearer. However even for them the Father acknowledged that
the foundation was due to the stimulus and directions given by Melanie Calvat.25
And in that year he wrote that famous Regulation of the Postulants of the male religious community, in which, for
the first time, he speaks about the preparation for “Profession with the observance of the three vows of the
Evangelical counsels”. However, we may ask: was he thinking about all clerics or only about those Brothers who had
received the sacred habit through the concern of Father Mauro, the Benedictine, and others similar to them?
In fact at that time it happened that a young man, Giuseppe Antonio Meli, who was more than 21 years old,
came from Castelbuono (Palermo) to Avignone District. He had previously studied until Fourth Year Gymnasium [2
years after High School]. He would have liked to continue to study to become a priest, however he accepted to
remain as a coadjutor brother. His renunciation was complete: and his commitment unconditional. He became a
Postulant and later received the habit as a Brother as we said above.
After these premises, the first document attesting a religious Profession is on April 23 1899 and is signed by the
two Bros. Placido Maria and Benedetto Maria as Poor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. From it we can make some
inferences: they had finished already two years of their novitiate which had started on 1887; Brother Giuseppe
Fazzorali did not persevere and had left [the Congregation]; as he used with the Sisters during their Profession, the
Father had started adding the name of Mary also for them; the date of the profession was on the liturgical feast of the
Patronage of St. Joseph.
This last deduction deserves an explanation. For Fr. Hannibal, St. Joseph was the Patron Saint of his Works and
15
especially of the religious and ascetic life. Therefore the Sisters’ taking of the Habit and professions were always
done on March 19 or on its vigil.
At that time the liturgical feast of the Patronage of St. Joseph was a movable feast because it was connected
with the calendar of the celebration of Easter and it was celebrated on the third Sunday after Easter. After the reform
of St. Pius X, it was celebrated on the previous Wednesday. This is the reason of the different dates of the
Professions of our Rogationist Religious for a long time.
We have to add another indication. In the mind of the Father, little by little, the congregation was starting to take
its shape. Thus, in the beginning, when he saw that the young men had the capacity, he allowed them to profess only
the vow of Holy Chastity and that of obedience to the Rogate for one year. Instead, for the vows of Holy Poverty and
Obedience, he allowed them to make only the Promises. And all this was always done in a personal and private way,
as with the Sisters.

8. An Historical Event

The situation was like this when in 1900, which Pope Leo XIII had consecrated to Christ the Redeemer, our
Father wanted to inaugurate the register of the Pious Union of the Evangelical Rogation for the faithful exactly at the
midnight in between the two centuries (1899-1900), by starting the records with the name of Archbishop Msgr.
D’Arrigo and his own. But in that year, he was inspired to do something more important for his own Institutes: to give

25
Melanie Calvat (Sister Mary of the Cross) is the famous shepherdess to whom, together with Maximin Giraud, the
Blessed Virgin appeared on September 19, 1846 on the mountain of La Salette in France. Upon insistent requests of
Father Founder, Melanie accepted to go to Messina to guide the Sisters’ community. She remained in Messina from
September 14, 1897 to September 1898. Father Hannibal was always grateful for this collaboration. At her death, he
wrote a funeral eulogy and had her buried in the Church of the FDZ’s Orphanage in Altamura (Bari) and tried to
start her cause of beatification. Cfr. FR. TEODORO TUSINO, The Father's Letters, pages 111-114 ff.; FR.
TEODORO TUSINO, The Father’s Soul, pages 93, 98, 316, 697 ff., M. CATERINI, La Salette. The Crying Mother,
Turin, 1981, page 348.
to the solemnity of the Patronage of St. Joseph, a particular character by consecrating himself and his closer
members with the Holy vows, with a true and proper religious profession and with the name of Regular Oblate Clerics
of the Heart of Jesus.
All this can be deducted from the Report that Fr. Hannibal presented to the Archbishop Msgr. D’Arrigo few days
later, on May 11, 1900. Such statement was certainly written by the Founder, even though it is signed collectively.26
In it, after briefly recalling the history of his Work and of the Sisters’ Congregation, Fr. Hannibal adds, “it was also
of equal or even greater importance, that a religious male congregation of Priests be started” and “finally we were
granted the possibility to carry out our desire”.
“On the 6th day of the current month of May, on the third Sunday after Easter, feast of the Patronage of St.
Joseph, we gathered in the small Church of the Heart of Jesus, and at the ‘ communio’ [after communion] of the
Solemn Mass, we consecrated ourselves to the Lord through the vow of Chastity for one year, with the Promises of
Poverty and Obedience; with the fourth vow, for one year, of the daily Prayer to obtain good laborers to the Holy
Church, by pronouncing and signing the formula, a copy of which we enclose”.27
The Father’s statement continues saying, with wonderful expressions of faith in the Hierarchy of the Church, that
the initiative is not complete without the ‘sacred touch’ (= approval) of the Ecclesiastical Authority to which the
signatories render profound homage, asking for the protection and the blessing of the Archbishop. From that blessing
they will receive grace, fruitfulness, perseverance and life, ad majorem consolationem Cordis Jesu.
Who were indeed the signatories of that historical document?
These are those whose signature is included in the document, a copy of which was sent to the Archbishop,
under the denomination of Regular Poor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus : Canon A.M. Di Francia, Fr. Francesco
Bonarrigo, Fr. Antonio Catanese, Subdeacon Rosario D’Agostino, Bro. Giuseppe Meli, Bro. Benedetto M., Bro.
Placido M., Salvatore Russello, Nicola Schepis, Antonio Micalizzi.
This first Profession which the Archbishop certainly accepted and fostered, the following year, under the same
name of Regular Poor of the Sacred Heart, was followed by a second one, as renewal of the first for some of them.
But this time it was written on an individual paper for each religious. Evidently this happened upon request of the
Archbishop, who was expert both in morals as well as in canon law, in dealing with documents; and maybe also
because he wanted to make sure that things were done in a clear way.
16
The Profession was done on April 21, 1901, that day was the Feast of the Patronage of St. Joseph.
The existing papers are signed by the following persons: Canon A.M. Di Francia – Fr. Francesco Bonarrigo,
Deacon. Rosario D’Agostino, Fr. Michele Giunta, Cleric Nichola Schepis, Cleric Salvatore Russello, Bro. Benedetto
M., Bro. Giuseppeantonio M. Bro. Placido M., Antonioy Micalizzi.
We don’t know who is this Fr. Michele Giunta; his name does not appear anymore in the following years. He
might have been a guest priest who had shown the desire to belong to the Congregation since the consecration was
just for one year, and then, later, he left. The lacking of the paper of Fr. Catanese can be explained by the fact that it
might have been lost, or because in that day he might have been absent, maybe in Taormina, where he did
personally his consecration. As a matter of fact, the following years 1902, his document appears again.
We can say that this was the first outline of the congregation, still without a properly defined name.

9. The Baptism of the Congregation.

Fr. Founder himself names it in this way in the Circular Letter to the Sacred Allied on October 6, 1901, feast of
the Blessed Virgin of the Holy Rosary, forwarding them this news: “Today this still rising Institution received its own
Baptism under the patronage of the Holy Names of Jesus and of Mary…”28
That Circular Letter is a document of highest importance for all the members of the Work born from the Heart of
Jesus and realized with docility by his servant, Canon Di Francia. It is of the highest importance not only because it
marks an authentic historical event for the two Congregations, but also because, in a fast glimpse, it tells us of their
long and laborious development and it gives us the true and concise expression of their spirit. Such letter not only
deserves to be well known but also to be profoundly meditated upon by all true Rogationists.

26
FR. TEODORO TUSINO. The Father’s Letters, page 142-146.
27
FR. TEODORO TUSINO, The Father’s Letters, page 142.
28
FR. TEODORO TUSINO, The Father’s Letters, pages 150-156.
 Let me summarize its concepts. Since the scriptural sentence 29 on the letter’s heading the event is perceived as
a great gift of God. Even the title: Announcement of the names which were inspired for the Pious Work on September
15, feast of the name of Mary, tells us that the Father attributed this great gift to the protection of Mary. And it is
under such a light of piety, that the Father felt the need to pour out his joy and make it overflow on his spiritual
friends: the Sacred Allies.
He briefly mentions the history of the first twenty years of his apostolate in that wild and thorny field which the
Lord had entrusted to his priesthood: the recovery of the Avignone District and the salvation of its unhappy
inhabitants through the activities which, blessed by God, little by little had produced good fruits, especially about the
culturing of the command of Jesus: Rogate ergo Dominum messis ut mittat operarios in messem suam , up to the
point of the creation of two Families one of consecrated men and one of consecrated women.
“However - the Father continues - for so many years, no name was given to the members of the religious
communities … No matter how much I was thinking and reflecting I could not find two significant names for the two
Communities”.
He adds that for many years, for this purpose, prayers were done, prayers were requested from good persons
and Holy Masses were offered. The entire month of January 1901, with special prayers, was dedicated to this
purpose until, precisely during the Holy Mass of January 31, at that time dedicated to the Most Holy Name of Jesus,
the Father’s thoughts fell on the word: Rogate. Then in one of his trips to Rome he submitted this to some Cardinals
and Prelates of the Roman Curia. “[The names] seemed appropriate to them”, he wrote.
On September 14, he wrote on a paper the names which he thought and their reasons in a paper that he
presented on the same day to his immediate Ordinary, Msgr. Letterio D’Arrigo Ramondini. The Archbishop upon
reading the paper, was pleased, and wrote his approval on it in these terms: “We approve with pleasure the names
for the Pious Work of Beneficence of Canon Hannibal Mary Di Francia, written on the back of this paper”.30
In that document, which deserved to be reproduced here in full, the members of the men’s Congregation are
called Rogationists and thus, for the first time, they appear in the history of the Church.
The day after, September 15, 1901, which in the Liturgy of those times was dedicated to the feast of the Most
Holy Name of Mary, in the little church of the Heart of Jesus in Avignone District, the Father made the solemn
proclamation and dedication.
17
That first group of our Confreres, as a newly born child received its name for eternity. It is not by chance that in
the history of the Church, that day is called the ‘Baptism’ of the Congregation.
Consequently, the following year, on April 20, 1902, Solemnity of the Patronage of St. Joseph, the members of
the congregation made for one year the vows of Chastity and of the obedience to the Rogate as well as the promise
of poverty and obedience, with the name of “Regular Clerics of the Evangelical Rogation, or Rogationists”. The
signatories of that first group are: Canon A. M. Di Francia, Priest Francesco Bonarrigo, Fr. Antonio Catanese, Fr.
Rosario D’Agostino, Cleric Salvatore Russello, Bro. Giuseppeantonio Meli, Bro. Benedetto Mary, Bro. Placido Mary,
Geatano Chiapparone, and Antonio Micalizzi.

10. The First Parish Priests formed in our Work

Here starts a vicissitude which at time had been given different evaluations, even tendentious, often even wrong,
but which marked a relevant turning point in the development of the newly born Congregation,
We have seen how Fr. Hannibal disinterestedly used to accept vocations to priestly life; but when this meant to
start a true Institute with vows, he was very prudent: at first only annual vows of Chastity and Rogate but only a
promise of poverty and obedience. It seemed that he was searching for God’s plans which were still not yet clear in
his mind. The documents of Profession were signed by the Father himself, by Fr. Bonarrigo, Fr. Catanese and
D’Agostino, by three Bothers and by some Clerics. Not by all of them. It was a community into a slow and laborious
ascent. Why?
There was no problem about the signature of the Father and of Fr. Bonarrigo as well as of the three Coadjutor
Brothers. But regarding the clerics and the young priests there were different points of view between the expectation
of the Ecclesiastical Authorities, and the mind of Father Founder himself.

29
St. James 1:17
30
FR. TEODORO TUSINO, The Father’s Letters, pages 150-156 and footnote no. 4.
 Those young men had started and had been formed mainly with the ideal of priesthood; and also - I repeat, also
- to help the Father who had accepted them and fostered them to become priests in order to console, at any cost, the
Heart of Jesus for the abandoned harvest and the scarcity of the workers.
The Diocese of Messina unfortunately reflected those feelings of Jesus because of its scarcity of clergy. Fr.
Vitale used to tell that Cardinal Guarino confidentially was saying that when he had come to Messina, he had found a
destroyed Jerusalem. Thus both the city and the most zealous priest admired the work of their holy confrere, Fr. Di
Francia, but they were thinking that more than providing for the small environment of Avignone District, the Father
intended to answer to the more urgent need [of priests] of Messina.
When Msgr. D’Arrigo, who used to be a colleague, friend and admirer of Fr. Hannibal became Archbishop and
then responsible of his Diocese, led by the conviction of the majority, placed his attention on the students of his holy
friend, whom he knew very well. Though he was concerned about the needs of the Pious Work he believed that for
the meantime Canon Di Francia, Fr. Bonarrigo and those few Brothers were enough for the Avignone District.
Furthermore the two young Priests had been ordained as diocesan priests, not with the title of “ mensae communis”
which means ‘of poverty’, as religious, but with their own patrimony and for the Church. Therefore they were bound to
the Diocese.
Father Hannibal in the Circular letter to the Sacred Allied, in informing them about the names he had found for
the various activities of his Work, notes that on that day, September 15, 1901, the feast of St. Alphonsus of Liguori
was being celebrated in Messina. Why that allusion? Because both the Father and Msgr. D’Arrigo were most devout
of St. Alphonsus and Msgr. D’Arrigo had requested the Father to add, among the purposes of the new community,
also the evangelization of the poor in the countryside, which had been the mission of St. Alphonsus.
All these concepts can help us to understand the facts which I am about to tell.
As soon as Fr. Catanese was ordained a priest, the Archbishop gently asked him to tell Fr. Hannibal that he
wanted to appoint him as a chaplain of the Cathedral, because he had nobody to put there. Fr. Catanese humbly
presented to him the tasks that he was carrying out in the Institute. How could he abandon them to take care of the
Cathedral? The two tasks were incompatible. For that time Msgr. did not insist anymore.
However, though he left Fr. Catanese at Avignone, the Archbishop conferred to him several positions of trust. He
appointed him as the ordinary confessor in the Smatzer Institute founded by the Archbishop at Arcipeschieri and as
18
chaplain of the Association of the Daughters of Mary at Villaggio Santo, where he had to go every Sunday and Feast
to celebrate a second mass. For two years he faithfully fulfilled all these duties.
After some time the Archbishop insisted again to confer on him the chaplaincy of the cathedral and Fr. Catanese
repeated his difficulties. The Archbishop became serious and said to him; “ Come on, tell to the Canon that this is my
intention. Tell him that I have only few priests and there are many vacancies in the Diocese, and I do not know how
to provide. And let me know what he will tell you!”
The Father understood that this time the Archbishop was more determined and basically was right. Thus he
found an expedient.
The Charitable House of the Daughters of Divine Zeal, First Brach, had been opened on January 1902 in
Taormina. The sisters used to have the Holy mass when it was possible, because in Taormina there was only the old
Archpriest and, it seems, another sick priest. Fr. Hannibal in agreement with Fr. Catanese, thought of proposing to
the Archbishop to send Fr. Catanese to help the parish priest in Taormina. And so on one hand, Fr. Catanese would
have helped the old priest, and on the other, he would celebrate the Holy Mass to the Daughters of Divine Zeal.
Msgr. D’Arrigo liked the proposal and Fr. Catanese was permanently transferred to Taormina. Thus he started
his pastoral activity, though he remained always an affectionate son of the Work of Avignone.
After some years, when Taormina was already better provided, Fr. Catanese was transferred as Archpriest to
Forza D’Agrò where the parish was vacant. There he died on February 15, 1934, leaving a reputation as a zealous
and pious priest. From time to time, he used to come to Avignone showing concern for the problems of the Institute.
For health reasons or simply for breathing fresh air and have some rest, Father Founder used to go, or also send
the members of his male Institute, to the small and abandoned convent of Ritiro, not far from Messina, besides the
Church, in the open countryside on a hill, and with few neighbors. In several events of those years we find the
Fathers or Brothers at the little convent of Ritiro to rest. For example, when in 1897 there were the events which led
to the schism of the Sisters of Roccalumera, Fr. Francesco Di Francia and Fr. Bonarrigo were at Ritiro.
Of course the presence of priests in that place attracted to the Church the people scattered in neighboring farms
and villages. When Fr. D’Agostino, newly ordained priest, after the departure of Fr. Catanese, became also Prefect of
the Clerics, he was sent several times, particularly during the Summer vacations, to the convent of Ritiro with some
small group of Clerics.
 Being full of fervor, and in the freshness of the priestly ordination, he used to do his utmost in initiatives of
apostolate, and the people of the place started to love him. He became so affectionate to them that he continued to
go there also outside the summer season, even neglecting his duties in Avignone. Initially the Father allowed Fr.
D’Agostino to do so ( and it was good) and even gave him Bro. Benedetto Di Gregorio as a companion, but in 1903
he ordered both of them to come back to Avignone. They found difficulty to obey, but the Founder insisted.
Fr. D’Agostino was already so engaged in his apostolate or maybe he thought that there were some maneuvers
against him, so he decided to talk to the Archbishop. Thus he sent Bro. Benedetto back to Avignone because he
wanted to speak first to Archbishop.
Bro. Benedetto went away from Ritiro, but having lost his patience he went straight to his relatives in Messina,
without even passing by Avignone.
The archbishop answered to Fr. D’Agostino to remain as Chaplain at Ritiro, while he would talk to Canon Di
Francia. Thus Fr. D’Agostino remained in the beginning as Chaplain, and later as Parish Priest at Ritiro where he left
the remembrance of a zealous priest. After 1920, the Father called him to be the ordinary confessor of the Institute of
the Holy Spirit. Already old, in his last years he retired at the Oasis of Maria Assunta founded by Msgr. Sorrentino at
Aci Sant’ Antonio where he died on November 24, 1958.
We can consider the Fathers Catanese and D'Agostino as the first parish priests formed by the apostolic zeal
and the Work of Canon Di Francia. They considered themselves always as his affectionate and devout children.

11. Fr. Pantaleone Palma

Among the priests who came asking for hospitality at the poor Avignone District, in 1902 there was one from a
very far place, that is, from Puglia, precisely from Ceglie Messapica in the Diocese of Oria.
The story went like this. The priest Vincent Lilla 31 was the Chancellor of the Chair of Philosophy of Law at the
University of Messina. He had been a Dominican but the laws of suppression of the Religious Orders had forced him
out from his convent and he had become a University Professor. He was living in Messina, because of his academic
commitment but he was from Francavilla Fontana, in the Diocese of Oria. 19
He was a friend and great admirer of the Work of Father Hannibal. He had brought to him some orphan girls
whom the Father had accepted for free at the Institute of the Holy Spirit. He was amazed; thus he wanted the city of
Messina to know better the hidden work of the Servant of God and on January 12, 1902 through the St. Joseph
Printing House in Messina, he published a commendatory pamphlet "Canon Hannibal M. Di Francia and his Work of
Beneficence”. It is a booklet which deserves to be better known even by our Religious.
It was natural for anybody from Puglia who wanted to study in Messina to ask the help of Prof. Lilla.
Born in Ceglie Messapica on April 15, 1875 and ordained a priest on July 30 1899, Fr. Pantaleone Palma, with
the permission of his Bishop Msgr. Gargiulo, wanted to undertake literary studies. For this purpose the Bishop
allowed him to enroll at Naples University. Later however he transferred to Messina mainly because Prof. Lilla, who
was from his own place, was teaching there and could be an eminent protector to count on.
And so at the end of October 1902 Fr. Palma came to Messina and lodged at Moon’s Inn, in Agony Street, with
the intention of approaching Prof. Lilla and, through him, to find a suitable lodging. Prof. Lilla knocked at the heart of
Father Hannibal for a free lodging at least for some days, in favor of a young priest, his friend and from the same
Diocese.
Father Hannibal could not say no to Prof. Lilla, and Fr. Pantaleone Palma came suddenly to Avignone. The
Father however had not yet prepared a room for him so he asked him to come the following day, October 28, feast of
St. Jude Thaddeus. All these singular details (Moon’s Inn - Agony Street - Feast of St. Jude Thaddeus) were often
recalled by Fr. Palma because they corresponded to his inner feeling.
The young priest lived [at Avignone] separated from the community and served as a distinguished guest; he
used to wear always his cassock with cleanliness and elegance. So much, so that people remembered the contrast
between his cassock and that of Fr. Hannibal and of Fr. Bonarrigo, which were clean but faded. He used to go to and
come back from the University, following his literary dreams and preparing his dissertation. It was like this for a
couple of years.

Vincent Lilla (1837-1905), a Dominican, was a professor at the University of Naples, then for many years held the
31

chair of Philosophy of Law at the University of Messina. Fr. Santoro’s remembrances, in calling him Chancellor, are
probably wrong.
 But he had also under his eyes a singular life of poverty, piety and heroic charity surrounding the man of God,
Fr. Di Francia, who seemed to live outside of this world. All this impressed him strongly, as he himself told us, and he
was feeling the uselessness and the emptiness of his youthful dreams. A profound peace started pouring down on
his spirit and he liked that sentence of the Psalms….. " Quia non cognovi literaturam, introivi in potentiam Domini "
[Since I did not know how to read letters, I entered in the power of God - Ps 71, 15b in the Hebrew text] . He started to
live a life of recollection, contrition and prayer which became visible also in his modest habit and behavior.
It seemed to him that Avignone was the place where he could realize his own previous ideal of consecration. In
fact he had tried two times to enter the Jesuits and once to become a Salesian, but had not been accepted, maybe
because of his melancholic mood. He indeed started an intense ascetic life.

12. Fr. Pantaleone Palma Enters the Community.

After the departure of the two priests, Fr. Catanese and Fr. D'Agostino, the way of life of the House of Avignone
had deteriorated. Practically the clerics were entrusted to the Acolyte Russello, while the boys during the day were
entrusted to some employees. The void left by the absence of the two young priests was visible. Some
inconveniences came even to the ears of the Archbishop. Thus Fr. Hannibal had a good reason for complaining for
not leaving with him any of the two young priests. The Archbishop answered to him: “ You have that young priest as a
guest. Let him do something, even just to repay the kindness of the free hospitality which he receives ”. The Father
used to see always God’s will in every word of Superiors, thus he asked Fr. Palma to take care of the internal
discipline of the Institute. So Fr. Palma started his work for our Institute.
There was something else which was the task of Fr. D'Agostino: the collection-boxes of St. Anthony and the
spreading of the booklet “The Miraculous Secret” which the Father had printed in 1900, and then reprinted according
the needs of the Anthonian propaganda. Fr. Palma felt tasked by the circumstances to continue also this activity, and
he did it with his usual total commitment, with the enthusiasm of a beginner.
Consequently, this meant that he had to give up his books, literature, degrees, studies, and even his family and
his place of origin.
20
Together with Bro. Giuseppeantonio Meli who had already some experience, he started systematically to place
the collection-boxes in the small towns and villages of the province of Messina exhorting people to help St. Anthony's
orphans. Later he expanded the range of his activity to the whole of Sicily in spite of the difficulties of the means of
transportation of that time.

13. The Vanishing of the Clericate

In our Archives there is a Document of profession dated October 1, 1903, stating that it was a postponement
from the feast of St. Joseph Patronage of that year.
It is a formula of the Profession of vows of Chastity for one year, a promise of obedience and poverty and a vow
of Rogate for one year and a perpetual vow of perseverance. The signatories are not the Fathers, but only the Clerics
and Brothers. There are Exorcist Salvatore Russello, Cleric Gaetano Chiapparone, Cleric Domenico De Francesco,
Cleric Michelangelo Zirilli, Cleric Giuseppe Patanè, Cleric Isaia Domenico, Bro. Giuseppeantonio Mary, Bro.
Benedetto Mary Bro. Placido Maria di San Giuseppe.
Some questions arise: Why was the profession postponed to October 1? Why is it without the Fathers, but only
for the Clerics and the Brothers? Why is it there, this time, a perpetual vow of perseverance?
These are all questions which suggest great anguish in the Father's soul. The ideal of a religious Congregation
was becoming all the more clear in his mind, but he could not see in those Clerics, who were definitely oriented to
diocesan priesthood, the dispositions to bind themselves with a rule. Maybe before the school year, the Father
wanted to know better God's will and the dispositions of those young people, at least of those who had already
received the Minor Orders.
He was perplexed, particularly after the attitude assumed by Fr. D'Agostino.
In fact the following year, in 1904, there was no religious profession, or at least there is no document.
Furthermore, when the feast of the Patronage of St. Joseph was approaching the Father was in Rome, consulting the
Church's Authorities, as he used to do to solve his problems.
 From a letter on April 28, 1904 addressed to Fr. Palma 32, we know that Fr. Hannibal had two audiences with the
Holy Father, St. Pius X; that he met and consulted eminent persons of the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, like Card.
Gennari, whom he met several times, Card. Merry del Val, who said to him that his work was appreciated by God and
called it “a holy Work”, and many others who encouraged him.
He was accompanied by the most faithful Bro. Giuseppeantonio, who walking through Rome, ‘was looking for all
the dwelling places of the Cardinals, Bishops and General Superiors, because for him their houses were the “cardinal
points” for his orientation’.33
It is easily understandable how, having to solve the fundamental problem of his male Congregation, which was
his main concern, the Father put no attention to that renewal of vows, which was certainly a devout act, however
without any juridical or canonical effectiveness. Rather we risk to say that, the uncompromising attitude which the
Father was about to take about the problem of the Novitiate for the Clerics, was a fruit of those consultations.
Let us proceed with order.
On August 4, 1903 the Patriarch of Venice, St. Pius X, had come to the papal throne. He wanted to mark his
Pontificate with the motto “instaurare omnia in Christo” [to restore everything in Christ]. And, as usual, the renewal
had to start from the Clergy; hence the necessity of the renewal of the Seminaries.
In Messina as in other Dioceses it was the praxis to have, together with the seminarians living in the community
of the seminary, also some ‘external clerics’ who were living in their families. They used to have some spiritual
practices in common under the guidance of somebody assigned to this, and to go to the Seminary only for classes.
Even Fr. Hannibal had been for some time Prefect of the external clerics in Messina.
St. Pius X abolished this form of clerical formation. He established that those who wanted to have access to the
Sacred Orders ought to live in the community of the Seminary, and exhorted the Bishops to carry out this disposition.
Msgr. D'Arrigo implemented immediately the Pontifical Decree in Messina and obliged all the external clerics of
his Archdiocese, to enter in the Seminary, starting with the new school year, if they wanted to receive the Orders.
Otherwise, they had to remove the clerical habit.
Evidently, Msgr. Archbishop and also the Pontifical Decree did not include the clerics of his holy friend and
colleague Fr. Di Francia because they were not living in their families and free, but in the community. Just a
clarification could have been enough. And that is what some of the older Clerics wished. However the Father, who
21
since May 6, 1900, together with other priests and the three Brothers had started to admit to a kind of religious
Profession also some of those Clerics, maybe the most faithful and devoted to our Work (like Russello, Schepis,
Micalizzi), did not want to lose the occasion to give a sharp turn to the organization under a rule which was already
clear in his mind. And since it was a matter of starting a form of life with vows, it was indispensable to introduce the
Novitiate.
One day of September 1904, Fr. Hannibal called for a meeting of all the members of the community and
informed them about the decisions of the Archbishop for the following school year, in line with the Pontifical
directives. Since the opening of the school year was approaching he added: " We are a religious community.
Therefore it is necessary to interrupt the studies for two years, to have the Novitiate, and to work for our Institute.
Then we will see what God wills”.
Such an announcement had the effect of a bombshell. The clerics withdrew thoughtfully. Though willing to
become priests, many of them had never thought to bind themselves with a perpetual rule, thus they were much
disappointed for that interruption of the studies for two years of Novitiate, all the more in an Institute not yet juridically
constituted. A dark and uncertain future loomed before their vivid imagination, especially after some of those who had
already done that kind of Profession in the years 1901, 1902 and 1903, asked the Father what they were going to do
for their studies and for the Ordination after the two years of interruption.
The Father was inflexible. He answered that they be would have done the obedience to their Superiors,
whatever the Lord would have provided. Some of them started to go back to their families. After several years, some
of them, already priests, were telling that, had they had a person exhorting them to reflect and not take hasty
decisions, they would have remained. …They were young people!
The Acolyte Russello, who was the leader and assistant, one of the most affectionate, who, later on, in the last
year of his life was regularly frequenting the Shrine of St, Anthony, was telling about himself, " I asked the Father if he
could make an exception for me because I was already an Acolyte and near to priesthood. I did not want at all to
abandon the Institute, like what some of my companions have already done. The Father did not want to make

32
FR. TEODORO TUSINO, The Father’s Letters, pages 194-196.
33
FR. TEODORO TUSINO, The Father’s Letters, pages 195.
exceptions. Then I added: allow me to ask advice from Monsignor because we are not a recognized community and
we depend on the Bishop. I want to ask him if, after studying here for two years he will ordain me as a priest."
The Father consented. The Archbishop was in his villa at Gazzi. He received Cleric Russello and listened to his
presentation of the situation. But when the young men asked him if, after two years, he would have ordained him as a
priest, the Bishop bluntly answered: "Would you like to enter the Seminary?” In that state of mind and uncertain
perspectives he answered ‘Yes’.
Thus the Acolyte Russello entered in the Seminary, leaving the Avignone District, like many of his companions
had already done. In a few days no Cleric was left in the Institute. Only Fr. Bonarrigo, who was sick, the young Fr.
Palma and the two brothers, Giuseppeantonio and Placido, remained with the Father. Though considered as
belonging to the community, Fr. Catanese lived regularly at Taormina.
The formula of profession on the following May 14, 1905 was signed by Fr. Bonarrigo, Fr. Pantaleone Palma (for
the first time), Fr. Hannibal Mary Di Francia, Fr. Antonio Catanese, Bro. Giuseppeantonio Meli, Bro. Placido Maria.
At Avignone District, which was before such a lively place, only about 30 orphans remained under the care
offered, for what they could, by some employees.

14. Effects of that Exodus.

This event was a terrible blow for the Father. Suddenly, in less than a month, he saw all his hopes crushed, and
the long and painstaking work and great sacrifices of so many years frustrated. He came to the conviction that God
did not want priests from him. To help him in the work which he had undertaken, if the Lord was willing to grant its
continuity, the priests would have come from outside.
In the wonderful letter on November 22, answering to a Cleric who have abandoned him and was by then asking
forgiveness from him, the Father wrote: “The blow of the desertion of all the Clerics of the community, whom I loved
so much, was unexpected for me. Now I resigned myself to the Divine Will who sets everything in the most perfect
way and draws good even from evil itself." 34
22
In the following year 1905 (May and July) Fr. Hannibal made his vows of trust as a reaction to the inevitable
human discouragement.
Thus he continued to look for vocations of Brothers according to the way that the Lord seemingly wanted for him.
Bro. Giuseppeantonio and Fr. Palma who were going around for [spreading the devotion of] the bread of St.
Anthony, had to take care not only of the donation-boxes and of the Miraculous Secret, but also of the eventual
aspirants to consecrated life in the humble conditions as Coadjutor Brothers.
Bro. Giuseppeantonio used to preach with his own personal example. Though he had studied until the 4 th
Gymnasium [2nd year college] and had desired to become a priest, now, he was happy to serve likewise the Lord as a
humble Brother, while many other learned students have faint-heartedly abandoned the Congregation.
And so while was going around the villages of the Province in 1905 Bro. Giuseppeantonio used to ask the
Parish Priests if they knew anybody willing to become religious. He used to talk to them about donation-boxes and
vocations. Thus in Sant’Angelo Di Brolo he met a pious and peaceful young carpenter who wanted to retire and to
become a monk and had him accepted by the Father: he became our Bro. Mariantonio [Scolaro], an inseparable
companion of Fr. Hannibal in the last years of his sickness.
At Galati Mamertino Bro. Giuseppeantonio was introduced by the Archpriest to the pious young man Gaetano
Drago, who was expressing this desire since a long time. He proposed him to the Father who accepted him. He
became our angelic Brother Francesco Maria, who during his short life was a model of self-denial and virtue.
In 1906 Luigi Barbanti, a young man who had known the Congregation through the Anthonian Propaganda,
came from Militello Val Catania. Like Bro. Giuseppeantonio he too had studied with the Salesians; he asked to
continue to study, but he was given a negative answer. However he remained and became our Brother Luigi, who
was the educator of many generations of orphans and was very much attached to the Congregation. In the last years
of his life, by when he was him bedridden the Lord made him also a model of patience and a banner of love to the
Institute.
All these three Brothers took their religious habit together; it was a habit similar to that of Bro. Giuseppeantonio
and Bro. Placido, on the feast of Patronage of St. Joseph on April 21, 1907.

34
FR. TEODORO TUSINO, The Father’s Letters, page 198.
 At the end of the year, intended in wider sense, that is, on the feast of the Patronage of St. Joseph, on May 10,
1908, for the first time in the history of the new Community , they made the four annual vows of poverty, chastity,
obedience to the Rogate as well as resolution of perseverance in the Institute. The common formula was signed by
Fr. Hannibal M. Di Francia, Fr. Bonarrigo, Fr. Palma, Bro. Giuseppeantonio, Bro. Placido and Bro. Francesco Maria.
It means that the other two Brothers seemed to be not yet ready. However the sacred ceremony was still a private,
simple celebration.

15. The New Scholasticate

1907 was the year in which St. Anthony made clearly visible that he wanted to take under his protective wings
the destiny and future of the two small Institutes of Canon Di Francia: the male one in the Avignone District and the
Sisters’ Institute in its three small houses (Holy Spirit, Taormina and Giardini) which until that time had lived in an
incredible poverty.
The donation-boxes and the spreading of the Miraculous Secret were doing wondrous things, but no statue of St.
Anthony was still placed in the above mentioned Institutes. The Father wrote a Circular Letter asking for a
contribution to buy a beautiful statue of Saint Anthony, who was so much loved by his devotees. Mrs. Caterina
Menghi Spada immediately wanted to send a statue from Rome at her expenses. In June1907 the statue reached
Messina, where it was solemnly received, blessed by the Archbishop Msgr. D’Arrigo and enthroned at the Holy Spirit,
in the Church of our Sisters, with such manifestation of devotion, about which the Father was an unsurpassable
master.
On August 15, the Father launched the initial issue of a monthly magazine with the meaningful title “God and
Neighbor” (Dio e il Prossimo), intended to be the voice of the two Institutes and of all their religious and charitable
activities.
For all these benefits, at the end of October 1907, the Father felt the need to thank St. Anthony by going as a
pilgrim to the Saint’s Basilica in Padua and by accepting in his homage some children from Padua.
We may believe that he went to ask from the Saint a grace that was more important for him: the solidity and a 23
future for his works of religion and charity which were still so weak and miserable. And maybe also a small sparkle of
hope for priests. He desired persons detached from everything, even from priesthood. This meant that the decision to
take the way to priesthood or to remain simple consecrated religious was to be based not on the intelligence,
potentialities or other human skills but only on the will of the Superior. This was the Father’s way of thinking: he
wanted generous and detached aspirants; Fr. Palma had the same mind. However in the meantime he needed some
well-disposed aspirants who wanted to study.
In that occasion Fr. Hannibal had become a friend of the Conventual Fathers of the Basilica, and particularly with
the Parish Priest of Arcella, Fr. Bressan. Upon his request, he accepted and brought to Messina, as flowers from
Padua, the three Varotto brothers, or better yet, a boy, Angelindo and his two little sisters. The Father accompanied
the boy to Avignone and the two little girls to the Holy Spirit.
Almost at the same time, through the concern of Bro. Giuseppe and Bro. Francesco, other brothers and cousins
of Bro. Francesco, seven young men all in all, came, like rain from heaven, from Galati Mamertino. They were
simple, strong and candid young men from the mountain and from the patriarchal families. The Avignone District was
invaded by the ‘Dragons’, [their family name was ‘Drago’!] but only by name; together with Angelindo from Padua,
they were eight young men who had to go to school. Fr. Founder entrusted Fr. Palma to teach them according to
their real preparation.
Such a school, even by name, ought to give the idea of preparation for the religious life and thus was called
Scholasticate. It needed a protector: it could be no-other than the Immaculate Blessed Virgin.
D. Andrea Pistorino, the accountant and a painter of the male House, was assigned to prepare a small statue.
The Father organized a feast to enthrone it on February 2, 1903, which was to be the formal beginning of the
Scholasticate.
On the feast of Purification there were sermonettes, songs and a procession through the premises and the lobby
of St. Joseph.
The verses reflect the desolation of the Father as a poet.

Hail O Mary, beautiful Virgin

from the dark night and ungrateful place
 We call on you, our gracious star,
Soften our tears, make us strong in pain.
Hail Mary, these little plants
Wholeheartedly we dedicate to you.
Let them become new sprouts for us
To hearten our initial faith.
Hail, O Mary, so noble anchor
In the evil terror of the enraged sea,
Come to our help, O Blessed one
And from shipwreck deliver us.
Hail Mary, O you, Immaculate,
Hasten today to come to us.
We plead you: kindly restore,
The ancient hope which faded from us.
Hail O Mary, a barren soil
We were tasked to cultivate;
Finally grant us some consolation
And let our tears, through you, dry up.
Hail O Mary, O Jesse’s staff
Please hasten to ask from Jesus
That this secluded harvest of ours
Holy Levites be granted soon.
O Mother, while here you come
Do not deny us a gentle grace:
Fervent groups of holy Levites
We beg from you with ardent faith.
One of the young men concluded his sermonette in this a way. " Therefore let us rejoice, let us rejoice thinking 24
that the Blessed Virgin has been sent among us who are so lowly, to form the future Fathers of the Evangelical
Rogation of Heart of Jesus".
The small statue of Our Lady was placed, first in the common Sacramental Chapel, and then it was devoutely
transferred to the study hall of the Students. But this was only for few months. God’s plans were going to be
accomplished, but in a totally unexpected way.

16. The death of Bro. Francesco Maria Drago

As the mystery of human salvation required the sacrifice of Jesus, our Redeemer, on the cross, so God's works
advance because of victims. It is the mystery of the Cross, which in such a way becomes a sign of holy life and
progress. Bro. Francesco Maria, a model of peace, recollection and prayer had been appointed by Fr. Hannibal as
Assistant of that small group of eight young men.
He was born in Galati Mamertino (Messina) on March 5, 1882, and on November 29, 1903, at the age of
approximately 23, he had come from the countryside to Avignone District. He had lived a most pure life in the
patriarchal familiar atmosphere, leading the flock of his father to pastures on the mountain, always living in prayer.
The work of God’s grace produced spontaneously in him the desire to consecrate himself totally to God in some
religious order. He had made some attempt to be accepted as a lay Brother by the Capuchins of the nearby town of
San Marco D'Alunzio. But when he met our Bro. Giuseppeantonio who, while going around placing the donation-
boxes, never failed to ask the Parish Priests if they had some good religious vocation at hand, Francesco Maria
Drago said: "This is the Work where God calls me !" Without any delay he walked from his mountains to the railway
station of Zappulla, and came to Messina,
A biographical sketch published on our first Bollettino, in 1922, summarizing the story already published by Fr.
Palma on “God and Neighbor” thus described him: “He was detached from everybody and everything. His heart loved
God alone. An angel for his purity, he was also most perfect model of obedience and of religious poverty. Most exact
in fulfilling all the disciplinary rules, he never failed to observe silence; no useless word was heard from him. In his
private prayer, he was always on his knees, with clasped hands, motionless even when he was burning with fever.
He wanted to make a vow of never eating meat, but the obedience did not allow him.
Struck by the most serious consumption [tuberculosis] which damaged even the bones of his chest, he followed
the advancement of his illness with indifference, His eyes were at heaven. Doctor Lanza, who had to resort to
remove some portion of bones directly, when he noticed that during the surgery Brother Francesco was clasping the
Crucifix smiling without even moaning, uttered: "Is this man made of plaster?”
In spite of fever and pains, when it was time for the Communion, he used to leave his bed and leaning on the
walls come down to the Chapel to receive Communion. Until the Superiors noticed it and forbid him to come down
assuring him that Communion would be brought to him.
The treatments and the cures provided according to the medicine of that time succeeded only in delaying for a
while his passing to heaven. He went to sleep in the Lord on November 24, 1908 in the house of Messina but the
funeral had to be solemnly celebrated in the great temple of the Holy Spirit of our Sisters.
Wonderful events were told [about this holy Brother]. During the burial Fr. Palma read a splendid funeral oration
and then wrote his biography in installments on “God and Neighbor” of those years35.
The First Rogationist had gone to heaven, that is, the first who had professed the four vows as such. He had
gone to represent his scholasticate, of which he had been an Assistant, and to plead for the new Congregation.

Chapter II

A PROVIDENTIAL LEAP INTO PUGLIA

1. The Father and the Puglia Region

The Puglia Region was not unfamiliar to the Father and his charitable works were not unknown in that area of 25
Southern Italy, though far from Sicily.
Even without taking into account the most recent event, that is the fact that from that region the Divine
Providence had sent to him a disciple and a faithful friend in the person of the young priest Fr. Palma, from the
Diocese of Oria, the Father knew the Puglia Region since he was a Cleric. He went there for the first time by ship
until Taranto, and by coach from Taranto to Oria, to encounter a renowned mystic Mary Palma [Matarrelli]. He had
gone a second time to Oria for the same reason, but since the Jonic Railway had already been built he travelled by
train.
Around the year 1900 he had asked and obtained that Msgr. Gargiulo, Bishop of Oria, become Sacred Ally,
together with his secretary Rocco Caliandro who later became bishop of Termoli in the Molise region.
Also the successor of Msgr. Gargiulo, Msgr. Di Tommaso, enrolled in the Sacred Alliance on January 29, 1905.
When Father Hannibal wanted to pay homage out of gratitude to the remains of Melanie Calvat, he went to Altamura
for a solemn funeral, the epistolary friendship were confermed by the personal encounter and those ecclesiastical
Authorities nurtured for him a great esteem.
This can explain why in 1907, Fr. Hannibal was called to Oria by the Archpriest, Canon Cosimo Ferretti, to
examine the case of a young woman, Virginia Dell’Aquila, who presented extraordinary mystical phenomena. She
later remained bound to Fr. Hannibal as his spiritual daughter.
This explains also why the Capuchin Fathers of Francavilla Fontana [a town just few kilometers from Oria] on
November 1908, invited him to preach a three-day spiritual retreat to the members of their third order in their Church.
The contacts reached the point that Msgr. Di Tommaso asked Fr. Hannibal to start his Institutions in Oria by
buying the convent of St. Pascal. And on Dec. 22, 1908, through a letter the Bishop informed the Father about the
results of the negotiations with the owner of the Convent, Mr. Salerno Mele.
How wonderful are the plans of the Divine Providence! When He sets His plans, He upsets those of men in the
most unexpected manners. Precisely eight days later a terrible historic event would smash every delay and launch
the works of the Father into Puglia.

Fr. Palma serialized the biography of Brother Francesco Mary and published it on “God and neighbor” from April
35

1913 to March 1916, after a carefully documented research.

 2. The 1908 earthquake of Messina and Reggio

On the morning of December 28, 1908 at 5:20, a dreadful earthquake shook with incredible fury the lands and
seas of the straits of Messina and the coasts of Sicily and Calabria, sowing ruins and death. In just a few seconds
cities and villages became a shapeless pile of debris on which the waves of the sea pounded above the waterfront.
Gloomy fires were unleashed from the broken gas pipes which served for the night lighting.
The dead could be counted by tens of thousands because at that early time in the morning many were still
sleeping and were crashed by their own houses. Just in Messina estimated dead were eighty thousand: it was a
huge cemetery!
Fr. Hannibal was in Rome. He had left in the evening of Christmas to carry out some of his concerns. He came
to know the tragic news at 10:00 a.m. of the following day. The fast means of communication we have today did not
exist at that time. Let us listen to the account of the event as the Father wrote it for the devotees of St. Anthony,
about the men’s Institute. “The orphans woke up at 5:00 in the morning according to their usual schedule. At 5:15,
they were ready and dressed. The young Assistant, Emmanuele Vizzari at that moment called all the boys to recite
the morning prayers before a beautiful image of the Virgin Mary; and so a good number of boys moved from one side
of the dormitory and gathered all in the center before the image of Our Lady.
In that moment, the earth quaked in a dreadful way and with a terrible roaring; the walls shook, the part of the
dormitory which the boys had left not long before shattered, and the roof was brought down with a great noise. The
boys rushed immediately to the courtyard.
In our orphanage, we have also a group of young students who desire to become the future educators of the
Anthonian orphans. They are dearest to us. At 5:00 a.m., they left the dormitory and entered into the small church of
the Institute for their meditation and morning prayers.
With the raging of the earthquake their dormitory crashed completely, the chapel too fell down, however, only the
portion of the roof under which the boys were praying together with some of the lay Brothers of our Institute,
remained standing. Thus all the young students and lay Brothers were unharmed." 36
26
The Father continues the story by telling what happened to the Institute of the Holy Spirit, where the disaster was
much more painful. “Our Priest Pantaleone Palma, as soon as the earthquake was over, with two Religious Brothers,
rushed to the Sisters’ orphanage, which is only five or six minutes far from the male one. Everything was in darkness.
The gas-lights of the public roads were off. That potion of road was strewn with huge debris. They scrambled through
the debris, getting entangled into broken telephone and telegraph lines, while all around some part of walls were still
falling down. And so in the darkness, amidst the cries and shouts and rubbles of that mass slaughter, they reached
the female orphanage". 37

Then the Father continues telling how the presence of Fr. Palma encouraged the Sisters and how all tried to help
those who were under the debris; how Fr. Palma gave them absolution; how he started removing beams and stones
even with the danger for his own life; how they pulled out from under the debris, one by one, the sisters, some of
them already sleeping the sleep of dead and how all this work was done under the pouring rain. It was a terrible
sight: the large Church had collapsed; the dormitories and the workhops had crumbled too.
Only in the evening was it possible to realize that, though in the midst of collapsed buildings, almost all the
members of the religious community (forty persons counting Sisters and postulants) and orphan girls (seventy) were
safe, except some who were seriously wounded. One Sister, three novices, two postulants and seven aspirants were
missing. They were the thirteen innocent victims, whom the Lord wanted to harvest - as the Father said - as a pure
offering to His divine justice, as an expiation, in that terrible punishment. To honor their memory and to allow them to
share in prayers and merits of the entire Work, the Father considered them all, even the aspirants, as perpetually
professed sisters and gave them a symbolic religious name together with the name of Mary.
To the aspirant Paola Giorgianni, who had entered in the Institute only a few months before and who was struck
by earthquake while replenishing the lamp of the Blessed Sacrament in the great Church, and was buried under the
debris of the Church, the Father gave the name Sister Mary Costanza. Her remains were found near the High Altar.
Thirteen lamps, always burning before the Blessed Sacrament in the internal Chapel, with the sisters’ names
engraved on them, keep a permanent memory of the thirteen sisters’ pure sacrifice for the future co-sisters.
36
FR. TEODORO TUSINO, The Father’s Letters, pages 264-270, (January 6, 1909, Circular Letter, to all the
Anthonian devotees).
37
FR. TEODORO TUSINO, The Father’s Letters, pages 266-267.
 3. The Father’s anguished return

On the morning of December 29, as soon as he received the fatal news in Rome, the Father implored and
sought for any means to reach Messina in the fastest way. The railways however were not issuing tickets for
Messina. Thus he left for Naples, from where he was hoping to reach Messina by sea. In fact he obtained a place on
the ship “Scilla” which was directed to Sicily and he boarded. At 4:00 p.m. on December 31, he arrived in view of
Messina. He was deeply grieved because of the contrasting news he had heard. But it was impossible for him to
disembark. Messina was under martial law and nobody was allowed to enter without the permission of the military
authority, a permission which was hardly granted.
All his efforts and prayers to disembark were useless; he had to spend the night in uncertainty and anguish.
While praying, in an act of sublime resignation to the Divine Will, he lifted his blessing hands towards the place of the
destroyed city where his two Institutes, male and female were: he blessed everything and everybody, dead and
survivors. It was already night.
That was the moment in which, in the makeshift shed built at the Holy Spirit, while the people were reciting the
Rosary praying for the Father who was still far, Mother Nazarena, turning to Fr. Palma who was beside her, said in a
low voice: “I had the feeling that the Father has blessed us from the harbor”.
The ship “Scilla” had to proceed with its load of anguished persons, and the following day it reached Catania.
There the Father rushed to his great friend and Sacred Ally, Cardinal Francica Nava, and through him, he obtained a
pass for entering Messina. By any possible means of transport, after several vicissitudes, in the afternoon of January
4, after stepping over huge mounds of debris, he reached Avignone. There he had the pleasant surprise, the joy to
find all alive and safe, although still frightened by the continuous earthquake’s aftershocks taking place from time to
time.
The Father found also Canon Vitale staying with Fr. Bonarrigo. All pressed around Fr. Hannibal with great
emotion, while he was raising his eyes to heaven thanking the Lord always merciful even in His punishments.
Then he proceeded to the monastery of the Holy Spirit. The most distressing sight opened in front of him: the
monumental Church and the annexed Monastery were all an immense mound of debris. When he saw his daughters 27
almost all unhurt though sheltered into makeshift huts the Father wept. In the beginning they were able to hide from
him the victims, who unfortunately were still lying unburied in the premises of the mill. The Sisters kept standing in
front of him in order not to let him see the dead. But very soon he came to know the whole painful truth. Exhausted
by seven days of terrible anguish, he fell silent, and then he knelt down and kissed repeatedly the soil as a sign of
adoration and uniformity to God's plans.
Later he told them what he had done from the ship in the harbor. Confronting the time of his blessing with the
feeling or dream of Mother Nazarena, they could verify that it corresponded with the time Mother Nazarena said the
words: “The Father has blessed us from the harbor".

4. Canon Francesco Vitale

We have mentioned Canon Vitale, whom the Father found in Avignone together with Fr. Bonarrigo. He was not
only a colleague in Canonry, but also a penitent and a trusted friend of the Father. Fr. Hannibal had invited him
several times to join him in the work in Avignone, but Canon Vitale could not because he was taking care of his two
sisters. However, he had been at home in Avignone for many years, since the beginnings of his priesthood. He had
chosen Fr. Hannibal as his spiritual father. He used to share the joys and pains of Avignone. Those poor little houses
and that man [the Father] inspired him with so great affection and longings.
The greatest obstacle was his sister Concettina, who had renounced to have her own family in order to remain
with her brother and to share in his apostolic works, but did not have a religious vocation like the other older sister,
who became a Daughter of Mary Help of Christians.
The earthquake was the final blow of grace to that obstacle.
On the terrible morning of the earthquake, both, brother and sister, remained miraculously unhurt, and almost
clinging to the ruins on the fourth floor of the convent, which was their house, beside the Church of Purgatory which
had completely collapsed. They remained in such a precarious and dreadful situation at about 15 meters from the
ground while the earthquake shocks were continuously following one after the other, praying while clinging to a small
statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. When dawn brought some light they realized that any movement could be fatal to
them: they would fall and crash on the debris.
During the day, after some hours they were seen by some Russian soldiers of Admiral Ponomareff, who under
the command of their generous officer, had disembarked from their cruiser which rode at anchor and started to help
to rescue whatever could be rescued.
The soldiers, after securing them with ropes, brought them down to safety, and, after clothing them in some
ways, brought them to their ship together with the other survivors.
As soon as he could, even though in such strange clothes, Canon Vitale ran to the Avignone Houses, also
because he knew that the Father was absent. After getting from Fr. Bonarrigo most important news, he went to the
Holy Spirit, and together with Fr. Palma and Mother Nazarena they agreed that his sister Concettina be accepted as
a guest in the female Institute. Then he used to come back to Avignone for the urgent needs of the male orphanage,
while Fr. Palma was staying at and taking care of the painful situation of the female Institute.
Canon Vitale was well known in Messina. From the Committee which was formed immediately [after the
earthquake] he obtained tents for the two Institutes and provided to have them pitched in the courtyards for the
orphans and personnel of Avignone. While waiting for the return of the Father, Fr. Vitale was a true consoling angel
for Avignone, as Fr. Palma was for the community of the female orphan and the Sisters.
At the closing of the year 1909, Father Founder wrote in the book of Divine Benefits: " This year we had the
vocation of Canon Vitale, who devoted himself totally to the Work.”
He was accepted officially in the Congregation on the feast of the Patronage of St. Joseph which that year 1909,
fell on May 1. The ceremony was done in the temporary Chapel restored through the concern of Fr. Vitale himself so
as to make it a center of holy ministry also for the neighbors. The Father invited Don Orione and Don Albera, from the
Pontifical Committee, to assist; they accepted willingly and the Father delivered a wonderful sermon on the beauty of
religious life, especially of the Rogationist one. To the baptismal name of Fr. Vitale, the Father added ‘ Bonaventure’,
because, he believed that his entrance in our Congregation had been a great blessing for the dawning Institute.

5. In Puglia 28

In such a sad situation, with the Father’s return, all took courage. However the condition of being under the tents,
in the open during winter season was unsustainable. How could they shelter themselves from the cold and the rain
during the very harsh nights? How could food be provided for so many mouths?
The temporary providences of the various relief committees were but … provisory. The relief Committees, which
were working generously in favor of the survivors, could satisfy only the most urgent and immediate needs. Those
who could escape from that place, which was still shaking, were willingly going away. The Authorities were favoring
in any way their exodus.
The Father started by providing shelter to the wounded Sisters and girls who were in need of medical treatment
which was not available, not even privately.
In the port of Messina there were permanently some ships used as first aid stations. The Father obtained that
the five seriously wounded be received into one of those ships, the "Queen of Italy". They were given the first medical
treatment on the ship, which later sailed with its painful load for La Spezia, where they were adequately hospitalized.
Only one was not accepted because she was very sick and in danger of death because of a tetanic infection.
The Doctors had dismissed her and all were expecting her to pass to eternity at any time. Instead, against all odds,
she recovered perfectly at home. Her name was Cristina Leto. Later she became a Daughter of Divine Zeal with the
name of Sr. Marcellina.
But where could anybody find safe facilities where to transfer almost 150 persons: Sisters, Brothers and
orphans, boys and girls?
The Father wrote a letter on "God and Neighbor" to the Anthonian Devotees, presenting the problem which was
pestering him. He wrote to the good Capuchin Fathers of Francavilla Fontana, whom he had left edified and
enthusiastic just one month before with his preaching to the Tertiaries. They engaged themselves in this.
They talked with the Mayor of the town, Doctor Di Summa, and with the Bishop Msgr. Di Tommaso. Even before
to earthquake, the Bishop had started negotiations for the purchasing of the St. Pascal Convent, but a part from the
insufficiency of the premises, it was not convenient to hurry up while the negotiations for the acquisition were
ongoing.
 After the proper approaches with the Authorities, the Capuchin Fathers informed the Father there were premises
available, inviting him to come to check if the buildings were suitable and sufficient. At Francavilla, the Mayor offered
half of the big Convent of the Scolopi Fathers: eight large rooms; the industrialist Casalino offered one of his big
houses.
The Father left immediately together Mother Nazarena and Brother Giuseppeantonio Meli. He saw and made his
decisions: the orphans of the Avignone District would go to the Convent of the Scolopi Fathers; while all the female
orphan whom the premises could accommodate would go to the house of Mr. Casalino.
He could not do without paying a brief visit to Oria to see his dear spiritual daughter Virginia Dell’Aquila and to
entrust to her prayers the serious problems of that moment, also because he did not know where to transfer all the
female orphans who were still living outside in the open air in a continuous fear. " Why don’t you bring them to Oria?”
Virginia said. “Where in Oria?”, “Father, here in Oria there is the Monastery of St. Benedict, a very big building where
only two or three old Benedictine Nuns are living. The Bishop owns the Monastery, but it is under the name of Doctor
Barsanofio Errico. He is the Physician of our family, a very close friend of ours. If you like, I can summon him so that
we can talk”.
The good physician rushed immediately to Virginia’s house and discussed with the Father of the possibility to
obtain the use of the uninhabited premises of the large Monastery. Then both, the Father and the Doctor, went to
make their proposal to the Mayor, Sen. Carissimo, and then to the Bishop, Msgr. Di Tommaso.
Upon request of the Bishop, the Benedictine Nuns gave their consent, and the matter was settled. The female
orphans together with the Sisters would transfer to the Monastery of St. Benedict, except the few who would be
hosted in the house of Mr. Casalino.
As soon as he was back to Messina, the Father started the implementation.
The first group, the boys and personnel of Avignone, left for Francavilla Fontana on January 29, 1909; also a
group of female orphans with their assistant Sister Maria Antonia Tifirò left together with them.
The journey was marked by great demonstrations of affection at every station where they stopped. They had to
sleep in Taranto because the train stopped there; the good Capuchin Fathers took care of lodging them in the city.
The male orphans stayed at the Archiepiscopal Seminary while the female orphans at the house of the Daughters of
St. Anne.
29
The following day, January 31, they took again the train and in Francavilla, they were received triumphantly by
the Authorities guided by the Mayor and by all the enthusiastic citizens.
The Father in one of the issues of “God and Neighbor” of that year, tells about the vicissitudes of that journey
and the enthusiastic welcome. “When the train reached the station of Francavilla, the sight was very touching. The
generous and extrovert spirit of those citizens was expressed in all its extension. The people crowding there, headed
by the civil and ecclesiastical Authorities were all in expectation. The many Associations came with their hoisted
banners. Many noble ladies were ready to receive the little orphans. All were clapping their hands shouting: Long live
the orphans from Messina!”
“As soon as they got down from the train, the female orphans were received by the ladies, while the male
orphans by the gentlemen and in such a way we entered the city directed to the City Hall. But they had to take a
detour because… (the Father) insisted that the orphans first had to go to the Church of the most Rev. Capuchin
Fathers to thank the Almighty God and to implore the heavenly blessings”.
The most Rev. Archpriest, Don Vito Cervellera, said heartfelt words for the arrival of the orphans at Francavilla
Fontana and concluded with the Eucharistic Blessing.
Then they went to the City-Hall, where a good lunch was served, during which there were many earnest
speeches by the Mayor, his brother the Parish Priest, the School Inspector, the Judge and many others.
Then the male orphans went to the Convent of the Scolopi Fathers and the female orphans to the house of Mr.
Casalino.
On February 19 it was the turn of the big Community of the Holy Spirit to leave Messina directed to Oria to
occupy the Convent of St. Benedict. Like in Francavilla in Oria there was also enthusiasm, generous welcome and
great manifestations of civil and Christian support from the citizens, led by the Mayor Sen. Carissimo and by the
Bishop, Msgr. Di Tommaso.

6. The situation in Messina

 Even though the two communities of men and women with their respective orphanages left the dead city of
Messina, the two houses were not completely abandoned, as it would have been imprudent to do so.
At the Holy Spirit the Father left some Sisters and Postulants, among the most courageous and ready to any
sacrifice. Besides, he gave dispositions so that the most faithful Fr. Bonarrigo, who was always sickly and had been
deeply shaken by the hardships ensuing the earthquake, be brought to the best room which had been spared by the
earthquake at the Holy Spirit convent and assigned a man to take care of him. In such a way, the daily celebration of
the Holy Mass for those few Sisters and Postulants was almost assured.
At Avignone the Father left Canon Vitale with the peaceful Bro. Placido and some helpers. The small chapel had
collapsed, therefore Canon Vitale thought of using as a Chapel one of the small houses less damaged by the
earthquake and, because of his zeal, it became a center of worship also for the few neighboring people. It was in this
way that a kind of public Church started at Avignone; that small church would become one day the great Sanctuary of
St. Anthony.
The Holy Father, Pius X, had sent to Messina a Pontifical Committee, to which belonged also Don Orione and
Don Albera who already knew the Father and his Work of Charity. The task of the Committee was to distribute aids to
the needy, to provide for the orphans and to care also for the Churches and religious Institutions.
Canon Vitale started to collaborate with that Committee in the missionary and charitable apostolate; because of
those contacts he became a very close friend of Don Orione.
The Father used to move back and forth between Puglia and Sicily. Meanwhile the Sisters’ houses increased in
Puglia and in Sicily.
Because of the zeal of Canon Vitale the small Chapel of Avignone District was used only for a short time: pretty
soon on a free lot of Avignone a very beautiful wooden prefabricated Church was built with a small bell-tower with
three bells as a gift of the Holy Father, St. Pius X. It was one of the prefabricated Church in Messina, sign of the
spiritual recovery after the earthquake. It was also fruit of the kind concession of the pontifical Committee to Canon
Vitale, and of the vivid concern of Don Orione.
On the front of the Church, facing Ghibellina Street which at that time was yet to be traced, were written the
words which were the fixed idea of the Father: Rogate ergo Dominum messis ut mittat operararios in messem suam .
Maybe these words for the first time in the history of the Church were displayed on the front of a sacred building.
30
The wooden Church was inaugurated on July 1, 1910. The Father was not in Messina. Canon Vitale (from now
on we will call him Fr. Vitale) telegraphed him the good news, in this way: To Canon Francia - Piazza Duomo Trani –
We inaugurated Church of the Rogation with exposition Most Blessed Sacrament helped by Don Orione and Albera.
Male Community asks your blessing. In union of prayers. I sent telegram to Pope. Vitale . [in the telegrams articles or
short words were omitted in order to lessen the cost]
The male Community, even the orphans, had already resumed the usual life, because the orphans, as we shall
say, had returned from Francavilla to Messina in the first days of the previous month of February.

7. Fr. Hannibal and Fr. Eustachio Montemurro

With the transferring of the greater part of the male and female Communities and of the Anthonian Orphanages
from Messina to Francavilla Fontana and Oria, Puglia became, even though temporarily, the center of activities of the
Father.
The Communities indeed were not in need only of a roof. After the first easy enthusiasms it was necessary to
work to procure food, clothing, and everything needed for all those people. This placed the Father, helped by Fr.
Palma, in the necessity of dealing with the civil and ecclesiastical Authorities and to go around across those
generous towns and villages to stimulate their good dispositions. Thus the Father entrusted the affairs in Messina
almost completely to Fr. Vitale, and he remained in Puglia.
There he continued his relations with the Bishops and priests who already knew him: like the Bishop of Oria,
Msgr. Di Tommaso, the Bishop of Altamura, the Archbishop of Trani, Msgr. Francesco Di Paola Carrano, and several
other Prelates from Puglia. He was invited, and accepted, to preach in Ceglie Messapico, by the Archpriest Fr.
Giuseppe Carlucci, who, since that time became very affectionate to the Father’s Work - as well as by the Archpriest
of Martina Franca, Fr. Olindo Ruggeri, who gave hospitality to the Father for a triduum - and this, happened also in
other places. He stayed often with the good Capuchin Fathers in Francavilla Fontana, where, in that time, a cenacle
of Franciscan renewal was fervent around Fr. Gerardo; or in the house of the Jesuit Fathers in Grottaglie where he
venerated the relics of St. Francis of Geronimo and where he met apostolic men like the controversial Fr. Bracale
and the very prudent Superior Fr. Tanzarella; he went to venerate the shrine of Our Lady of Mutata and wrote those
mystical stanzas for the pilgrimage to the Blessed Virgin Mary under that symbolic title.
But above all, with the instinct proper to saints, he was looking to meet persons spiritually similar to him, and
moved by the same ideals. It was in that time that he became a friend of the missionary Fr. Gennaro Bracale, then
very renowned in Puglia, and with very zealous priests like Fr. Eustachio Montemurro and his angelic companion Fr.
Valerio Saverio.
It is most of all with Fr. Eustachio Montemurro that the Father’s friendship reached such manifestation of
similarity of ideals and mutual spiritual esteem, to recall some of the great examples of the history of the Church.
In fact, Fr. Eustachio was born at Gravina of Puglia on 1857 and had been a good surgeon and teacher of
mathematics for 22 years. When he was 47, he abandoned everything and became a priest on September 29, 1904.
But it did not end there. While fervently dedicating himself to apostolic ministry he felt also the need, or better the
inspiration to enlist men and women as collaborators who could help the priests in their ministry. For this purpose he
founded two religious Institutes: the Little Brothers of the Blessed Sacrament for men in 1907, and on the following
year, 1908, the Daughters of Sacro Costato [Sacro Costato = open side and Heart of the Crucified Jesus].
In such a vicissitude he encountered our Father and they understood one another at once. A characteristic of our
Father’s spirituality was his unselfishness and generosity when it was a matter of consoling the Sacred Heart of
Jesus. This is the reason why we find him working together with his holy friend Fr. Montemurro organizing the new
religious Families.
This encounter and the beginning of such a holy friendship seemingly happened in the Jesuit Fathers' house in
Grottaglie. On August 25, 1909, [the Chronicle of the House] notes: " Canon Di Francia and Fr. Eustachio left this
morning for Gravina of Puglia; with them are four young ladies, who will consecrate themselves in the dawning
Institute of Fr. Montemurro. Three of them are from Grottaglie, one from Ostuni”.
It is to be noticed that just few months before the Father had accompanied the members of his male Institute to
the Convent of the Scolopi Fathers in Francavilla Fontana, and the female to the St. Benedict Monastery in Oria,
where he had organized the Novitiate of the Daughters of Divine Zeal.
From that moment we often find together these two - or better, three holy priests including Fr. Valerio Saverio - in
their apostolic works as well as in their sufferings. Indeed, also in sufferings: they will never be missing neither for Fr.
31
Montemurro, nor for the works of our Father in Puglia.
We will not delve on the suffering of Fr. Eustachio and his dawning works. We know that crosses, persecutions,
and misunderstandings are the unmistakable sign of God’s works, which God builds always over human ruins and
upon the immolation of men whom He chooses “ so that nobody may boast in His presence ” (ut non glorietur in
conspectu eius omnis caro) as the Father would say”.38
There were talks about purported revelations of Fr. Montemurro, or false mysticism. Time has already
demonstrated that from his immolation two fervent female religious Congregations have raised which today are
working for the glory of God: the Sacro Costato Sisters and the Catechist Missionary of the Sacred Heart.
Let us just say that Fr. Montemurro leaned on the Father, his holy friend, for both his male and female
institutions. The Father as a true friend helped and defended him and continued his work with great sacrifices, even
financial ones.
The Father did not abandon that work so as not to let the inheritance of his friend be lost, even when Fr.
Eustachio was forbidden any interference in it. This is true supernatural friendship!
I want just to remember something about the Little Brothers of the Blessed Sacrament, because this writer
belonged to them as aspirant to religious life.
Advised by very good priests, on April 19, 1910, I entered the House near the church of St. Emidio, at Gravina of
Puglia, where Fr. Eustachio was already gathering some boys, who wanted to become Little Brothers. There I found
four or five companions, who lived in community with Fr. Eustachio and Fr. Saverio. From time to time some other
boy joined them.
On the following December, we were told that in order to attend the school, the two Fathers and we, the boys,
had to transfer to the empty seminary in the city of Bisceglie, which was beside the Cathedral. There some among us
should receive the clerical habit. Therefore the two of us, accompanied by Fr. Valerio, passed by Bari to buy what
was needed: the material for the habit, the hats, buttons, red fillet and so on. We could not find the clerical collars.
On December 8, feast of the Immaculate, we were all there; and on the following Sunday, December 11, four
among us: Roberto, Servidio, Casiello and Santoro were to receive the clerical habit. Fr. Eustachio had invited his
38
Cfr. TUSINO TEODORO, The father and the Daughters of the Sacro Costato, in Bollettino della Congregazione
dei PP. Rogazionisti, (serialized in the years 1968 e 1969).
holy friend, Canon Di Francia to preside the ceremony, because he was temporarily in Trani, as a guest of the
seminary, while setting up the new house of the Daughters of Divine Zeal in that city, founded on April 2, 1910,
according to the desire of Msgr. Carrano.
The taking of the habit was going to be in the Cathedral of Bisceglie in a solemn form. In fact in the morning of
December 11, in the rooms of the seminary, the four of us were all excited and overjoyed waiting for the Father who
was to be the celebrant and was bringing from Trani the clerical collars, which we could not find in Bari.
Canon Di Francia arrived by train. He had already found and was bringing the clerical collars. You should have
seen the Father in such occasions!
In one of the classrooms, he sat down in our midst and, while we were staring at him, he drew out the clerical
collars, took the measurements of each of us, and with scissors, needle and thread started to stitch the bib to the
clerical collars, saying cheerful jokes, to remove our subjection for his presence.
The ceremony was held at around ten o’clock in the crypt of the Cathedral, in front of the relics of the Patron
Saints: Mauro, Sergio, Pantaleone, because the choir and the High Altar of the Cathedral, at that moment, were used
by the Canons for the Solemn Sunday Divine Office.
The crypt was full of people; even the stairs leading to the upper church were crowded with people.
The Father celebrated and, as it was usual to him, he delivered a very beautiful sermon. But the writer must
confess, for his own humiliation, that he was so happy with his longed for clerical habit that does not remember
anything.
The Father was happy to give his contribution to launch this new religious family of the Little Brothers in the
fields of the Church.
He made only some slight remarks about all those buttons and red ornaments which made that habit merely like
the one of the diocesan seminarians while it was the germ of religious life. Fr. Eustachio answered that the
Archbishop had willed it, because in offering the Seminary for the Little Brothers, he wanted to give to the citizens of
Bisceglie the impression that somehow the seminary had been re-opened.
Later on the Father came often to Bisceglie, from Trani, to talk with Fr. Eustachio and to have lunch with us who
were sitting at the same table with the two Fathers. They always gave to the Father the first place, and invite him to
give the blessing. Once he started the blessing which was usual in his Institutes: “ Benedicite...” but, unfortunately
32
nobody could answer not even the priests, and he continued alone saying both the verses and the answers, till the
conclusion, if I remember well, with the “Domine messis.”
Fr. Eustachio and Fr. Saverio showed him great esteem and when he arrived, we the boys, used to put on our
formal clothes out of respect. It was known by everybody that the Father imposed respect with his recollection, until
he could show his fatherly confidence.
In one of those meals, he said to the Fathers: “Later we shall have an excursion and a vacation period with these
boys in one beautiful house of mine, in Oria ”. We did not understand those mysterious words. “ What will it be?” We
thought. Unfortunately we would come to know later, as we shall say.

8. The Foundation of the Rogationist House in Oria

We have already mentioned Oria. We know that, before the earthquake of Messina, Msgr. Di Tommaso had
suggested the purchase of the St. Paschal Convent, and had already started to deal with its owner, Mr. Salerno
Mele, to acquire it for the work of the Father. The urgency to conclude the transaction had become all the more
impelling because of the earthquake. The Father knew very well that while he could hope that the Sisters’ Community
would remain for a long time in the St. Benedict Convent, it was not the same for the male Community which was
truly encamped in the Convent of the Scolopi Fathers [in Francavilla], in whose compound the municipal schools and
the movie-hall of the town were also located. That situation of emergency could not last for long.
Thus the Father, even though without being in a hurry, was following the negotiations of Msgr. Di Tommaso, who
was very expert in similar affairs, and wanted to lower the price to only Lire [L.] 25,000 for the Convent and all the
annexed properties, while Mr. Salerno was asking L. 25,000 only for the Convent and its little garden, and L. 45,000
for the Convent, its small garden, the large garden and the grove. Msgr. Di Tommaso did not move from his offering
and was able to convince Mr. Salerno to accept L. 25.000 as the correct price for the whole property.
On September 28, 1909 the compromise was signed between the Salerno Mele Brothers that is, Giovanni,
Nicola and Angelica and the buyer, Canon A. M. Di Francia, who gave them L. 5,000 as earnest money. From that
moment he could already take possession of the property, and he did it by enthroning the most Sacred Heart of
Jesus and Mary with the respective inscription: “I am the Owner of this house etc...”
In the morning of Thusday, October 6, 1909 at 3:30 a.m. two brothers, Concetto and Carmelo Drago, together
with seven young students, slipped away from the house of Francavilla Fontana, and just by walking on foot, reached
Oria. They arrived at the St. Paschal Convent at almost 5 a.m. and found Fr. Palma who was preparing the altar for
the Mass. He told them that the Fr. Founder was waiting for them at the Cathedral. They went there and the Father
wanted first of all to give thanks and pay homage to the Patron Saint, St. Barsanofio.
After some prayers, they came back to St. Paschal. The Father celebrated the Holy Mass around 10.00 o’clock
and addressed them with a fervent exhortation to excite them to thankfulness for the great benefit of the new house.
After the Holy Mass, in the most decent room, the one called ante-sacristy, he gathered again the small group,
and gave them a paternal exhortation about diligence in the regular observance. He concluded by saying that for the
first three days they would spend the day before the Blessed Sacrament, without minding about cooking meals. They
would eat only bread and fruits and for three nights there would be a vigil of prayer for some hours. After that triduum
the chronicle of those first days reports some scenes worthy of the Little Flowers of St. Francis. There was nothing in
the House which had been reduced to desolation because of great neglect. They slept as they could: the Father
solved the problem by sleeping on the floor.
In those first days the Father was the cook, because nobody knew how to cook, and they were eating on a lame
table in the same room which later became the old kitchen, using tree-trunks and the tuff bricks as chairs. Thus the
second house of the Rogationists was born. Thus the Saints use to start the houses which will never have a sunset39.
39
In spite of that scarcity of means, every day there was a number of guests that often, at least in those initial times,
was greater than the number of the religious community. They were the poor. In the mind of the Father, it was a
necessity of life for any of our Institutes to help the poor of the place. And since the very beginning of the House of
Oria, the poor started to follow the Father - in Oria’s dialect they called him: “Papa Annibali”. Indeed if the poor did
not look for him, the Father himself would look for them, as the best wealth for the new house, which was so much
in need of God’s blessings. And the Father had the conviction and the experience, that the poor were attracting such
divine blessings. Thus he had ordered to help the poor men at St. Paschal and the women at St. Benedict.
For the Father the poor were like a special Community by themselves: they were “the poor of the Heart of Jesus”, 33
and the other Fathers and Brothers were thinking proportionally in the same way; thus it was necessary to prepare
the food for the poor as well as for the religious Community. The poor used to come every morning to the Church of
St. Paschal to participate to the Holy Mass in the pews reserved for them. The sacristan had to clean and wash often
those pews also to destroy the eventual unwelcomed guests which frequently accompany poverty... [the guests
hinted at here are: lice, fleas, ticks… which were quite common in those times because of the lack of hygiene]
After the holy Mass the poor used to go to the porter’s hall, in the internal portion, where they sat over benches
prepared for them; like a community, after the prayer, they received a good piece of bread and some food with it.
When the Father was present, during the cold days, he ordered to give them something warm. It was truly a scene
like the Pool of Bethesda [at the times of Jesus]. Some of the poor were, frail decrepit, lame, or blind like that
Thomas mentioned by Fr. Vitale in the Biography of the Father, who was the Father’s favorite and who was always
covered only by few rags, even during winter.
Some still capable, chosen by Brother Giuseppe were assigned to some light work in the garden, such as weeding,
watering, because most of them were farmers, and they were given a modest fee, and food for the whole day. The
others used to go away, for their usual life, and then came back at noon. They recited together the Holy Rosary, and
were given warm soup, another piece of bread and a little money. The majority of them were faithful and consistent.
When someone was missing, it was evident that he was sick, and Brother Giuseppe would go to visit him and to
bring him something; in this way many died a Christian and holy death. Because of this assistance to the poor, Bro.
Giuseppe was very popular in Oria. He used to reply to the greeting of the poor and non-poor, along the streets, with
his characteristic smile and charming sweetness of humility, which endeared all the hearts to him.
Often, when the Father was in Oria, I saw him serving the poor, supplying them with clothing and exceptional aid,
washing and kissing their feet. And they knew from experience that this act was followed by a lavish alms; he often
did or let them have a general cleaning: Brother Giuseppe with some of his assistant knew were used to do it.
On Sundays and Thursdays, there were some instructions on Christian Doctrine; during vigils they were exhorted to
receive the Sacraments, and many of them received the sacraments during the feasts. On solemnities they were given
a special festive treat, and almost always on March 19, St. Joseph, and on May 17, St, Paschal they had a special
lunch. Often, when the Father was in Oria, he wanted to prepare the lunch, to serve it, and to eat it with them,
toasting at their health, listening with pleasure to the popular toasts like: "This wine has the taste of “muscuruddoni”,
I raise my toast to the ”commersazioni" [they were after the rhyme more than the meaning] etc. Sometimes I have
seen the Father teaching Christian doctrine. You should have seen how he could lower himself with them, to make
himself understandable and accessible to all! You should have seen how those poor, that people estimated as scum,
 9. The painful events of Francavilla

Meanwhile the situation at Francavilla was worsening. It is always like this in God's works. When all seems to
thrive, the storm rises unexpectedly. The Father warns us: " Everything comes from the loving will of God and
everything is a twist and creativity of the Divine Love, or phases forming the history of the Work; they are tests of
fidelity sent by the Lord, spurs for our faith by which we must see the hand of God in all things. He allows apparent
mishaps, which contain real spiritual and maybe also temporal fortunes, as preludes of the Divine Mercies”40.
The welcome of the city of Francavilla to the orphans of our Institutes from Messina could not have been more
fervid and enthusiastic. However, the Archpriest, Fr. Cervellera, during his sermon of welcome, had admonished in
vain his own citizens to persevere in that enthusiasm. Unfortunately, it did not. Very soon threatening clouds started
to grow thick around the small colonies of refugee orphans. The causes were the following.
In the same compound of the Scolopi Fathers, granted temporarily to the Messina’s orphans, there were also the
elementary schools and the cinematography of the city. Such cohabitation was causing several inconveniences that
the Fathers and the Brothers endured because it was a situation of emergency. The greatest trouble was the
mingling of the devil with the holy water, that is: the School Director, Giuseppe Sardiello was publicly anticlerical and
freemason, as many persons coming from the public school of that time. Sardiello could not accept that in his place,
so near to his chair as positivist teacher and free thinker, the religious and orphans were offering the Holy Mass,
prayers and spiritual flowers to Our Lady and the boys were receiving a priestly styled education. He started to
intervene, but the Father and the Brothers had taken a clear and independent position. He was eating his heart out
and was waiting for a good occasion to get rid of them.
As a means of livelihood, under the guidance of Maestro Truppi, the orphans had created a drum and bugle
corps which was invited to the fests of all the nearby towns and villages. Such a corps was much requested, also
because it was composed by the orphan boys, and because they were playing well. This caused the jealousy of the
Maestro of the local municipal corps, which was also appreciated, but saw its profits diminishing. Such a jealousy
became another cause of aversion against the refugees from Messina.
34
Through the concern of the Representative of the local circle, Count Dentice of Frasso from St. Vito of Normanni,
L.500 were granted to the Messina’s refugees by the American Embassy and L. 15.000 by the French. At that time
L.15.500 was considered a large sum. All the city of Francavilla resounded of political propaganda to praise the
Deputy Dentice. That sum was entrusted to the mayor, who was supposed to give it to the Father. Knowing about
that donation, the citizens started accepting badly our Brothers when they were begging for help. Since that amount
went to other destinations, the Father felt obliged to declare, all the times that there was the opportunity that he had
received literally nothing of the donation obtained by Count Dentice.
Thus the resentment against the Father and the orphans increased in the leaders of the Municipality.
In such a tense climate a ‘bomb’ exploded.
The immediate Assistant of the orphans, a former orphan, Vizarri Emanuele, an impulsive and easily irritable
person, on December 14, 1909, isolated and locked a 14 years old stubborn boy, Santi Zanchi, in a room on the last
story of the building. The room has a small window with bars. During his hours of solitude the boy was able to
remove some bars and to go on the roof.
The School Director, Sardiello, saw him and grabbed the occasion. He rushed to denounce the case to the
guards. Some of them helped the boy to come down and escorted him to the Police Deputy, who was a well-known
freemason, for questioning.

were intent and ready to answer questions, which he made in dialect, which he wanted to be the dialect of Oria, but
was practically Italian corrupted into Sicilian with some accent from Puglia! We know that the lessons ended with
large donations, without bothering to count: the left hand did not know what the right one was doing.
These were the ordinary poor - so to say -, those whom the world calls beggars. But there were others who came
seldom and almost secretly they approached him, almost hiding their poverty, and whom he treated with equivalent
respect. There was one called "The Prince", because they said, he was a descendant of noble birth, and, I do not
know by what tragic events, had fallen into extreme poverty. He used to talk with the Father, he knew Bro.
Giuseppantonio, from whom I learned once that he was truly a prince, but we did not know any other thing about
him. " (From an unpublished writing of Fr. Santoro)
40
FR. TEODORO TUSINO, The Father’s Letters, pages 317-319 and 319.
 The atmosphere was heated; the boy was scornful and furious against the Assistant. Encouraged by his
interviewers he said everything that his anger suggested him and everything that they wanted him to declare. All was
put on record.
As a result, the same night, the Deputy with some policeman burst into the house of the Scolopi Fathers, and
having sent away Vizzari and the other few Religious, started to question meticulously all the boys using
compassionate words: "Poor boys how much you are suffering! Your companion Zanchi told us everything. Speak
freely; we are here to help you. We will transfer you to another Institute, where you will eat and drink as much as you
like. There shall be no punishment, no catechism, and no little flowers to Our Lady." It looked like that they were
particularly against the little flowers to our Lady!...
Thus two cases started: a judiciary case against Vizzari and an administrative one against the Orphanages in
the Puglia Region, which later extended also to the Orphanages of Sicily. Vizzari was put into jail for few days. After
five days he was granted a temporary liberty. The trial was held against him and he was condemned to two and a
half months of imprisonment. But he did not serve that term because he was granted an amnesty.
All the liberal Masonic and anticlerical papers of that time exploited the event. A local newspaper gave the
following title of the event: "Clerical Hyena." Another stated impudently and falsely that the priest Hannibal Di
Francia, exploiter of children, had been arrested in Puglia!
The first Division of the Ministry of Interior ordered an inspection of all the Institutes of Canon Di Francia. How
much the Father suffered in those days, can be gauged from the "Memorandum" which he presented to the Director
of the First Department - Works of Beneficence - Ministry of Interior - on February 5, 1910. However he had already
brought back, very timely, the orphans to Messina where their life had already gone back to normal.
The Father without suspecting anything had gone to Lecce, which at that time was the provincial capital from
which Francavilla depended, to ask for the free tickets, which according to the Law, were granted to the refugees
who wanted to go back to their home. But in Lecce he found the Prefect together with the most ferocious opponents
of his Orphanages. The Prefect denied the tickets requested by the Father " Because - he said - that orphanage must
be closed. We will take care of it."
When the Father heard such a threat, he run immediately to Francavilla and on January 30 he feigned that the
boys went to Oria for an excursion, to visit the new house. In the evening he had them leave from Oria for Messina at
35
his own expenses. In Francavilla, the Father left Bro. Mariano Drago who was of legal age, for any occurrence and to
keep the little things they had.
Meanwhile an immediate ordinance of the Prefect reached his Deputy in Francavilla to dismantle the two
Institutes and forcefully repatriate the charges.
In the male orphanage there were no more orphans. Bro. Mariano for several days managed the situation in a
terrific way, pretending not to know anything, though he knew that the boys were already in Messina. Indeed it was
not the first time that the orphans were absent from Francavilla for several days, as they used to do when they were
taking part with their drum and bugle corps to the feasts of the nearby towns. That is why nobody was surprised
about their absence. But in Messina the orphans were no more under jurisdiction of the Prefect of Lecce, Instead at
the female orphanage, which was lodged in the house of Mr. Casalino, the ordinance of the Prefect was fiercely
implemented. There were - the Father said - scenes similar to the massacre of the innocents. He could not minimally
suppose that they could be so cruel even against four peaceful young Sisters and 20 unaware little girls.
They were completely alien to the events of the male orphanage, and were generously hosted by that very kind
gentleman who was the industrialist Mr. Casalino. Otherwise the Father would have found the way to send also them
away, as he had done with the boys. He was not afraid for them. That is why it happened that way.
The Sisters’ orphanage of St. Benedict in Oria had also some trouble, but it was spared from the implementation
of the sentence, maybe because of the painful and humiliating implementation of the ordinance carried out in
Francavilla, or maybe because of the influential intervention of the Mayor of Oria, Sen. Gennaro Carissimo, who had
understood the real reasons of the struggle of the citizens of Francavilla.
At the Convent of St. Paschal, there were no orphans but only students [seminarians], who were living there with
the consent of their parents, whose authority nobody could substitute. The matter then was delicate. Besides, the
majority of those students belonged to the Drago family, and in the Convent of St. Paschal there was their elder
brother, Bro. Concetto Drago, who could answer for his brothers and cousins.
For this reason the Deputy, before acting on the dissolution of the Community and forced repatriation of the
students, wrote letters to the families of the boys. However, when he realized that their families had answered
negatively to his invitation to withdraw their sons, the Deputy, Dott. Rosapane went to the Institute and showing to be
sorry for the unpleasant task, he said to all of them: " The orders of the Prefect are that you must leave today. Orders
are orders. Therefore, prepare to leave."
To avoid possible disappearance of the boys as it had happened in Francavilla, he placed guards to watch the
Convent and its surroundings. One morning, very early, at about 5 o’clock, the priest Fr. Carmelo Nacci, sent by the
Bishop, came to celebrate the Holy Mass and to remove the Blessed Sacrament. At the same time he exhorted the
boys not to resist the authorities but to follow their orders. Later, the guards came and took away the brothers Varotto
from Padua, and De Candia from Altamura, to accompany them to their destination. Around noon, the Sicilians were
personally taken by Dott. Rosapane accompanied by two policemen; so they left for Sicily.
Fr. Carmelo Drago, who was one of those stuedents still in their minor age, told amusing stories about that
painful trip. The guards, to justify their odious presence, had to say that they were accompanying them home for the
carnival revelries. And when after such a hard traveling they reached their hilly place where nobody was waiting for
them, nobody opened them when they knocked because people thought that they were masked for carnival.
Bro. Giuseppeantonio and Bro. Concetto Drago remained at the St. Paschal Convent. After some days also the
Father joined them, back from his attempts to counteract the slanders of the Inspection about the boy Cagni.

10. The death of the first Rogationist Priest

On that month of February, 1910, another grave tribulation was going to afflict the heart of the Father who was
already so distressed by the painful events of Puglia.
Fr. Francesco Bonarrigo was the first Rogationist priest who had been formed in the Work, and when the ‘Work’
was given the name “Rogationist Fathers” and started professing the Rogationist vows, though just for one year and
privately, on May 1908, he generously made his first Profession as Rogationist.
He was very humble and a faithful companion and Councilor of Father Founder. Even though his health was
very delicate, he overcame himself in his ministerial work in the male and female Institutions. He was filially and very
much attached to Fr. Hannibal, as nobody else during those heroic years; he was following perfectly the Father’s
instructions and consoled him during the inevitable pains and terrible trials of the first years.
36
For the future knowledge of that heroic period, Fr. Bonarrigo perceived the importance, and thus took meticulous
care of preserving and recording all that was related to the Work and to the Founder, for those who in the future
would follow his banner.
If today we know many things about that time, we have to be grateful particularly to his diligence and
scrupulosity. And, as it has been said, had Father Founder in his humility not have destroyed after Fr. Bonarrigo’s
death many documents preserved by him, because they were against his modesty, today we could have many more
information about our Father and the Work during the heroic times of the Avignone District.
The earthquake had deeply shaken the feeble fiber of Fr. Bonarrigo. And in spite of his still young age of 58, and
only 15 years in priesthood, he started to feel always worse. For this reason the Father had him transferred in the
best place of the monastery of the Holy Spirit and assigned a man to take care of him.
But unfortunately all these attentions did not help much.
In "God and Neighbor" of March 19, 1910 the Father, in commemorating Fr. Bonarrigo’s death, wrote: “ Those
who first come into a dawning Institute are the first stones of the building; they are the founders of the Congregation;
they are the people who prepare the future glories of the Congregation. With their works and sufferings, they lay the
foundations and prepare the treasure of grace for all who will come later.
Such was indeed the ideal of Fr. Francesco Bonarrigo. Permeated with the twofold mission of this humble
Institute, that is: the Works of Charity toward neighbors and the continuous spreading of the Evangelical Rogation of
the Heart of Jesus, which form the sublime and particular treasure of this Institute, he devoted himself, soul and
body, to it.
He sacrificed himself totally to these sacred missions of Charity and of the Evangelical Rogation to obtain from
the Heart of Jesus ardent apostles and numerous Ministers of the Sanctuary, raised by God Himself. He plunged
himself so much in sacrifice and in action that it took some intervention of the authority to restrain him.
He never took at all into consideration that he got sick because of the greatest lack of concern for himself.
Threatened by consumption [tuberculosis] almost to death, he remained for several years with a feeble sign of life to
seem that he was close to his end; nevertheless he continued to act like a perfectly healthy man. Nothing frightened
him. In spite of his sickness, he was ready to get up, even in the dead of the night, every time we had the celebration
of vigils or night prayers. He was doing all these observances with such zeal, that nobody dared to forbid him. His
life, lived in this way for more than fifteen years, seemed a miracle.
He was deeply inserted in the finality, vicissitudes, phases and dreams of our Works. He was living and
breathing only to follow every moment and events of our Institute, and to cooperate to its development through his
prayers, works, sacrifices, and even by giving his life.
He was active in sacrifices and, even in the activities, he was an expert Councilor in so many different
circumstances. He was open and intelligent, serene and balanced in judging, and his heart was always united with
God. Many persons relied on him for advices in any difficulties and uncertainties, and his opinion was always
righteous and enlightening".
We can imagine the sadness of the Father when he received the news of the passing to eternity of Fr. Bonarrigo.
On February 16, Fr. Bonarrigo had celebrated the Holy Mass, as usual, in the Chapel of the Daughters of Divine
Zeal. At 1o am he had an attack of hemoptysis. Fr. Palma rushed to him from Avignone; with the help of the Sisters it
seemed that the greatest danger was already over. But at five in the afternoon he had another attack, a very strong
one with plenty of blood. “Oh, this is the last!” He said. Exhausted, worn out, he leaned on the pillows. He did not
move any more. He had placidly fallen asleep in God.
The Father received the news of the death of Fr. Bonarrigo, while he was in the continent [peninsular Italy] trying
to avert the terrible storm which had hit his Institutes in Puglia and was threatening also those in Sicily.
The funeral was held in the Chapels of the two Institutes, because the Church of the Holy Spirit was still in ruins
as it was left by the earthquake and the wooden Church of Avignone did not exist yet. Also in Oria a solemn Mass
was celebrated for him.

11. Back to normal life

With the return of the orphans from Francavilla to Messina, the Institute in Avignone started to resume its usual
rhythm. After repairing the small damages of the little houses, the work in the workshop and the school resumed. And
when the Wooden Church, the gift of St. Pius X, was built, the orphanage truly went back to the normal routine. The
37
earthquake started to be just a sad remembrance. Even though still in shanties, even though over mounds of debris,
the City of Messina was going back to life. Also in the Holy Spirit Institute, in spite of the heavy destructions, all had
resumed as before, accepting not only the help, but also the orphan girls that the Pontifical Commission forwarded to
them.
Fr. Vitale was the animator of everything, because Fr. Hannibal with Fr. Palma usually had to stay in Puglia. The
Father from time to time, had to go from Puglia to Sicily, to Rome, to Naples with the many activities entrusted to him
by the Divine Providence. In that period he founded the houses of St. Pier Niceto, on October 24, 1909 and of Trani,
on April 3, 1910. However he was still following the developments of the situation of the House of Oria; besides, at
the same time, he was taking care of the female orphans of St. Gertrude in Naples and of another Institute in Ariano
Irpino, upon the request of its Bishop; he was also following up the Works of his friend Fr. Eustachio Montemurro as
well as being the spiritual director of some exceptional persons like Virginia Dell'Aquila in Oria and Luisa Piccareta in
Corato.
Meanwhile the dark clouds of the storm of Francavilla and of the biased ‘Cagni Inspection’, were little by little
disappearing from the horizon, and the usual life started again also in Oria.
In fact, after few months, on March 1910, the boys who had been accompanied forcefully by the Police to their
families in Galati Mamertino and Padua because they were minors, could freely come back to Oria. The small
Community of the ‘scholastics’ was re-constituted; the ‘scholastics’ resumed their classes which had been
interrupted, practically, since the time of the earthquake. The teachers were Fr. Carmelo Nacci, secretary of the
Bishop, and a certain Prof. Spezi an old follower of Garibaldi.
Even some orphans, or little artisan, as they started to be named at that time, were attending the classes. They
were few, only as many as it was allowed by the possibility of that moment, because the Father wanted first of all that
the house of Oria be used to continue the ‘scholasticate’ that he had already started in Messina.
Thus the necessity to install some workshop arose: the House [of Oria] was provided with a printing press, called
Anthonian Printing Press of the Little Worker (Tipografia Antoniana del Piccolo Operaio). On July 1, 1910 there was
also in Oria the commemoration of the first coming of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, as it used to be done in
Messina, with the related conclusion of a short program. The Clergy, the Seminary and the notables of the town were
invited. The Father declaimed with emphasis and with his usual simplicity the hymn Tender and Sweet Lover of the
Little Children (Tenero o dolce amante dei Pargoletti) , and was much applauded. The only Brothers [in the House of
Oria] were Bro. Giuseppeantonio and the two Drago brothers: Concetto and Carmelo. Later they were joined by
another Drago: Bro. Paschal; a brother of Bro. Concetto. Bro. Giuseppeantonio was the leader and the administrator,
while Fr. Hannibal and Fr. Palma were always going around.

12. The "Montemurrini”

We have already mentioned the holy friendship linking Father Hannibal and Fr. Eustachio Montemurro from
Gravina of Puglia, the Founder of the Little Brothers of the Blessed Sacraments and of the Daughters of the Sacro
Costato. We have mentioned already the dreadful storm which rose against those Institutions and how they ended up
entrusted to the Father. When Fr. Eustachio could not take care of them anymore, he entrusted them to the Father;
even the Bishops of the Dioceses where the Houses of the Daughters of Sacro Costato were located, were pleased
with that.
The Daughters of Sacro Costato, whom the Father was treating as his own sisters, were for him a great cross.
But through his sufferings and zeal as well as their spiritual and temporal organization, the Lord has made them
sprout into two Religious Families which today give glory to God.
Instead when the Father took care of the Little Brothers of the Blessed Sacrament, they were constituted by only
eight boys between eleven and fifteen years of age. To four of them the Father himself had given the ecclesiastical
habit the previous year in the Cathedral of Bisceglie; there was also a young man aspiring to lay brotherhood.
The two priests, Fr. Eustachio Montemurro and Fr. Saverio Valerio, had been obliged to return to their Diocese
at Gravina of Puglia and were not allowed anymore to take care of that institution. As foreseen, while waiting and
hoping for the storm to pass, the Father took those boys with himself with the intention to give them back to his holy
friend.
The test, for those boys, was truly terrible. When the two Fathers left, they remained at the Seminary of Bisceglie
by themselves, with the elder among them as their leader. Without the admirable plan of the Divine Providence, they
would have all gone back to their families. Even their confessor was giving them this advice. Their parents went to
38
withdraw them, but none of them left. And yet they were not having any more food, they had to content themselves
just with some bread soaked in a common bowl of milk. Finally Fr. Hannibal went there and had them prepare their
belongings into luggage to be forwarded. When everything was ready he took those boys with himself and brought
them to Oria by train. It was August 20, 1911. They left in the morning around 8 o’clock and arrived in Oria in the
evening. They were welcomed by Bro. Giuseppeantonio, who was in charge of the house.
The life at Oria was a surprise for them. For sure, St. Paschal was a nice Convent with wide corridors, unlike
Bisceglie. But the boys in Oria were accustomed to a behavior graver than their age; they were silent and full of fear
toward Superiors and discipline. Instead the ‘Montemurrini’ were accustomed to live in a familiar way with the two
Fathers and used to keep the liveliness of their young age.
They lived apart: they had a separated dormitory, like a community to be preserved for some time. Initially they
were entrusted to Bro. Paschal, while the other seminarians of the house were entrusted to Bro. Carmelo. But very
soon, because of the continuous and baseless accusations, of fantasies becoming heated and because of the
decision of two of them to go home, the Father understood that Bro. Paschal had little capacity for that task, thus he
entrusted them to Bro. Carmelo. Then the boys could breathe freely, and little by little they adjusted to the new
environment. By that time they were seven: Bro. Massimo Casiello, Bro. Francesco Servidio, Bro. Dominic Roberto,
Bro. Domenichino Santoro, Bro. Teodoro Tusino, Bro. Francesco Ferrara and Bro. Angelo, the lay brother.
The first four boys had received the clerical habit from the Father on December 11, 1910; the other three were
practically wearing the habit out of similarity with the others and were using it in the common life.
Little by little they understood that the Superior of the house was not Bro. Giuseppeantonio, who was acting as
leader and administrator, but a Priest, Fr. Palma, who was almost always absent, and who, even when at home, was
habitually sick, suffering from insomnia, and was unapproachable.
The Father could not stay at Oria. After he had organized the life for the Little Brothers who had to remain as
guests, waiting to return to their Institute, he wanted that Msgr. Vitale, who, notwithstanding his living in Avignone,
was still linked to the Cathedral Chapter of Messina as first Dignitary and was allotted two months of vacation, to
have his vacations in Oria so as to examine the situation of the Little Brothers.
Msgr. Vitale started to do like a “visit” to us. He called the “Montemurrini” one by one, and questioned them
about their vocation and their studies. He did it with a kindness and courtesy which they were not experiencing since
quite a time and which reminded them of the kindness of Fr. Saverio. He came to learn that they have gone to Fr.
Montemurro and have endured all the vicissitudes only with the living desire to become religious priests; that some of
them had finished to the 1st class of gymnasium, while the two older among them, Bro. Massimo and Bro. Francesco
(Casiello and Servidio), had finished the program of the third year. He saw that they were sufficiently prepared in the
respective subjects
He called also the other scholastics of the house, and he noticed that they did not cultivate the priestly desire.
They seemed to be not only indifferent to the priestly vocation, but almost having some distrust as if this desire were
a negative sign to belong to that community.
Fr. Vitale (let us abandon the stately title of Monsignor) took care of the continuation of their studies and of
cultivating their priestly desire. Certainly he talked with the Father about the charity of a complete hospitality toward
that small sprout of Congregation.

13. The Classes at the Seminary of Oria

The matter was decided, and effectively indeed, also with Fr. Palma, who knew men and things of that place. In
fact with the approaching of the scholastic year 1911-1912 we were told that the “Montemurrini” were going to attend
classes at the Seminary of the Diocese. The Bishop, Msgr. Di Tommaso, had already willingly granted his
permission.
Clearly there was the same problem also with the other Scholastics of the House, who in the previous year had
some classes with Fr. Nacci and Prof. Spezi, and seemed be ready for the third year of Gymnasium. Giuseppe
Drago, brother of Bro. Carmelo, and two young men from Padua, Varotto Angelindo and Giovanni Segati were
chosen. The Father added to them an aged self-taught man, Antonio Bellanova from Ceglie, whom he have accepted
in Messina and summoned him from there.
Another problem arose. The attendance of the Seminary required a clerical habit. No problem for the
"Montemurrini” because they had it already; for the other students of the House, the Father decided therefore to have
the ceremony of the taking of the clerical habit. 39
The ceremony, always moving, took place on the feast of All the Saints, on November 1. Giuseppe Drago take
the name of Bro. Mansueto, Varotto Angelindo became Bro. Stanislao and Segati Giovanni became Bro. Recuperato.
The habit, which in the previous taking of habits had followed the fashion of the Benedictines, was changed. In
fact Bro. Francesco, Bro. Mariano and Bro. Luigi on May 6, 1906 had taken the [Benedictine-like] habit with clerical
collar, short mantle with a small hood, belt and low shoes. The same habit was given to Bro. Carmelo Drago and Bro.
Mariano Drago on May 10, 1908 as well as to Bro. Paschal Drago on June 12, 1912 in Oria.
Maybe in consideration that these were cleric Novices, this time the habit was changed into the one of the
regular clerics, without losing the marks of religious habit.
The cassock was perfectly similar to one of the regular religious, Jesuits, Camillians Scolopians, and so on, that
is: open in front with the two laps overlapping, closed only at the neck and by three buttons in the lower part; it was
bound by a sash of wool turning two times, folded with a knot in a pendant on the right side ending with fringes; an
image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus with the words of the Rogate printed on a cloth was sewn on the left part of the
chest; the shoes were low; over everything there was a mantle coming down to the knees with a stiff collar like the
one of the Passionists of that time. No more white collar, nor hood, but a stiff hat bended on its sides in a French
style.
The [coadjutor] Brothers continued to wear the previous habit, with a leather belt.
For the other students, who were not able to follow the school in the Seminary, the taking of the habit was
postponed to other time. Thus on November 4, 1911, the "Montemurrini" and this small group of the House of Oria,
started the routine of going every day to the Episcopal Seminary of Oria. The teachers there were the Vice-Rector Fr.
Carmelo Nacci, Canon Neglia, and the Prof. Fr. Farnerari. The Rector was the theologian and Vicar General, Msgr.
Rocco Calandro from Ceglie Messapico, who very soon left the Seminary and the Diocese, because he was
appointed as Bishop of Termoli in Molise.
Fr. Palma wrote and prescribed a strict regulation and wanted the students to promise, while kneeling before the
image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to observe it. Besides, he set also the itinerary to be follow in walking to the
Seminary so as to avoid the center of the town: that is: ‘Lama street’ then the ‘Mountains street.’ and ‘St. Francis
street’. He appointed Bro. Mansueto as responsible of the group.
 It was in that year that the Bishop or somebody close to him, having noticed the balance and resoluteness of
Bro. Recuperato, asked our Superiors to have him in the Seminary to take care of the discipline of the Seminarians.
He was older than the others and with a particularly strong character. In the Seminary, there were about 20
Seminarians and the Bishop wanted him as their immediate ‘Little Prefect’.
Fr. Palma granted him to the Bishop and Bro. Recuperato transferred to the Seminary. There he had a lot of
troubles. Those Seminarians were not used to have an immediate assistant for their discipline and made a lot of
mischiefs. In particular, they were used to go home during the Christmas and New Year vacations, but that year the
Superiors did not allow them, thus they had to remain in the Seminary. The poor assistant found himself in front of
rebel youngsters who reached the point of a mutiny against him. The Rector actually supported him, and the
Superiors of the Seminary did not yield to the ‘rebels’. But for him it was very difficult to keep quiet, to busy and put
under control those little rebels. Later on he confided that, in spite of his old age, his strong character and his well-
built body, he felt degraded to have to remove the boys from the windows overlooking the Cathedral’s square, where
they were shouting and protesting. It was for him a trial by fire. And at the end of that school year he abandoned the
habit and went away saying: "Very soon I am going to be summoned for the military service. It is better for me to go
out immediately. I do not like to continue".
He was from Padua. In one of his trips to Padua to give thanks to St. Anthony, the Father had accepted him as
an intern, because he was from a problematic family. For this reason the Father called him Bro. Recuperato. He was
of a man of strong character but also a skilled typographer for those times and in those circumstances. He went away
and we did not come to know anything anymore about him.
Unfortunately he was not the only one. In fact in the end of that school year, also Bro. Domenico Roberto of the
"Montemurrini” went away. His final examinations were a real disaster. He was 22 years old and could not cope with
academics. His parents came to visit him and convinced him to go home. He was a good young man, but because of
his old age he found difficulties in studies.
In his town, Noci (Bari) he was esteemed and protected by Canon Caramia. We do not know what happened
but, a couple of years later, in 1915 he sent us a stampita-remembrance of his priestly ordination and of his first holy
Mass. It was a great surprise to all! A defection with a happy end!
40
14. The "Montemurrini” become Rogationists.

The situation of the "Montemurrini” at Oria was only temporary; and it could be just like that. The Father had
accepted them only to guard them for his holy friend Fr. Eustachio, waiting that the storm against the Institutions of
that holy man might subside and everything may return to normality. But it did not happen, and this is not the place to
inquire about the reasons.
Fr. Eustachio and Fr. Saverio, after several months spent in their Diocese, asked and were granted to spend
their years in the ministry of confession in the Sanctuary of Pompeii under the protection of the Blessed Virgin. To
obey the Holy See they could not take care anymore of the works which they had started. In this obedience they
were truly heroic!
The Father in his prudence, kept hidden these painful vicissitudes to his students in Oria. On the other side, they
were so young, and not being aware of the situation could not understand the reason of such a long expectation…
But Bro. Carmelo, who was taking care of them, without the knowledge of the Father, was trying to arouse their
enthusiasm toward the Congregation of the Rogationists.
After the departure of Bro. Domenico Roberto, and after the Father transferred Bro. Angelo to Messina to get
acquainted with working in the kitchen under the guidance of Di Gregorio, only five “Montemurrini” were left in Oria,
namely: Bro. Massimo Casiello, Bro. Francesco Servidio, Bro. Domenichino Santoro Bro. Teodoro Tusino and Bro.
Franceschino Ferrara.
Every time the Father was with them, they asked him to be accepted among the Rogationists, because the
expectation was very long and the future unknown. The Father used to evade the request and to exhort them to be
faithful to their vocation.
Often, he went to Pompeii to meet Fr. Eustachio and together they were discussing about their common affairs.
They must have discussed also about the desire of the young boys in Oria and about the useless hope for a return to
normality.
 One day, in the autumn of 1912, in the afternoon, we came to know that the Father was coming to Oria and our
small community went to welcome him along the so called Mountains Street, because we were told that he was
walking on that way from the rail station.
As soon as he saw the group of the “Montemurrini” he welcomed them saying: " All Rogationists! All
Rogationists!” Then he explained: “Fr. Montemurro said to me: I don't want that those poor children remain hanging
and waiting in vain. I give them my assent and all my blessing. Let them become Rogationists ”. Once again that holy
man, [Fr. Montemurro] had shown to be a man of great detachment.
As a consequence, the Father sent Fr. Vitale to Oria for some months to examine their vocation. The taking of
the Rogationist habit was set on November 1, feast of All the Saints. The taking of the habit was very easy because it
consisted only in removing the white collar, to wear the sash at the waist, to put the image of Heart of Jesus upon the
chest, to wear low shoes and to change the name. The chosen ones were: Bro. Massimo Casiello, Bro. Francesco
Servidio, Bro. Domenichino Santoro, Bro. Teodoro Tusino; Ferrara was postponed for another time.
The Father prepared the religious names on some stampitas of the Child Jesus with a lamb in his arms: over the
lamb he wrote the names: Sante - Di Dio - Diodoro - Serafino. Then he put each stampita in an envelope and on the
envelope he wrote the name of the person for whom it was intended: Bro. Massimo - Bro. Francesco - Bro.
Domenichino - Bro Teodoro. The envelope was opened upon the altar at the moment of the proclamation of the
names, according to the rite of that time.
The Father added a long sermon about holy vocation and detachment of the world.
The number of those who took the habit, (‘i vestiti’= those with the habit) started to become noticeable, because
on previous June 13 also Drago Antonino had received the habit with the name of Bro. Mauro. That big burning Heart
on the chest of so many young men was attracting the attention. It excited also the poetic skills of Bro. Sante
Casiello, who adapted the popular Eucharistic Hymn: "O Lord have pity…" ( Pieta’ Signor…), to the Rogationist idea,
as it is still sung in our houses. The following year he also wrote: “The farewell of the Rogationists, to his mother”
(L’addio del Rogationista alla Mamma); and then: “The great Word” (Il gran Detto), which the Father praised and
wanted published on “God and Neighbor".
In the following school year, the scholastics went to the Seminary all dressed in the same way. Only the small
mantle became shorter and such it remained forever later.
41

15. The First Flower of Oria harvested for Heaven

August 5, 1912 had been a historical day for the new house of Oria. In fact, on that day the notarized contract of
the final purchase of the Convent of St. Paschal and annexed land had been concluded thus becoming a property of
the [Fr. Hannibal’s] Work. The compromise had been drafted almost three years before, on September 20, 1909. And
the Lord wanted to reap a first fruit for Himself: Bro. Didio Servidio, a novice, former "montemurrinian” who had taken
the sacred habit on the feast of All the Saints, on November 1, 1912. He was one of the most observant and
exemplar novices. He was particularly outstanding in piety and fervor, very diligent, almost scrupulous in fulfilling his
duties up to the point of appearing exaggerated.
He was born in Toritto (Bari) on l895 and was naturally kind and calm, almost the opposite of his peer and
companion Bro. Sante Casiello, a joyous and a noisy poet. He showed seriousness greater than his teenager’s age.
Bro. Carmelo trusted him much to the point to let him to be his substitute as assistant. He was abstemious; he could
not even bear the smell of wine.
On December 1912 a typhoid fever forced him to be absent from the school at the Seminary and to stay in bed.
Since the sickness was contagious the doctors wanted to isolate him in a separated room in the convent - at that time
there was not even an idea of an infirmary - and he was placed in the fourth room of the St. Francis corridor, because
it was facing south, on the side of the Convent more exposed to the sun and the warmer during the winter season. At
that time there was no heating system.
The Superiors and parents, informed about the gravity of the sickness, tried all the means of the medical science
of that time, to save him, but in vain. Bro. Didio Servidio continued worsening and the Assistant Parish Priest of the
Cathedral gave him the Sacraments, since none of our Priests was in the House. He serenely passed away on
January 18, 1913 among inconsolable tears of his parents and everyone.
The parents wanted a solemn burial, accompanied by a musical band. He was buried into a tomb of the
Cemetery of Oria.
 The former “Montemurrini” lost a dearest companion and the House of Oria sent to heaven its first
representative.
Maybe it was not without a providential disposition that, after long preparations, the same day the electric lighting
system of the Convent was inaugurated. The electricity was generated by the small dynamo, branded “Felix”; the
installation was done by some electricians who had come for this purpose from Messina because in Oria there was
no electricity yet. Maybe to some persons closer to the departed Brother the lights could seem a profanation of the
suffering of an inconsolable mother and of a poor father and of his companions. But a new light had come to the new
House. That light was a pale reflex of what was taking place in heaven, where the first novice, a true fragrant flower
of piety and religious fervor of the Congregation, had joined the first Rogationist priest.

16. The House in Messina

Messina, under the leadership of Fr. Vitale was resuming its normal rhythm of life. Back from Francavilla
Fontana, the orphans were assisted by Bro. Luigi Maria Barbanti with the help of Emmanuele Vizzari. The school and
the traditional work-shops of tailoring and shoemaking were re-started.
The kitchen was manned, with the collaboration of some helpers, by the former Bro. Benedetto Di Gregorio,
whom the Father accepted again as an employee. For some time Bro. Angelo of the “Montemurrini” helped him but
later he left. The pantry was managed by our dearest and very simple Bro. Placido Romeo, very devoted to St.
Joseph. He was also the editor and responsible of "God and Neighbor”.
Unfortunately, the printing press, though sufficiently equipped, at first had to be kept closed. The typographer
had died under the debris of his house together with his family during the earthquake. Nobody else, at that time, was
able to undertake that task.
To print “God and Neighbor” and other newsletters of propaganda, except for some small work done in our
printing press in Oria, the Father had to go to the publisher - printing press “XX Secolo” at Acireale.
But little by little even the work in the printing press resumed, because of the persistency and strength of some
volunteers, who by reading and studying the manuals acquired their experience as self-trained persons. The one
42
outstanding in this was Bro. Mariano Drago, who was most devoted to the Father, very hard working and willing to
take any sacrifice. After the closing of the house of Francavilla Fontana, he came back to Messina and compelled by
his spirit of initiative, reached the point of spending even entire nights in the printing press, just taking some naps
lying over the large crates containing the characters. With him and like him there was also a boy who had mechanical
skills, Carmelo Rappazzo, who later became Bro. Consiglio. And so the printing press reopened.
In the meantime, what was wonderfully developing was the attendance of the faithful to the new wooden Church
of the Evangelical Rogation, which became the most frequented Church of the new Messina. The devout pious
people used to pray in the recollected small Church, before the beautiful statues of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, of Our
Lady of Carmel, of St. Joseph and especially of the wonder worker St. Anthony of Padua.
Fr. Vitale was still bound to the Metropolitan Chapter of the Cathedral of Messina. After the earthquake he had to
accept the office as Dean, which was the first dignity of pontifical decree. For the citizens of Messina, he was Msgr.
Francesco Vitale; in the Work he was hiding himself in the shadow of the Father. He was only the most docile son of
the Father, faithful in realizing his instructions. During his free time he devoted himself to the holy ministry into the
ever more crowded wooden Church.
As a Dean of the Cathedral Chapter, when he noticed that the office of Penitentiary was vacant, he proposed to
Fr. Antonio Celona, who, though belonging to the Archdiocese of Messina was exercising his priestly ministry at
Oppido Mamertina, as Secretary of its Bishop, to opt for that office and to come to Messina.
Celona was flattered by that proposal and accepted. But since he could not, or did not want to reside at Ganzirri
together with his brothers, he asked and obtained from the Father, to live in the Houses in Avignone. Maybe
basically, he desired to belong to the Work, inclined as he was to common life.
During his free time from the Canon’s obligations, he too, devoted himself to the ministry of confessions, thus the
wooden Church became all the more appealing to faithful people who frequented it in an ever increasing number.
Also another priest, Fr. Francesco Jannello, from Monforte San Giorgio, came to dwell into those poor houses
after the earthquake, because of the generous charity of the Father, in spite of the narrowness of the facilities and the
shortage of personnel for services.
Fr. Jannello had been well appreciated in the Archdiocese as Rector of the Seminary and as editor of a
pugnacious weekly catholic newspaper, but together with the infirmities of the old age, he had lost also his sight. The
holy man was bearing his blindness with admirable serenity and patience, but he could not find a place where to
dwell, particularly in the hardships which had followed the earthquake. And the Father, in his great charity accepted
him into the poor Avignone Houses. Besides, we know that the Father had always practiced hospitality for many
priests in need, even though we don't know the details.
Fr. Jannello used to celebrate always the votive Mass of the Blessed Virgin, which he had memorized, and was
assisted by some priest, ordinarily by Canon Celona, who was having his confession with him every morning. He
used to spend the whole day praying, seated in his big chair, while attending to the ministry of confessions. Diocesan
priests and even women were going to his room which was at the ground floor, not far from the entrance: it was one
of the Avignone Houses which was made livable for him. The Father had provided a domestic helper, the old and
dear ‘don Salvatore’, who was sleeping with him in the same room and taking care of him.
The assistance to the poor continued as before and even more than before the earthquake. There were the poor
dwellers of the Avignone Houses who were coming every day punctually at the entrance of No. 7, Valore Street, to
receive soup, bread and some money. There were also the privileged poor, like a famous singer, who, in his golden
times had performed in many theaters almost all over the whole of Italy. The Father wanted this singer served a part,
with napkins, tableware, glass and some wine.
There were the weekly poor, who had a notebook where the Father used to record the amount he was giving
them every week, ordinarily on Friday. Among them there was a descendant of Marquis Avignone, formerly owner of
those houses.
When the Father was in Messina he attend to them personally, and - let me add -, generously, beyond the
amount written on their notebook. He used to give catechism classes to all of them once or twice a week, exhorting
them to receive the holy Sacraments. Several times when there were talks about the necessity to have a decent
building instead of those poor houses, the Father was justly answering: “ What do you think that the Institutes are
made up, of beautiful buildings? Oh! If these poor houses and cracked walls could speak!”

17. A Memorable year!

43
1913 became a memorable year for the entire small Rogationist Congregation.
In the group of young men clothed with the habit of the Heart of Jesus shining on their chest and adorned with
the sacred words: Rogate ergo Dominum messis ut mittat operarios in messem suam, the Father was seeing the
restarting of his ideal. His poetic spirit could see the outlining of the realization of that dream, which he had sung,
some years before, in the “Epithalamium of Heavenly Loves” with those sublime words:
“I dreamed, I dreamed in my ecstatic love,
Luxuriant fields and courageous workers,
Girded with a radiant stole...”
With exceptional care, he was following the slow but unstoppable development of his scholasticate. For this
purpose, he wanted it, first of all, to grow around the Heart of Jesus, who gives Himself in the Eucharist.
At that time he was attracted by a small periodical entitled " The sun of the Blessed Sacrament" issued and
directed by an ardent Redemptorist, Fr. Alphonsus De Feo. It fostered the devotion to the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus,
which means to the Heart of Jesus as the source of the incomparable gift of the Eucharist. Needless to say, our
beloved Father was open to all the holy novelties. He welcomed with great joy this new nuance of the devotion to the
Heart of Jesus. He became a friend of Fr. De Feo. Worthy of a deep meditation is the delightful letter, which he wrote
to that zealous priest on July 191341.
Fr. Hannibal thought that such devotion was very much fitting to the identity of his own Institute, which gravitates
and develops around the holy Tabernacles through the practice of frequent and daily Communion, through the
innumerable Eucharistic initiatives especially the solemn annual commemoration of the July 1 st, and through the
fourth vow of obedience to the command of Jesus to obtain the Good Workers, specifically the priests, the ministers
of the Eucharist.
Since that moment Fr. Hannibal started, both in his talks and writings, to call his own religious ‘Rogationists of
the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus’.
To one aspirant of that year he gave the name of Bro. Eucaristico and announced to prepare with fervor to
proclaim the Eucharistic Heart as immediate and effective Superior of the present and future Rogationists, on the

41
FR. TEODORO TUSINO, The Father’s Letters, pages 384-386.
coming feast of July 1st. Such proclamation would be a pledge of continuity in spite of the difficult and humble
beginnings.
In fact, as Fr. Vitale wrote in the biography, the Father himself read the solemn proclamation, in front of Jesus in
the Blessed Sacrament during the exposition in Oria. Such an event, in the mind of our Father was of primary
importance. He wrote a special Regulation so that the Rogationists would live in their practical daily life that spirit of
faith, and ordered that at each community activity the brief prayer which he composed: “ Sacratissimum Cor
Euchariaticum Domini nostri Jesu Christi, tamquam praeceptor noster in medio nostrum praesens ... nos dirigat,
regat et gubernet. Amen” be recited.
The following day, July 2nd the Father made a similar proclamation for the Most Holy Immaculate Virgin almost as
an echo of the proclamation which he had done for the Institute of the Daughters of Divine Zeal, on December 8,
1904. Also for the Rogationist Mary Immaculate was to be the absolute, immediate and effective Divine Superior. For
this reason he added to the above mentioned short invocation: “Una cum Superiorissa nostra Immaculata Virgine
Maria…” He never separated Mary from Jesus.
And Mary took possession of the house through the inauguration of a new statue of Our Lady Immaculate,
similar to the miraculous one in Trani.
Even St. Joseph was given a new title: "St. Joseph of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus.'' On the same occasion, Fr.
Hannibal started to write the "Rules of the Pious Congregation of the Rogationists ": a long and detailed work, which
remained unfinished. However it is still an authoritative document of his spirit together with that precious writing, the
Declarations and Promises [40 Declarations], which he wrote on August 1910 for the priests who wanted to belong to
the Work.

18. The House in Gravina

Ms. Maria Sottile Meninni, a gentle young lady from Gravina, the owner of an estate at Guardiadalto near the
City of Gravina, wrote to our Father, because she wanted to realize a work of beneficence. Habitually she was
dwelling in Naples, but in her fatherly country-house in Guardiadalto there was an ancestral family Chapel and she
44
wanted to do a work of charity to pray for the souls of her deceased ones. After very long negotiations the Father
decided to start in the nine-hectare estate near her country house an agricultural colony for orphans. At that time
many charitable works were oriented to prepare good farmers.
Don Orione had also established an agricultural colony in Calabria and the Salesian, had several of them in
different places, even in the vicinity of Rome.
Encouraged by Fr. Palma, even without prepared and qualified staff for this realization, the Father accepted and
so the agricultural colony was inaugurated on November 1, 1913. It was truly a daring act. Where could he find
people to manage that work?
Bro. Mariantonio Scolaro was appointed as Director (at that time they started using the term ‘Preposto’ which
means ‘Person in Charge’ instead of ‘Director’) while Bro. Giuseppeantonio Meli was appointed as Treasurer and
Rector of the Anthonian Propaganda. The first was transferred from Messina, the latter from Oria. The former orphan,
Vizzari Emmanuele whom we already know for the events of Francavilla Fontana, was tasked to take care of the
boys still to be accepted. During the short time of this initiative, some other personnel like Bellanova and Bro. Antonio
from Oria were sent there to take care of some particular necessity.
The boys were few indeed and worked in the estate under the direction of experienced farmers, and on
particular days they prayed over the tombs of Mennini's family.
The experience lasted for a short time. The Father was deploring that the boys were undisciplined. On the other
side, because of the 1915 - 1918 war, the Brothers Mariantonio and Giuseppeantonio and Vizzari were summoned
for the military service. Vizzari left for the battle front. The two Brothers were exempted because they were made to
appear as indispensable workers for the shoe factory in Oria, which was manufacturing footwear for the Armed
Forces and for the combatants. In fact, the brothers had to go to work in Oria, also for the frequent inspections of the
military authorities. Thus the agricultural colony of Guardiadalto had to be closed in the initial months of 1916. The
boys were accepted in Oria and Messina. Among them there was the Raffaele Stella a very popular, jolly and simple
fellow. The patrimony of the [anthonian propaganda] addresses gathered by Bro. Giuseppeantonio during three years
was given to the Sisters’ house of Altamura, which had been inaugurated by Mother Nazarena with two Sisters on
April 4. 1916.
 The agricultural colony of Gravina bore some lasting fruits. Not only Stella, who, with his simplicity, edified the
house of Oria where he died, but also Nicola Lapelosa who from Gravina went to Oria and was received to become
religious. In fact on September 1, 1915, he received the Rogationist habit from the hands of Fr. Vitale, who gave him
the name of Bro. Michelino. With him there were other two companions: Ferrara who was given the name of Bro.
Gabriele, and Varotto, the younger brother of Angelindo Varotto, who was given the name of Bro. Uriele.
When the storm of the war was over, nobody thought anymore of the farm in Gravina, also because Ms. Meninni
had already died and her heirs had different intentions.

19. New members come, others leave for heaven

One day, in 1913, a sturdy man with moustaches in the King Humbert I’s fashion made his appearance in Oria
together with Fr. Palma. Who was he? It took little to come to know his name: Rosario Federico, a Sicilian from
Librizzi, who had retired after working for 22 years as Officer in the Revenue Guard Corps; he had come to become a
religious.
He had tried to enter another Congregation, but had withdrawn himself disgusted because he did not find
observance, particularly about the vow of poverty. Immediately he showed himself so good, pious and fervent, that it
seemed incredible that he was coming from the military career.
Fr. Palma very soon used him to guard the orchard which that year was particularly rich with oranges and
tangerines and thus deliciously appealing for petty thieves. Rosario Federico, wrapped in his blue mantle, equipped
with gun, as he was accustomed in his previous work, used to spend the night praying and walking to and from the
chapel of the Virgin and roaming in the pathways of the orchard. Thus he made his postulancy.
About the end of January 1914, during the novena of Holy Name of Jesus, we came to know that he was going
to receive the sacred habit. The Father was absent. The ceremony was presided by Fr. Palma, very early in the
morning of January 31, feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus. It was very early because Fr. Palma had to leave.
Rosario Federico received the name of Bro. Salvatore of the Most Holy Rosary. Before the ceremony, when we saw
him without his characteristic moustaches, we could hardly recognize him. He was completely different.
45
And it was still a greater surprise at the Post Office of Oria, where he was going periodically to draw his pension.
The personnel of the Post Office could not understand how a brave military could hide himself under the habit of a
monk.
In Oria, besides guarding the garden during the night, Bro. Salvatore was also assigned to other duties like being
a cook in the thrifty kitchen of the house. In all his duties he showed himself always as a man of great sacrifice,
attached as he was to his duties with a military spirit and an exceptional self-denial.
Later he was transferred to Messina, where he worked at the “Sala Obolo” [Donations Hall] until his death.
After few days, in the same year, another Brother, Bro. Concetto Drago, was transferred from Oria to heaven. He
was the elder brother of Bro. Carmelo. He had come to the Institute with the group of brothers and cousins of Bro.
Francesco Maria. He had taken part to the events of the earthquake, the transferring to Francavilla and had opened
the house in Oria together with his companions on October 6, 1909. He had carried out several assignments. When
the police forced the boys to go back to their families, he remained at Oria because he was an adult, but he could not
convince the police, when he offered himself as a guarantor for his minor brothers. He was a simple, modest, quiet
person and rather physically lean; he was soon caught by the terrible sickness of that time: tuberculosis.
For hygienic reasons [to avoid the infection] he was forced to stay outside the Community, to lodge and eat
alone in his room using his own kitchenware. He was spending his day in the open-air concerning himself with the
works of garden. He could speak so well about God that some of our young student brothers used to ask permission
to spend some of their recreations talking with him in the garden. He was offering his life as immolation.
During the 1913 - 1914 winter season, his physical conditions worsened all the more until he became bedridden.
Every day the Priest, who came to celebrate the holy Mass, brought the Holy Communion to him. A good old man,
the manservant Giacomo Cappadonia, was assisting him.
When he felt that the illness was getting worse, he asked for the last Sacraments. Since no Priest was in the
house, the Assistant Parish Priest of the Cathedral came to administer the Sacraments to him.
In the late afternoon of February 21, a very cold day, Bro. Concetto, assisted by the good old man and by some
young Brothers, surrendered his beautiful soul to God. He was 28 years old. The following day there was the very
simple burial; accompanied by the small Community his remains were brought to the nearby cemetery.
It was the second flower that the Lord harvested form the new house of Oria
 20. Fr. Vitale Superior of Oria

The Father was following up with interest the life of that small Community of young men, who practically was
entrusted to one of their elder companions, Bro. Carmelo. The Father could not attend to them personally because of
his well-known activities.
Ordinarily during weekdays, a certain Fr. Bonaventura used to come for the Holy Mass; he was a former friar of
the same Convent of St. Paschal when it was still operational. Later on he returned to his Order in the Convent of
Sava. Frequently, on Sundays and feasts, to attend the holy Mass, we had to go, through Mountains Street, to St.
Francis Church, which at that time was the most accessible and solitary Church. For confessions, when needed, we
availed of Fr. Bonaventura. But from time to time, from Ceglie Messapico, Fr. Palma was bringing the Archpriest
Carlucci, or Fr. Cosimo Spina, or the holy Canon Lerna. The Father was aware that in such a way, without a
permanent priest, the situation was unbearable, even if, during autumn vacations, he had Fr. Vitale or Msgr. Celona
spending some months in Oria. However, maybe as a fruit of the isolation (the town proper was and appeared quite
far) or as a fruit of the severe discipline, there was a remarkable fervor, truly God's grace was making up [for all that
was lacking].
Little by little Msgr. Celona, who wanted to dedicate himself to our Work, though following still his duties [as
Canon] at the Choir of the cathedral Messina, started to take care of both the male and female Communities of
Messina and of the ministry in the wooden Chapel of the Evangelical Rogation. Besides, Fr. Vitale after his repeated
insisting for the renunciation of the Deanship of the Cathedral finally was granted it by the Holy Father, St. Pius X, on
July 14, 1913. And so the dream of consecrating himself to the Work without reservation and without any other bonds
was realized.
The Father thought of Oria.
He knew that Fr. Vitale was inclined for the formation of Clerics, who were his greatest passion. The Father
esteemed Fr. Vitale because he was outstanding among the Clergy of Messina as a priest with good aptitudes of
doctrine, piety, experience and incomparable kindness. Thus the Father entrusted to him the recruiting of vocations
46
to the Institute, and Fr. Vitale did it by private correspondence and by the magazine "God and Neighbor".
The following year, after having recruited a good number of aspirants, mostly from Sicily, the Father appointed
him as Superior of Oria. He transferred there on August 14, 1914.
Fr. Vitale was a handsome and imposing man; immediately he conquered the heart of all with his intelligent
serene and charming glance. He was already known, because to the brief periods of his permanence in Oria, during
the autumn vacations of the previous years, but now that he was coming as Superior of the house, it was truly
another thing! For the situation of Oria he was like a splendid sun during a winter season!
He continued recruiting vocations from Puglia, Basilicata and Calabria. And so the first "Scuola Apostolica”
[Apostolic School = Seminary], as we understand it today, was formed. It did not have anything to do with the ancient
Clericate, nor with the still uncertain and indefinite tentative of the 1908 Postulancy.
Fr. Vitale devoted to the Seminary all his passion and experience while doing all he could for the spiritual
direction and formation of all who attended the Seminary. He started the internal school, by inviting some priests, like
Fr. Palumbo, to teach, or also some sound lay people, like the Att.y Massa.
When the war reached its climax and there were no more classes in the Seminary, Fr. Vitale started the
philosophical courses for the students who had finished the class of Gymnasium, teaching personally Scholastic
Philosophy on the textbook of Zigliara.
Fr. Tusino in his fine biography describes at length the zeal of Fr. Vitale, his wisdom in governing and his
dedication during his government at Oria. On the other side he says little about his physical and moral sufferings
connected with the difficult conditions in which he found himself and with the adjusting to that poor kitchen entrusted
to the self-taught boys and lacking in supplies... He was suffering, convinced that God wanted from him that
immolation in favor of the future Rogationist priests, which were his greatest desire, by bowing the head with his
habitual kindness in accepting these inevitable circumstances. He did not make any reservation in his self-donation.
Thus he got sick. His stomach suffered terribly. Intermittent fevers afflicted him. They were diagnosed as
symptoms of malaria. In fact, at that time, the lands at the south of the St. Paschal Convent were used for
vegetables, and maybe because of the swamps and of the big ponds filled even with sewage; it was a malaria
infested area.
 To change air the Father brought him back to Messina for some months. But we were already in the midst of the
war. When he recovered fairly, he came back to Oria in the beginning of winter season. During the autumn months
Msgr. Celona had been there.

21. The 1915 – 1918 First World War

We have hinted already several times at this awful event. Now we want to delve on it in relation to our Institute.
The First World War raged over the whole Europe, as a huge storm of fire, from July 28, 1914 to November 11,
1918. The spark was the murder of Prince Francis Ferdinand at Sarajevo; but the European Courts were waiting
since a long time for an occasion to overcome each other and to fulfill their hegemonic ambitions.
The first and most distinguished victim of that Great War was the Holy Father St. Pius X. He was broken by the
bitterness for the uselessness of his diplomatic efforts with the Christian European Courts to avoid the armed conflict.
He could not bear the pain to see his sons fighting among themselves in a battle which, because of the sinister
ambitions of few men one against the other, was foreseen as cruel, bloody and long. He died on August 20, 1914,
only less than a month after the starting of the hostilities.
Italy entered the war, at the side of the western powers, to obtain the annexation of territories of Trento and
Trieste. On April 4, 1915 Italy rejected the Triple Alliance Pact and on the 23 rd of the same month declared war to
Austria. Fighting started immediately by sea and by land. There was a need of soldiers; a general mobilization was
imposed. All men able to fight, besides the ordinarily yearly drafting, were summoned by extraordinary laws. Thus
men already forty years old as well as young men only seventeen, those who were born in 1899, were forced to
leave for the battlefront.
For our small Congregation it was a huge disaster. The Rogationists were few: just a small, newly born sprout.
The two houses of Messina and Oria in short were deprived of all the persons taking care of the orphans and of the
aspirants to religious life.
Indeed all the men’s Congregations suffered such a terrible storm. However, the well settled congregations and
communities with long experience, though with some inconveniences, could get personnel from the religious not
47
fitted for fighting because of age or other. But for the Rogationists who were just then starting to grow, there was no
possibility of replacement by anybody.
The Father wrote in the hymn of July 1 st 1915 “They [the young Rogationist religious] had to change the stole
into knapsack and the cassock into a military heavy coat".
Only the boys were left in the houses and the very old ones, like the Father, Fr. Vitale, Canon Celona, Bro.
Salvatore, Bro. Placido and few others not accepted for the military service because of sickness.
Some who were slightly over forty years old were able to be exempted from military service because they were
performing services necessary for the armed forces. Fr. Palma was exempted because he was acknowledged as
Director of the Orphanage of Altamura for the little girls orphaned by the war. The Bros. Giuseppeantonio and
Mariantonio were exempted because they were acknowledged as workers needed in the shoes factory of Oria, which
was working for the Armed Forces. But all the others: Bro. Carmelo, Bro. Pasquale, Bro. Stanislao, Bro. Redento,
Bro. Consiglio, Bro. Bro. Mariano, Bro. Mansueto, Bro. Diodoro, Bro. Gabriele, Vizzari and others whose name I do
not remember, had to leave for the battle front and fight. Some succeeded in delaying their departure because their
health did not correspond to the requirements, but they were declared “temporarily unfit” and had to keep ready for
the successive drafts. It was impossible to be totally exempted.
The activities in the Rogationist houses stopped almost completely. The boys were under the care of some
slightly elder companion, not yet seventeen, who were taking care of the discipline and of the normal life.
The Apostolic School [Seminary] of Oria was dispersed. Fr. Vitale tried to go on as best as he could, but by the
end of the month of May 1917 he became again sick with malaria and intermittent fever, and the Father called him
back again to the milder climate of Messina. At Oria, Fr. Palma took over the direction of the House.

22. The war and our Youth

The war was raging, and its battle front was in the trenches mainly on the Carso Mountains [at that time it was
the boundary between Italy with Austria, in the North-West regions of Italy]. Burst of machine-gun, bayonet charges,
bombings by airplanes which started at that time their first appearances, were killing the best young people. The
young classes of 1897, 1898 and 1899 were terribly decimated. They were leaving for the battle front almost with the
certainty that they would never come back. And all people at home were living in anxiety for their relatives, who were
on the battle fields. When the war was over 600,000 young lives had been immolated!
Among the young and small group of the Rogationists, the young student Bro. Mansueto Drago did not return.
While making a sortie on the battle-front of the Bainsizza near Mount Nero, as soon as he got out of the trench he
was deadly hit and died on March 24, 1917. He had started his philosophical Lyceum course with Fr. Vitale together
with the others; he was the brother of Fr. Carmelo and had been vice-Assistant of his companions. Born in 1897 he
had been drafted for the war. He was strong and healthy and was assigned to the Infantry even if religious, priests
and clerics were often assigned to the medical services. He had to go to the battle field. He was hoping to be
transferred to the Medical detachment, but he did not have time enough to do it. During an attack he was killed.
When the telegram of the Corps’ Chaplain announcing the death of the young confrere reached Oria, Fr. Vitale
and the Community were in the refectory. He stopped and with a visible gesture of anguish and pain said: “ I was
expecting it. Now we start with the victims”. And we started being worried for all the others!
The Father perpetuated the event in the hymn of July 1st of that year, 1917:
Compassionate companion
Of our exile, see now
The small flock of your Rogate,
Who sighs for You
Who adores your will
For its son Mansueto
Whom You called to You.
Look at the tender lambs
Of your dearest sheepfolds,
From the Temple and silence,
Now scattered on battle fields!
To You turns the weeping 48
Of their broken heart,
Yet steadfast in faith."
Bro. Mansueto however was not the only victim. Not long before there had been another victim for some aspects
even more tragic and painful.
Bro. Mariano Drago, cousin of Bro. Mansueto, assigned to the Medical Corps and temporarily serving in
Palermo, had been assigned to accompany the hundreds of people sick with trachoma.
It seems that during the medical examinations no great attention was given to hygienic precautions because the
medical officers in service were prejudiced against the patients as if they had caused such infection to avoid to be
sent to the battlefront. In this service as escort, Bro. Mariano contracted that infection and in a very short time, it
seems because of a wrong treatment, he became blind.
In his great confidence and affection toward our Father on the first days of February 1917 he telegraphed him:
"Come soon because I am blind". The Father who loved him very much for his virtues and for his laboriousness and
creativity, rushed to Palermo to obtain his discharge from military service so as to cure him at home. In Palermo he
met the young Mariano with the left eye already destroyed and who could barely see with the right eye. The Father
found many difficulties to obtain his discharge. At the same time he wrote to Fr. Vitale and Fr. Palma: “ To die in battle
is not the greatest of pains, as we were thinking. It is more terrible to lose one’s own sight at 25 and to have to live as
a dead person for forty – fifty years more"
From February 13, the Father stayed in Palermo. He sent a telegram to all our houses, to Monasteries and
Servants of God, asking for prayers. But on the morning of February 19 he found Bro. Mariano completely blind.
Even the right eye was already totally destroyed42.
Through the interest of Fr. Messina, who was much known and appreciated in Palermo, after long bureaucratic
difficulties, the Father obtained the discharge of Bro. Mariano from military service.
He had Bro. Mariano take medical examinations, check up with specialists and repeated cures, including also
with the celebrated, and at that time internationally renowned, Prof. Cirincione. All was useless. When the echo of Fr.
Pio’s wonders started spreading, he led Bro. Mariano to San Giovanni Rotondo, hoping for a miracle. Nothing
42
FR. TEODORO TUSINO, The Father’s Letters, page 515-516, see also p. 493.
happened. The Brother who used to be so active, remained blind for ten years until his death, which happened few
months after the death of the Father, on December 3, 1927. He was another victim of the war.
The Father did not fail to write encouragements and advises to the other religious who were on the battle front.
To one he wrote: “I came to know that you have been declared fit for combat. What can I say? It pained me till
the tears; however, can we distrust the kindest mercy of the Sacred Heart of Jesus? Never! It is written that
everything will turn to good for those who love God. As much as possible don't abandon your prayers".
To another who was troubled because of the blasphemies that he had to hear: "This is a bitter, a very bitter pain.
I would rather die than hearing the adorable Name of the Almighty God desecrated. Let us always pray and make
amend”.
To another: “I assure you that the prayers for all of you, our dearest sons in Jesus Christ, are unceasing. As
much as possible don't neglect the prayers, the meditation, the Holy Communion. Are you wearing the "Agnus Dei ”?
[=”Lamb of God" It was something comparable to a scapular, a sacramental for the spiritual and physical protection of those who wore it with
faith].
On the occasion of the Patronage of St. Joseph on April 11, 1918, when ordinarily the vows and promises were
to be renewed, the Father exhorted all to do the novena of preparation and insists: ''Don't slacken your spirit about
the Divine Presence and religious spirit. May the fatigues and discomforts of the military life serve you as the most
effective means by which the Lord calls you to a more intimate union with His Divine Heart”.
At the same time the Sister’s houses and their vocations were developing. Therefore, many activities carried out
until then by the male houses, like the printed matter for the Anthonian Secretariat, were taken up by the Sisters. For
the Father, the two Congregations were just one family.
It was thus in that time that the Mother House of the Holy Spirit purchased a printing machine. The house of Oria
did the same on August 1918, the house of Altamura on the following December and later on, also the houses of
Trani and Taormina.
In the hymn of the first July 1917 the Father made us sing to Our Lady asking for the gift of peace: “ Oh! That
day, the most beautiful among the days (the day of peace); bring back to us our dear Brothers".
As if all these were not enough, the Father in that time continued the proclamation of the heavenly Rogationists,
the fervent organization of the sacramental feasts of July 1, and was following and working for the expansion of the
Sisters’ Houses and their vocations. To have always bread during that difficult time, he prescribed us to pray one Hail 49
Mary to Our Lady of the bread and to kiss the floor before and after meals. He showed great interest in the
celebration of the seventh centenary of the Blessed Virgin of Ransom. [He believed that] it was such a living faith that
ccould appease the Divine Justice and bring the war to its end.
Towards the end of 1917 the war entered a phase of stagnation. The armies of all belligerent Nations were
showings clear signs of impatience.
On the Italian front, from Oct. 24 until the beginning of November, there was the well-known retreat of Caporetto,
which was the greatest setback of the Italian Army. Since the Austrian army broke the front, our soldiers ran away
and stopped near the river Piave, where the glorious third Army opposed a legendary resistance to the enemies who
were exhausted too. The popular song put it “ The river Piave whispered: the enemy will never pass” . Several of our
Religious took part in that retreat; later on they used to remember sadly the discouragement that has overwhelmed
all the soldiers and their hastily flight until the Piave.
But also the Italian internal situation was collapsing. The food supply for the population had reached its extreme
limits. Without the black market, the ration card obligatory for everybody would have been a card for hunger, as it
happens in similar circumstances.
Our Institutes in Messina and its province suffered less, because the mill, the bakery and the pasta factory of the
Holy Spirit Institute were working for the Army. And the officers in charge as well as the municipality leaders had a
great sympathy towards the orphan girls, also because all could see how many poor were coming at the doors of our
Institutes to get food.
The houses of Puglia were experiencing difficulties but the Divine Providence through different stratagems,
never failed. We mainly lived by the same faith of the Father, who was always encouraging us to trust in God, while
giving some precautionary prescriptions about economy as he did in his Circular Letter on December 12, 191743.

23. The 1918 "Spanish flu"

43
FR. TEODORO TUSINO, The Father’s Letters, pages 534-536.
 It is always like that: war is constantly accompanied by hunger and epidemics. The sacred Liturgy invites us to
pray: “Lord, spare us from plague, hunger and war” (A peste fame et bello, libera nos Domine).
The war had been raging for four years; the scarcity of food was increasing every day, and then the pandemic
came.
The first signs appeared in the spring of 1918. A strange illness attacked first of all the respiratory tract and
brought complications to the lungs. And unfortunately it was contagious. It manifested itself through a very high fever,
which could last long, or even not. When it brought complications to the lungs with nephrites and other illnesses, it
could easily become deadly. Relapses were almost always fatal. Our practical medicine was totally unprepared to
face it. It was called infection from flu; and since for the first time it had appeared in Spain, it was commonly called
the "Spanish flu".
For us, we can say that even before reaching the apex of its virulence, the pandemic made already the first
victim: Bro. Sante Casiello.
He was one of the former Montemurrini: the oldest of them and the most advanced in studies. He was born in
Biccari (Foggia) on 1893; he had two brothers already priests: one was a Jesuit and the other a diocesan. He was
dreaming the Rogationist Missions. He was a good poet so that the Father appreciated his compositions like: “ The
farewell of the Rogationist missionary to his mother ”. "The Great Saying", and many others. His Rogationist song:
Have mercy, O Lord (“Pietà, Signor") is sung until now in our houses.
When Bro. Serafino for military reasons, was forced to go to Messina, Bro. Sante was the only assistant in our
house in Oria. Furthermore, during the medical visit for the general drafting, he had been declared unfit for the
military service.
The Father wrote on October 6, 1917: “ The young (Bro. Sante) who nearly alone takes care of the house of Oria,
was miraculously declared unfit for the military service.”44
Very soon however, since he could not bear it anymore because of his delicate health, exhaustion and other
reasons, he asked the Father to be transferred to Messina. The Father consented but with some apprehension
because of the conditions in which he was leaving the much troubled House of Oria. The only one who could replace
him, even for the few boys left, was Bro. Giovangelista Tursi: he was good, but still very young - he was 16 - without
any experience, and had received the habit just a few months before, in the previous April.
50
Thus, Bro. Sante transferred to Messina. However, worn out as he was in his health, during the spring season
he was attacked by a mysterious high fever.
Fr. Vitale, the Confreres and the doctor in attendance, Dr. Miceli, used all their means to defeat that strange
fever. But after being bedridden for almost one month and after all these attentions, in the evening of the Corpus
Domini, while the procession of the Blessed Sacrament was passing in the vicinity of the Avignone District, he
surrendered his beautiful soul to God: it was May 30, 1918.
After few months, at the beginning of the summer’s heat, the same kind of fever, with the same symptoms
spread with terrible virulence not only in Sicily, but in the whole Nation, except the areas of the war military
operations.
And while on the battle front the soldiers were fighting in the trenches, behind the front lines, each household
experienced having three or four of its members sick with that strange illness. And then the sick started to die.
In Messina, the hearses carrying the corpses to the cemetery were not anymore sufficient.
It was a gloomy sight in the very early hours of the morning to see many carts with four or five coffins passing by
on their way to the Cemetery. And it was known that in the cemeteries, coffins were left unburied because of the lack
of workers. The rumor was that even some soldiers who had returned home on leave from the battle front had
contracted that infection and in few days died, after having endured the hardships of the trenches. It was a great
punishment of God!
Only few escaped that infection and the great fever in our houses in Sicily and in Puglia, both in the fathers’ and
sisters’ houses. In Puglia there were some victims of that pandemic among the Sisters and the female orphans; the
Father wrote of them in his letters of that time.
When it comes to the male houses of Avignone in Messina, that summer, there was a time when literally all were
bedridden and with fever: Fr. Vitale, the few Brothers and the orphans. Only three orphans were not affected and
they became the masters of the situation, finally free with the keys in their hands to roam around all the facilities. And
to the sick people they gave the little help boys can give. Some of the Brothers in spite of the fever, with great
sacrifice, tried to do some services when they could.

44
FR. TEODORO TUSINO, The Father’s Letters, pages 522.
 The Doctor in attendance, Dr. Miceli, visited them twice a day, prescribed the medicine, but deplored that
intolerable situation. Bro. Mariano, the blind, was in bed almost for one month with very high fever, approximately
forty degrees, till being delirious.
From Puglia, on September 25, the Father wrote to Fr. Vitale to call three of four Sisters from the Holy Spirit,
together with his [Fr. Vitale’s] sister, to serve the male religious House. Fr. Vitale, while still with fever, wrote to
Mother Nazarena asking for the Sisters, because the House had already turned into a hospital. The situation of the
Sister’s house was not much different; however, given the greater number of Sisters still effective and healthy, three
were chosen and sent as nurses. They were, guided by Sister Mary Cristina Figura, who ten years later, during the
General Chapter on 1928 became the Mother General. She was of vigorous and generous character. Immediately
the fathers’ House started seeing cleanliness and hygiene; the sick persons were cured and relieved, and the
prescriptions of the Doctor implemented. Towards the end of October the pandemic lessened and even the most
troubled of the sick started recovering. Even Bro. Mariano seemed to have passed from death to life.
Among the orphans only Orlando, a very lively and intelligent child whom the parents wanted to take back into
family, died. Also the raging of the war went abating. And one month later, on November 4, Italy and Austria signed
the armistice.

24. Community Life Slowly resumes in the Houses

The times were bad. The war was going to finish, but the painful and difficult conditions of the war’s aftermath
started to appear, particularly for the anarchy which ensued. On the other hand our Brothers soldiers started
returning. At Oria, the few orphans – a dozen, to be precise – were entrusted to the very young Bro. Giovangelista
Tursi. At times, however, Mother Carmela D' Amore, the Superior of St. Benedict, did not fail to intervene.
Fortunately, in 1918, Bro. Carmelo Drago returned home on leave after four years on the battle front. Fr. Palma
trusted him very much, so, through the friends whom he already had among the military authorities, obtained for Bro.
Carmelo to be recognized as indispensable worker of the shoe factory which was continuing to work for the Armed
Forces. And providentially, after his leave, Bro. Carmelo remained in Oria.
51
Enriched by the long experience of his military service, he started vigorously to rebuild the Community, bringing
it back little by little to its best times. Besides the orphans who were increasing in number, also the religious
aspirancy was restarted, even though only with the purpose of assisting the orphans.
In Messina, the Lord had called to himself Bro. Sante Casiello on May 1918, but Fr. Vitale was not prone to
surrender. And even though, for the moment, he was left only with Bro. Serafino, in spite of all the difficulties, he
wanted him to prepare for the examinations for the Lyceum diploma to be taken at the Archiepiscopal Seminary of
Messina. The poor Brother was waiting to be drafted for the army and his health was shaken by the “Spanish flu” and
by all the vicissitudes of that time of war. How could he endure such a demanding exam?
Fr. Vitale called some teachers to give him some remedial classes during that last period of' summer vacations,
and made arrangements with the Superiors of the Seminary. At the end of the month of October the Committee of
teachers of all the subjects met at St. Ignatius College at Cairoli's Square, presided by Fr. Severino, who was
appointed by Msgr. D'Arrigo as trustee for all the examinations in the Seminary. There were ten professors and the
poor condemned or condemnable student knew that he was just doing an act of obedience.
The result was as expected. In some subjects Bro. Serafino obtained the sufficiency; in others he looked very
weak. The Committee suggested that it was good for the Brother to deepen in a better way the philosophical subjects
by attending in the Seminary the classes of the third year of the philosophical lyceum; and at the end of the School
year to take the exams only for the subjects more needed for the theological studies.
This was also good for his health. That going up and down to the Seminary of Giostra every day during the 1918
- 1919 School Year, restored his physical health more than his philosophical knowledge. Almost every day he used to
walk with some of the non-resident Professors, who were going to the Seminary only for their classes. Unforgettable
among them were Fr. Caudo and Fr. Nicosia, at that time Rector of ‘Santa Maria delle Trombe’, who was disciple and
admirer of our Fr. Vitale.
The same happened in the following years to the other Confreres, like Bro. Diodoro, when he returned from the
war, while Bro. Serafino was starting his theological courses in the same Seminary. Very soon however he had to
leave for his military stint, postponed to December 1920. He came back in September 1921. Thus in the following
year 1921-1922 they were together in their theological studies and so they remained ever.
 Meanwhile, also Bro. Giovangelista Tursi and some others had come to Messina. With them Fr. Vitale tried to
rebuild a small Apostolic School [Seminary], with as many Aspirants as could fit in the so called Alessi’s Palace,
which belonged to the compound of the Avignone District.
In this way life resumed in the two Houses, with particular attention to the religious formation.

52
 Chapter III

THE CANONICAL APPROVAL

1. The Constitutions

The number and formation of the personnel of the Congregation was indeed indispensable, but for its effective
organization, the juridical basis was not less important. The aspirants who had entrusted themselves to the activities,
life and future of the Work, wanted to be sure that they entrusted themselves to a stable and recognized
establishment.
The Father had gone ahead with his great piety and spirit of faith. He was interested in God’s blessings, which
were sure when he had applied for and obtained the approval, even just verbally, and the blessings from the
Hierarchical Superiors of the Church, though not yet supported by documents. In fact, he had never taken a step
without submitting it to Card. Guarino, and later to his successor Msgr. D’Arrigo.
When it comes to the juridical and canonical structure, Fr. Hannibal had done everything informally: this caused
the slow and laborious gestation of the two Congregations.
For the male Congregation with the permission of Msgr. Guarino, he had started a kind of Clericate whom many
thought to be connected with the desire to foster vocations for the Archdiocese, while a group of three lay brothers
were given the sacred habit for both purpose: to pray to obtain good workers and to assist the orphans and the poor.
Later, in 1900, some of those Clerics made some promises, intended to be a prelude to the religious vows. Fr.
Hannibal presented to Msgr. D’Arrigo this initiative of living under a rule. The following year, 1901, he found a proper
name for this group “Rogationist of Heart of Jesus” and had it approved by Msgr. D’Arrigo, though they were still
having only promises for the future vows. Unfortunately, when the Father wanted to start the Novitiate, to give to that 53
group of clerics a real mark of religious Institute, that clericate vanished completely because they did not feel bound
by any juridical bond, even though they had been growing in the Work.
Fr. Hannibal realized that Rules were needed, that the candidates had to accept them through the profession of
the religious vows and that that those Rules had to be sealed by the chrism of the ecclesiastical Authority. Thus he
made several attempts to write the Rules and Constitutions, some of which are incomplete like those of 1913 and
some only occasional like the “Declarations and Promises” [usually known as ‘Forty Declarations’]. But none of them were
submitted to the Ecclesiastical Authority for approval. The bond which joined all the congregants was the obedience
under the heading of the paternal private authority of the Father. Then they were bound by the vows which started to
be done from 1908, though only as private vows, out of devotion, like those of any faithful.
Meanwhile a new event had been coming to maturity in the life of the Church, which was going to have its
consequences also on the Works of the Father. The Vatican Council I, among the other decisions, had expressed the
desire that the great number of ecclesiastical Laws formulated until then throughout the centuries, be gathered into
an official Code so that laws could easily be known and observed. This truly difficult initiative had practically remained
a pious desire until the ascent to pontificate of St. Pius X, who had as his program: “ To restore everything in Christ”
(Instaurare omnia in Christo”).
He created a committee formed by the most authoritative catholic jurists and entrusted them the compilation of
the Code of Canon Law. The Commission worked for twelve years until his Successor, Pope Benedict XV, even
during the full raging of the war. Nevertheless, Benedict XV consulted all the Bishops of the Catholic Church and on
the Pentecost of 1917, through the Apostolic Constitution “Providentissima Mater Ecclesia” he promulgated the new
Code and set the date of its coming into force on May 12, 1918, Feast of Pentecost.
In the new Code the proper dispositions to erect and to approve new religious Institutes were indicted; the
competencies of the local Ordinaries were determined; and the praxis to be followed, established. The changing
customs and formalities used till that time were abolished.
It was that the time when the Father started to think seriously about the effective means to grant juridical stability
to his two Institutes. And since it was necessary to prepare the Rules or Constitutions to be presented to the
ecclesiastical authority, he assigned Fr. Vitale, who was prepared and qualified, to draft them according to the
recently promulgated Code of Canon Law.
 Notwithstanding the works and difficulties of the war’s aftermath, Fr. Vitale started to work very diligently. When
he had sufficiently drafted the work, he went for some days to the guest quarter of the House of Taormina, where in
the silence of the house of our Sisters, he made the final touches and editing. Then the Constitutions were examined
point by point by the Father. Then, on June 1919, the Father and Fr. Vitale together presented the Constitutions to
Msgr. D’Arrigo for examination. With a presentation-application they were asking for the Decree of Recognition of the
Congregations as “Juris diocesani” (Of Diocesan right).45
Msgr. D’Arrigo received the request with joy. As a teacher of moral and Canon law, he wanted to study
personally these matters. This was the reason why it took so long before reaching a positive result. It took several
years.

2. A painful Event

The wooden Church, the first in Messina with the title of the Evangelical Rogation, little by little, had become a
spiritual center, and not only for that area.
The untiring activity of Fr. Vitale, especially in the ministry of confessions, as well as the work of Canon Celona,
had polarized in that church the piety of the citizens of Messina. The Avignone District was no more surrounded by
vegetable gardens and agricultural lands as before. After the earthquake, a large residential center had started to
develop in that place, initially made of huts, and later of concrete walls.
There were no other Churches nearby. The only one was the Parish Church of St. Anthony the Abbot, built over
the ruins of the ancient church which had collapsed, and officiated by the Parish Priest Fr. Giovanni Chillè. To find
another Church it meant to reach the wooden Church of the Jesuit Fathers at Cairoli’s square, or to go to the
American bridge, where, the beautiful outline of the Church of the Consolata together with the Institute of Don Orione
emerged in the midst of many shanties.
Furthermore, our wooden Church, with the orphans and the Anthonian propaganda for them, became the center
of the devotion to St. Anthony for the whole Messina and for the benefactors from Sicily and Calabria.
In the wooden Church, outside the balustrades, very near to the devout people, in an artistic crystal niche there
54
was a beautiful statue of St. Anthony, with several hanging lamps and big candles on the candlesticks. The presence
of the little orphans who were making the church resound with their prayers and songs from morning to evening; the
spreading of St. Anthony printed materials; the generosity of St. Anthony toward his devotees, all this brought to the
point that from every place people were hastening to the wooden Church of the Evangelical Rogation to pray the
Great Saint of miracles.
St. Anthony, the “great Benefactor of all”, as the Father invoked him on July 1, 1918, and the “Perennial
Conqueror of Souls”, as he greeted him on July 1, 1924, from that humble place attracted to Jesus such a crowd of
devotees that, in particular circumstances, the wooden church could not contain them.
It was there, in those circumstances that the devotional movement around the Anthonian Institutes was born;
that movement later increased prodigiously and gave wonderful fruits of Charity and apostolate.
Besides, that wooden Church was not far from the “Magdalene’s Gardens” (Orti della Maddalena) the place of
the military barracks for the Engineers and Medical Corps and of the Military Hospital. At that time of war and after
the war, many Italian priests were listed in the Medical Corps. For them, who had to be ready for duty every morning
at 8:00 AM, the wooden Church of the Evangelical Rogation was very convenient and useful.
At that time there was not yet the practice of concelebrating, thus every morning at the three altars of the
Church, approximately 25 holy Masses were celebrated one after another. The priests used to come willingly
because they were granted the services, vestments and a devout environment.
It was in that Church that the Associations of Daughters of Mary and the first group of “Reparatrix Handmaids”
(Ancelle Riparatrici) started with numerous members. It happened in this way.
As a Penitentiary of the Cathedral, a devotee of the Eucharist and of Our Lady and a great teacher of interior life,
Canon Celona had organized, among the many young ladies who were attending the Church, a numerous and

45
FR. TEODORO TUSINO, The Father’s Letters, pages 590-591.
fervent Association, which he aggregated to the Daughters of Mary in Rome. 46 They were truly such a large number
and it was indeed edifying and imposing to see them filling the Church with their presence during their ceremonies.
Canon Celona by nature was majestic, solemn and dignified in his canonical insignia and in these celebrations
he did his best. During the 1917 feast of the Immaculate, he accepted into the Association many young ladies, for the
different orders and levels, while the effective members, with their medals and ribbons of different colors, filled the
benches. Those admitted, from the “little angels” (angiolette), to the Aspirants and to the Effective members, were
one hundred twenty. Certainly Our Immaculate Lady was pleased by all those devout youths.
Among this Associations Canon Celona chose the first vocations of his Institute of the Reparatrix Handmaids
(“Ancelle Riparatrici”) who started in St. Sebastiano Street, near Montalto.
But, all of a sudden, all this movement of faith, piety and devotion was destroyed by a woeful event.
On the night between April 26 and 27, 1919, Saturday and Sunday “in Albis” of that year, in less than one hour
and half, approximately between 11:30 p.m. and 1:00 after midnight, the beautiful wooden Church, together with
everything inside: benches, pictures, statues, altars, sacristy, vestments, liturgical books and even the Blessed
Sacrament in the Tabernacle was turned into ashes by a mysterious fire. Nothing could be saved.47.

46
Fr. Santoro makes some confusion about of the Association of Daughters of Mary. The Association had been
started by Fr. Hannibal since November 1887, and the request of affiliation to the Primary seat of Rome, was done
on October 1891. When in 1910 Canon Celona settled in Avignone District, he was assigned by Fr. Di Francia, to
guide that Association.
47 “
The war was already finished, the demobilization was gradually continuing and, after the victory, the soldiers
were little by little returning home. However the contrast between the triumphant veterans and the zone behind the
front lines was very striking. The latter were poisoned by the subtle propaganda blowing from Russia, where on
October 1917 Lenin’s great Bolshevik revolution had occurred, and inebriated by the end of the sufferings of the
war. Though victorious, the poor veterans instead of honors were welcomed by the insults and contempt of the mob.
Also the Government leaders of that time, educated by the freemasonry, were not able to take advantage of the
victory, by supporting decorously the rights of the Italian people, nor to maintain strongly the domestic order. And
winds of revolution and anarchy were blowing”.
After the war our Father was talking frequently about this as something certain and was afraid that at any moment 55
thuggish forces could be unleashed.
In the 1919 hymn [for July 1st] he wrote: “The storms already arise / they dreadfully come forward”. He was praying
and fearing: “more than for myself, for your holy Ciborium / for the virginal modesty of your Daughters / for the
faith of your Children / and save what here is growing / for you and for your loving Heart”.
On such a background, in the night from 26 to 27 April, Sunday of Albis, 1919 a terrible and mysterious event
happened. I was sleeping at Alessi Palace together with the other few confreres who had arrived from Oria, when
suddenly I was awakened by Bro. Giovangelista Tursi who was sleeping downstairs in the room already used by Fr.
Jannello, beside the Church. “Bro. Serafino, hurry up! Hurry up! The Church is burning!” he shouted and then run
away. I jumped out of the bed, dressed myself in a hurry in the darkness, because the light was not working, and
went downstairs and out of the palace. At the staircase landing in the darkness I saw something white which was
moving “It is me, Bro. Serafino, do not be afraid, I had to escape in this way and now I am dressing here. Everything
is burning". It was the voice of Bro. Redento, who in those days was on leave [from the military service] in Messina
and was sleeping in one of the new rooms near the Church. I passed by him and went down in the courtyard
enlightened by the flame of the fire; I met Bro. Salvatore, who was sleeping also near the Church. Carrying a bag he
came toward me: “It is the gold of St. Anthony. I am putting it in a safe place, because in such confusion...” I left
him and run to the open corridor leading to the Church. There I met the Father, who looked like a bewildered
person, and a crowd contemplating the terrifying view without being able to do anything. The beautiful wooden
Church was completely on fire, and already some bluish grim spirals of smoke appeared over the corrugated iron
roof.
The Father was ordering to clear the nearby rooms, in spite of the darkness broken only by the flames, fearing that
the fire could expand to those rooms very soon. In the meantime the firemen came and with their powerful water jets
tried to get the huge fire under control. But in vain, because the iron sheet of the roof made the water skid away
uselessly, and the water thrown inside through the windows was not enough to quench that great furnace. It was
around 1:15 after midnight when the fire was brought under control, but the complete extinction of the fire came
when the support of the support of the iron sheet- roof gave in and it fell with great noise in a sea of lames and
sparks, and the strong water jets could reach directly the whole fire and effectively quench it. Thus when, after some
hours, the fire was totally extinguished, of our beautiful Church, only a part of scorched apse with the blackened
statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the great door fallen but not completely burned and the bell-tower barely
touched by the fire were left. Nothing was left of the Blessed Sacrament, of the statues, of the very beautiful
vestments and sacred vessels and lamps. Only wet black ashes.
 What happened? How did it happen? We’ll never know. Many hypotheses were formulated but none of them
convincing. Maybe it was caused by a short circuit which inflamed the resinous wood of the Church, well dried for 9
years. But why had it to happen during the night? It is a mystery!
In the evening, as usual, after the night prayers the members of the small Community went to sleep. Only Fr.
Vitale used to remain in the Church for his long prayers of adoration, and also because of his stomach pains, he used
to have supper quite late. After his frugal supper he had come back to greet Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, before
retreating into his room. Bro. Placido used to stay still for a while in the Church for his personal devotions until almost
midnight. When he went to his room, he left everything quiet in the Church. No sign of the impending tragedy.
Bro. Giovangelista who had arrived in Messina just few days before, Bro. Salvatore, Bro, Redento, who was on
leave, and Father Founder, in his apartment, were all sleeping in the small rooms near the Church, separated only by
the open corridor.

The following day we found among the mud pieces of melted glass with metal chains, the last remembrance of the
beautiful lamps!
The Father and Fr. Vitale were like lost persons, and since because the confusion in the effort to clear the place and
of the many people, who had come, many objects fell down, the Father was ordering us to look at the ground and
gather everything even a piece of paper. To do this we had no other light except for some candles.
When everything finished and the fire brigade and the people went away the Father was repeating: “The Lord gave
and the Lord has taken away; blessed be His Holy Name!” And he told us as he had been scared by the shouts and
by the noisy knocking at the house’s door. His first thought was that the revolution had started and the anarchists
had taken over. When he realized that the lights were not working and a strange red light filtrated through the
windows, he had got up and met the other Brothers who were going to open the house’s door. There were people
who, at that hour, were going home from the theatres and having seen the fire on their way, they had run to wake us
up and to help us. Even the Constabularies near us got worried for the development of the fire because under the
door of the Church, they had one of their warehouses and even a deposit of ammunitions. That is why even they at
the first alarm started in a hurry to clear those facilities which were obstructing Ghibellina Street. Just the falling of
some burning embers could have caused a disaster also for them.
How did the fire start? How could it expand so rapidly? It remained always a mystery. Fr. Vitale, as usual, after 56
supper, remained in the Church, more or less, until 11:30; he left there Bro. Placido, always the last to go to bed,
having his devotions at the light of a candle which placed by the devotees before St. Anthony. At what time did Bro.
Placido go to bed? He was unable to say, but certainly after 11:30 and he was sure that before leaving the Church, he
put out the candle. But even supposing that he did not put out the candle, and that immediately after it may have
accidentally fallen, can this explain how in less than one hour, the whole church was already entirely on flame? Thus
the Father did not want even to investigate and worshipped God's will.
When light came on the following morning, we were able to estimate the vastness of the disaster. The Father
however, instead of getting discouraged brought out immediately his usual dynamism. To strike while the iron is
hot, he asked Bro. Redento, to go around in the streets and in the houses, together with some orphan boys, to inform
people about what had happened and to ask alms for a new Church. The poor Bro. Redento felt embarrassed even
though wearing the cassock. He was already a sergeant used to other things; he tried to evade it. Meanwhile the
people, both because the sad news spread immediately, and because it was Sunday, when they used to come quite
early for the Mass, arrived from everywhere, grieving for the sad fate of their dearest Church. The Father, then, had
the portion which the fire had opened towards the inside of the Institute closed, and set up a temporary altar with a
sacred image and assigned us to announce to the faithful that a Holy Mass was going to be celebrated in a short
while. He put on the sacred vestments - I don't remember if they borrowed from the internal Chapel of the Institute
or from the Holy Spirit Institute - and started the celebration of the Holy Mass, after a very short preparation done
just standing there. After the Holy Mass together with several of us, the Father started to walk around begging. It
was a plebiscite of comfort and help. I had never seen the Father so determined and timely.
Meanwhile a continuous pilgrimage of ever new and grieving people to the area of the burned Church started.
Everybody left his own offering. The improvised small altar in the open air was a sign that the worship did not stop,
but was going to continue. However, the situation could not remain like that, waiting for a church, which nobody
knew when it would have come. Thus the Father ordered to cover with wood that long corridor over Ghibellina
Street which before was used by the faithful to enter the Church, by ascending a staircase placed at the corner
between Ghibellina Street and Aurelio Saffi Street, where there was also an entrance to the Institute and to the
apartment of Miss Vitale and of the Sisters working in the kitchen. And as soon as it was ready, it was to be used as
a Chapel for the faithful and for the orphans.
The work was done in a short time and there the worship continued with all the sacred Celebrations, the Sunday
Mass and devotion to St. Anthony until the new Church and Sanctuary of St. Anthony was finished. (From an
unpublished Writing of Fr. Santoro).
 Bro. Giovangelista said that he had seen some gleam of flames by the small window over the door and after a
while there was like the explosion of a storm: people strongly knocking at door shouting: “Fire!”, “Fire!” Everybody
was awakened. There was no electricity. The whole Church was burning.
All jumped out of their beds, also the brothers who were sleeping at the Alessi Palace, but all they could do was
to remove the furniture and other objects from the rooms closer to the Church. And even this was done in the
darkness or better in the grim gleaming of flames whirling over the corrugated iron roof of the Church. Somebody
called the firemen who came with their powered pumps and strong water jets; they succeeded only in not letting the
fire extend to the other facilities of the Institute.
At around 1:00 AM, the fire was already under control, but what was left of the beautiful wooden Church was
only a mound of damp ashes and smoldering charcoals. Even the crystal chandeliers were smelted and we found
only some pieces of melted glass mixed with the chains which supported them.
At dawn the scene appeared in all its tragic reality. What was left was only a part of the apse, the scorched small
wooden bell-tower and a black open space of soaked charcoal.
The people of Messina wept. All citizens came to see. The Father who used to see the will of God in everything
and during the night had been repeating: “God had given, God has taken away; may his will be done”, in that same
morning of Sunday in Albis, he had an altar prepared in the open and celebrated the Holy Mass. He said to the
faithful: “St. Anthony wants a more beautiful masonry Church and Messina will build it for this great Saint”.
That same morning, while emotions were still high, together with Bro. Redento, who was in Messina on leave
from the military service, the Father went around asking for help. Bro. Redento, the only one among our confreres
who in the army had obtained the degree of Sergeant, in the beginning felt embarrassed but in front of the urgent
invitation of the Father, abandoned any perplexity and, with his usual simplicity, went around doing what the Father
wished.

3. The Activity of the Church Continues

The burning of the wooden Church had been a sad event and a great loss, but for those who, like the Father, live
57
by faith, even the most ungrateful and painful events follow a plan of the Divine Providence, and foreshadow greater
benefits.
Soon, with a surprising promptness, a remedy was found for the loss of the Church. The long open corridor,
which from the staircase of Aurelio Saffi Street, was passing over Ghibellina Street almost seven meters high, and
which until that time had been used as a corridor to enter the wooden Church, was closed with a wall along the
parapet of Ghibellina Street, covered with roofing and turned into a Chapel.
That covered space of 36 meters in length and 3 meters wide, even though it did not correspond to any
architecture’s canon, was practically a sufficient area, even a little larger than the surface of the burned wooden
Church. An altar was placed for the celebration of the Holy Masses and devotions and to preserve the Blessed
Sacrament. The part in front of the altar was separated, through a balustrade, as a place for the orphans. A statue of
St. Anthony was placed in a niche outside of the balustrade, like in the wooden Church. Pews and confessional were
provided, and the faithful kept coming like before and even more than before, because the event of the fire had called
the attention even of those who did not know the wooden Church before. And the worship, the Holy Masses, the
confessions, the attendance of the Sacraments and the practices of piety, continued with the ancient fervor.
How many celebrations in that rustic corridor transformed into a Chapel! In the museum of the Father there are
some good pictures of that corridor-Chapel.
Meanwhile the dynamic and methodical Fr. Vitale, following the instructions of the Father, started to work
seriously for the construction of the masonry Church, consulting technicians and competent Offices. The proper area
had to be found even wider than that of the former wooden Church. For this purpose the neighboring lots of land had
to be bought and consolidated according to the city planning scheme. This meant to deal with and to buy from the
owners, who were almost 30 and some of them were abroad. Plans and drawings had to be prepared for the
approval of the Civil Engineers whose requirements, after the earthquake, had become particularly demanding. Thus
Fr. Vitale availed of Architect Savoja. It was necessary to hire a serious construction firm, and he chose the
constructor Interdonato.
If we consider the demands of the owners about the prize, the difficulty to relocate those who were illegally
squatting on the land and the usual delays of the bureaucracy, all these things happened with a miraculous speed,.
 It was a real tough work which Fr. Vitale carried out with method and perseverance, using his vast network of
personal acquaintances and the esteem for the Work of the Father. Furthermore, the Headquarter of the
Constabularies Legion had put its eyes on that area so as to build their seat, but in front of the desire expressed by
Fr. Di Francia, even the Constabulary gave in.
Thus, in just two years the project was approved, the contract stipulated and the construction yard opened. And
on April 3, Sunday in Albis of the year 1921, Msgr. Letterio D'Arrigo blessed the foundation and the corner stone of
the new Temple, in a wonderful feast of sun and flags assisted by the Father, by Fr. Vitale, Fr. Palma and all our
friends and benefactors. It was indeed a true solemn festive morning, highlighted by a masterly speech of Fr.
Domenico Franze’, Friar Minor, our guest, and by a poetical hymn of thanksgiving to the Lord by our Father Founder.
The day of the fire of two years before, was already mended.

4. The Aspirantate in Messina

Fr. Vitale, however, was working with passion and constant zeal on another not less important building, but, on
the contrary much more relevant than the one of stones and cement. It was about the living stones of that
Congregation for which the Father had requested him to draft the Constitutions. Vocations, vocations, clerical
vocations was the fervent desire of the Father, which Fr. Vitale tried to concretize methodically, patiently and through
prayer. He had done it as Director in Oria, and when, through the sickness of malaria, the Lord showed to want him in
Messina, there he started again to work for the formation of priests with his great trust in the sanctity of this cause and
with the tenacity of his will.
He wrote some articles in “ God and Neighbor”, but with great prudence because the possibilities of lodging at the
Avignone District were very limited. And in 1919 the first aspirants came, attentively examined by Fr. Vitale before
their acceptance.
Thus with few well selected young men the community of aspirants was started in Messina. The Father
summoned from Oria Bro. Giovangelista and some others of good hope like Antonio Spada.
The compound of the so-called Alessi Palace was adapted as home of this small Community of no more than
58
twelve aspirants. An internal Chapel for the community prayers was made out of the room formerly used by the
Father. The adjacent room, formerly the office of the Father, was destined as reading and conferences’ room. The
rooms at the right and left of the library were used as dormitory: they were truly packed together, but there was no
other way.
When it comes to the school the first classes were offered inside with salaried teachers, while, by gentle
concession of the Archbishop Msgr. D’Arrigo, they were attending the higher classes at the archiepiscopal Seminary
at Giostra.
To assist the younger ones, Fr. Vitale was counting on Bros. Serafino Santoro and Diodoro Tusino, as soon as
they would finish their military stint. In fact Bro. Diodoro was drafted at the end of 1917 and left immediately for the
battle front without even having the time to greet his Confreres; Bro. Serafino was able to delay his departure until
November 1920 and obtained to be discharged on September of the following year 1921.
However, even though modestly, the first fruit started to become visible.
We remember the taking of the sacred habit on the feast of Immaculate Conception, on December 8, 1922 when
the postulants Giuseppe Ruta from Rosolini, who took the name of Bro. Concetto, and Antonio Spada from Sava,
who took the name of Bro. Stellario, received the sacred habit, the former as a Coadjutor, the latter as a student. The
ceremony was celebrated in the internal chapel, in order not to interfere with the movement of the faithful in the
corridor - Church mentioned above.
Two years later, on October 19, 1924, two postulants: Antonio Bizzarro from Naples, who took the name of Bro.
Rosario, and Salvatore Onorato from Lacedonia, who took the name of Bro. Gerardo, received the sacred habit. In
the following year, 1925, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, Pietro Bianca from Curinga, to whom the Father
gave the name of Bro. Omobono because he was a skilled tailor, received the religious habit as a coadjutor brother.
Again the following year, on October 23, 1926, the Coadjutor Nicola Quinto from Pisticci, received the sacred habit
with the name of Bro. Raffaele, together with others who did not persevere.
Still better, and with great satisfaction for the Father, the first ordinations started. Bro. Serafino, who had finished
his first year of theology as well as his military service, on December 17, 1921, received the Tonsure from Msgr.
D'Arrigo, and shortly after, on January 1, 1922 the same Msgr. D'Arrigo conferred the Tonsura to Bro. Diodoro.
 On September 21, 1922 both of them received the Minor Orders of the Ostiariate and Lectorate, from the same
Msgr. D’Arrigo in the private Chapel of his Episcopal palace. After only two days, on 23 September, together with
other seminarians, they received the other two Minor Orders: Exorcistate and Acolytate.
Unfortunately on December 18, 1922, the strong, almost colossal constitution of Msgr. D'Arrigo, the untiring
worker and zealous Pastor, surrendered; he died and went to receive the eternal recompense of the good and faithful
servant.
After a short while, the Archdiocese of Messina dismissed the mourning vestments for the appointment of the
new Bishop, in the well-known and esteemed person of Msgr. Angelo Paino, the former Capitular Vicar. Through his
hands our two Bros. Serafino and Diodoro received the sacred Order of Sub-diaconate on November 25, 1923,
together with other Clerics into the Chapel of Archiepiscopal Palace, and the Diaconate, on April 19, 1924, Holy
Saturday. And finally they received the sacred Order of Presbyterate on June 14, 1924 with the uncontainable joy of
the Father, of Fr. Vitale and of both the male and female Congregations, who had prayed and desired much the first
two Priests.
In the same sacred celebration, Bro. Giovangelista Tursi received the Tonsure and thus started his ascent to the
priesthood.
We can imagine how much consolation the Father received from this movement which he attributed to the zeal
of Fr. Vitale, to the point of calling these vocations “ Vitalini”. Such a movement corresponded truly to his constant
longing for many years! And he did not fail to spur also the House of Oria to provide him with the same consolation,
by stimulating Fr. Palma and his collaborators. Thus, also in that House, our well deserving Bros. Carmelo Drago and
Redento Levi, who had already finished their military service as well as the younger Brothers Camillo Ruggeri and
Luca Appi, were set to study for priesthood.
A very Good and learned Parish Priest, Canon Francesco Chirico, from Ceglie Messapica, having been
appointed as Penitentiary of the Cathedral of Oria was accepted as a guest in our House. Fr. Palma asked him to
teach Letters and Philosophy to these Brothers. Fr. Palma found also other good Priests from Oria and from Ceglie,
like Fr. Lagamba as teachers, to help Canon Chirico. And so the Father had the consolation to see also those sons
on their way to priesthood. A kind of competition started between our two Houses and the Congregation thus begun
assuming its clear clerical character.
59
Only from heaven the Father saw the realization of his holy ideal: a group, though small, of priests and Coadjutor
Brothers under the banner of the Rogate.

5. The start of the Internal ‘Bollettino’

During their recreations, frequently the young religious Brothers were talking about the situation of the Work
which was already acquiring a certain consistency and which they were expecting to enter the history of the Church
in a short while, with the approval of the Constitutions promised by Msgr. D'Arrigo.
Their reasoning was: our family has already grown and spread in several places: with the two male Houses and
the nine female Houses: two in Messina, one in Taormina, Giardini, St. Pier Niceto, St. Eufemia d’Aspromonte, two in
Oria, and then in Francavilla Fontana, Altamura and Trani; we have already the relevant number of eleven houses. At
that time it was impossible to think in different way. We were just one family under the gaze and the guidance of the
Father who was the leader of all and of everything as well as the final judge in any affair and disputation. In the same
way the economical administration was just one. It was a paternal government, a family administration. This was the
mind of the Founder: what pertained to each one, belonged to all.
Whatever was happening in a female or male House was the concern of all the members of the work. In the
Houses many good things were carried out, but often the news remained there. Very frequently the Father in his
geniality was organizing manifestations of piety following his sudden inspiration, but they remained unknown to the
others, or were known very late. There was no means of communication to share with all the houses.
We felt the need of a kind of edifying newsletter similar to that of St. Ignatius of Loyola in the beginning of his
Society. We needed a means through which the Father could show ordinarily his ideals and his longings so that they
could become the desires of all his sons and daughters, the life of their life, according to the mission willed by the
Holy Spirit.
Indeed, in extraordinary circumstances the Father was using the Circular Letters, like for the “Supplica” for the
Name of Jesus, for the feast of First July, for asking particular prayers, for the "Hail Mary" to Our Lady of the Bread,
for the seventh centenary of Our Lady of Ransom, for the centennial of St. Vincent the Paul, for the devotion to the
Most Precious Blood, for the seventieth birthday of Msgr. D’Arrigo and so on. But we were thinking that it would have
been so beautiful, practical and effective to have a newsletter reserved to our Communities, as kind of pulpit from
where the Father could frequently share with everybody his fatherly and apostolic word.
For the Benefactors and devotees of St. Anthony for the benefits of the orphans, the monthly magazine “God
and Neighbor” had been already established and qualified, reaching the circulation of 700,000 copies a month, to the
point that a rotary machine with the print capacity of 24,000 copies per hour had to be bought.
About the members of our communities scattered in the southern part of Italy, something was needed to unite all
of them in the same aspirations and to gear towards the same future, through the communication of the happy and
sad events of the whole Rogationist Family.
These thoughts often shared among the young religious, matured into a daring idea: to create and to print at
least a bimonthly newsletter with such a purpose. There were no difficulties for the printing: the printing press was
available and all of us could handle somehow the printing procedures without bothering anybody else. For the
contents we dared to hope for the help of the Father, of Fr. Vitale and of other Confreres and Co-sisters. What
mattered was to obtain the approval of the Father for this idea.
The young religious presented the project to Fr. Vitale, who accepted it enthusiastically up to wishing it to be
monthly, but the students felt that it would have been too demanding for their studies. Fr. Vitale promised to speak to
the Father; in the meantime he suggested to prepare a sample issue to present to the Father on the Feast of the
Name of Jesus on January 31, 1922. The title of the Newsletter was very simple: “ Bulletin of the Evangelical
Rogation of the Heart of Jesus” [Bollettino della Rogazione Evangelica del Cuore di Gesù ]. If the Father wanted
another title, he could suggest it.
At that time, because of his health, the Father was residing in his apartment at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit
together with Bro. Mariantonio. On January 31, he came to Avignone to preside the sacred celebration with a solemn
sermon on the Name of Jesus. After the celebration, a sample of the Bulletin, already prepared, was presented to
him. At first, caught by surprise, he seemed not to understand, and he wanted to examine it with calm.
The result was beyond expectations. When Fr. Vitale went to visit him that afternoon, the Father told him that he
was truly delighted, and that he had already read it all. He had also read some articles to the sisters. He said that as
60
soon as possible, he would send his approval and blessing and that, as much as possible, he was willing to
correspond to the desire of the young religious and send them some articles.
The approval and the blessing of the Father came with his wonderful communication and exhortation on
February 13, and it was published, even with some decorations, in the following issue edited by Fr. Tusino.
Thus was born that internal newsletter, which, in spite of all the vicissitudes of the war and other events, has
already celebrated its fiftieth anniversary48.

6. The laborious journey of the Constitutions

Msgr. D'Arrigo was a hard working person. In some particular positions, however, it is almost impossible to do
everything by oneself: Msgr. had the text of our Constitutions always in full view on his desk, but, in spite of his great
good will, unfortunately it was very difficult for him to find the time to examine them with attention in the midst of the
affairs of the great Archdiocese of Messina.
Every time the Father and Fr. Vitale went to him and humbly dared to hint a solicitation about the Constitutions,
Msgr. D'Arrigo used to assure them that his attention was on them: “Do see you where I keep them?” and an he used
to show them the folders on his table, as to tell them that it was not his fault if the affairs gave him no time for that
purpose.
September 21, 1922 was the fiftieth Anniversary of his priestly ordination. The whole Archdiocese was preparing
solemn celebrations. The Father wanted our Communities to participate in full and to attend the solemn Triduum in
the Cathedral. He himself wrote the prayers and the stanzas which were sung during the triduum. The choir of the
female orphans, under the skillful guidance of Sister Filomena, rendered the songs for the occasion. He himself
preached the first evening, followed by Msgr. Bruno and by Msgr. Paino on the other evenings.
In the afternoon of September 21, both our Communities of Messina, with a beautiful and numerous group of
Priests, Sisters and orphans went to the Archiepiscopal Palace to offer their wishes. The Father read and gave Msgr.
48
This reference to the fiftieth anniversary of the Bollettino 1922- 1972, allows us to establish the year when Fr.
Santoro wrote these memories [that is most probably 1972 or 1973. He died on May 15, 1974].
D’Arrigo a beautiful speech of homage and subjection. The Archbishop was visibly touched by such a great devotion
and affection. And even in that occasion he repeated his assurance about his concern to grant the approval to the
two Congregations and to their Constitutions. Notwithstanding such an assurance, the time passed and we could not
obtain anything.
In the ending of 1922 there was the opportunity to add to the Constitutions a short chapter about the Profession
“in articulo mortis” for the Novices, which was going to be granted at that time by the Congregation for the Religious.
So the Father asked the folders with the manuscripts of the Constitutions from the Archbishop to make that insertion
and then to give them back to him. It was providential.
The strong and tireless worker fell on the breach. In the morning of December 18, , his waiter, Mr. Meli, seeing
that, contrary to his custom, the Archbishop was late and did not come out of his room, knocked repeatedly at the
door. And since nobody answered he forced the door: the Archbishop was lying on the floor already dead, evidently
in his effort to ask for help. He had worked until midnight. On his table there was the last document signed by him:
the approval of the schedule of the “Quarantore” [the traditional three-day solemn Eucharistic Adoration to be held in
the parishes].
Among the confusion which followed that sad event, those two texts of our Constitution, so laboriously written,
could had easily been lost,
What happened after these events advised against an immediate request of approval of the Constitutions; first
because of the vacant Episcopal See, later because his successor, Msgr. Paino, after the election started promptly to
organize the rebuilding of the Churches of Messina, of the Cathedral, of the Institutes and Pious Works of the
Archdiocese through continuous efforts and trips to Rome to obtain the needed funds. We had to wait.
Thus on November 1, 1923 the two texts of the Constitutions of the Congregation of the Rogationists and that of
the Daughters of Divine Zeal were presented to Msgr. Paino, accompanied by a letter signed by the Father and by
Fr. Vitale.
Msgr. Paino, who already knew everything and esteemed very much our Father Founder and his Works,
received benevolently the request with the intention to have the Constitutions examined by competent Canonist in
Rome. In his trips to Rome he used to lodge at the Redemptorist Fathers’ House, in Merulana Street, where he knew
Fr. Sordais, a canonist and consultant of the Sacred Congregation for Religious. Fr. Sordais presented some
61
remarks to which Fr. Vitale answered. And time was passing in this way, while the Communities intensified their
prayers to hasten God’s hour.

7. Rome

The Father had always dreamed a Rogationist House in Rome to hoist the sacred banner of the forgotten
Command of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Rogate; as he wrote... “ To raise it in the eternal city which is the center of
Catholicism, where the Supreme See of the Teaching Church is, personified by the Supreme Pontiff, the infallible vicar
of Jesus Christ”.
The Father had often approached people to realize this purpose, since the time when Card. Oreglia, during a
meeting told him that a work which receives its mission from the word “Rogate” must be present in Rome preferably
than in any other city. Also Fr. Biaschelli, General Superior of the Missionaries of the Most Precious Blood, in adhering
to the Sacred Alliance, had written to the Father: “ God wants you to extend your Works to the whole Christianity,
starting from its center, that is, from the august city of Rome, Seat of the Vicar of Jesus Christ”.
The reiterated attempts to start a house in Rome, however, never succeeded; the Father, according to his
customs, was waiting that God’s will be manifested.
In the summer of 1924, he had to go to Rome for an affair concerning the female Houses of Oria and its relation
with the adjacent Manfredi Castle which had created some frictions. He had no intention to renew the attempts to
accomplish his old desire. However the Lord had fixed just that moment for the realization of that pious aspiration. The
Father used to avail of his trips also for his charitable donations. And it was one of these charitable activities - as he
himself narrated in his Circular letter to the houses on October 14, 1924 - that placed him in the condition not of
looking for facilities, but of receiving a proposal by others49.
The process of the civil and ecclesiastical papers; the vicissitudes for the compromise and the contract; the
discussion among the Fathers about the immediate destination of the building already bought and its effective
destination as an Anthonian male Orphanage, entrusted temporarily to the Daughters of Divine Zeal, who after some
49
FR. TEODORO TUSINO, The Father’s Letters, pages 737-744.
years, could be replaced by the Rogationists whose presence in Rome was always at the top of his thoughts: all these
are widely reported in the Circular Letter to our houses on October 14, 1924.
But what is interesting to notice here is that the Father’s ancient ideal of having a Rogationist House in Rome did
not become a reality neither at that time. He saw its realization only from heaven, because it came about in 1946.
More than other things, we can say that Rome was fatal to his health, as he himself said several times quoting the
verses of the Baswilliana written by poet Vincenzo Monti. In fact, in that occasion and in those still damp and cold
buildings unfit for dwelling in November 1924, he contracted that diffuse pleurisy, which later became chronic and
which, through ups and downs, led him to the tomb.
It was necessary that a life all interwoven with every kind of sufferings, be crowned by a supreme immolation for
the house which he had much dreamed of, and at the same time to give homage to his faith in the Supreme Pontiff
and in the Holy See.

8. Msgr. Francesco Parrillo

In February 1926 a high Prelate from Rome, an Auditor of the Sacred Rota, Msgr. Francesco Parrillo, suddenly
showed up in Messina, for some inspections on behalf of the Holy See. He was lodging at the Archiepiscopal Palace.
He wanted to visit also the works of Fr. Di Francia in Messina.
On February 25, 1926, accompanied by Msgr. Pio Giardina, the unforgettable Vicar General of Messina, he came
at our House in Avignone. He was received by Fr. Vitale with great deference and veneration. He wanted to see
everything, the Church under construction and almost finished the dormitories, the workshops and the schools. While
he was talking with the Fathers and the Religious, he questioned them about the rules, the economic conditions and
the personnel. He was pale and severe, speaking in monosyllables, but Fr. Vitale answered him with simplicity and
properly.
After the visit to Avignone, he wanted to be accompanied to the Institute of the Holy Spirit to talk with the Founder
and to visit the Sisters’ work. Fr. Vitale and Msgr. Giardina accompanied him.
When he knew that the representative of the Holy See was coming to visit him, notwithstanding the pains and 62
infirmities which had rendered him extremely weak, the Father came down from his apartment, sustained by Fr.
Palma, who was with him, to come to meet Msgr. Parrillo on the threshold of the Institute, to kneel and kiss his hand.
He answered all the questions of Msgr. Parrillo with his usual reverence and frankness. He apologized for not
being able to accompany him to visit the places because he had no sufficient strength to climb the stairs and he asked
Fr. Palma, Fr. Vitale and Mother Nazarena to do it on his behalf and to show him everything starting from the Chapel
and from the statue of the Immaculate, which in its time had drops of sweat.
Msgr. Parrillo wanted to see everything, and be informed about the way the life of the Community was carried out,
repeatedly questioning the Sisters with the coldness of an inspector. After the visit he went to greet the Father in his
small room, greeting him, “With serious and reserved behavior”, as Fr. Vitale - who was present - wrote.
The two Fathers, Vitale and Palma, after the visit, out of deference joined Msgr. Giardina, in accompanying the
Visitor back to the Archiepiscopal Palace.
The sudden visit, the attitude of the Prelate and his investigating questions, seemed to anticipate nothing good.
Were they a sign of another terrible storm building up against the already so much tried Work of Canon Di Francia?
The following day Fr. Vitale went to the Archiepiscopal Palace to return the visit, to pay homage to the Prelate
and to submit to him some explanations about the state of the Work and about some questions of the previous day
which might not have been sufficiently answered.
Msgr. Parrillo received him kindly but with a tense and sad face, almost with anguish. So different from the
investigating stern expression of the previous day! He confessed to Fr. Vitale that he could not sleep that night out of
preoccupation. He said how he had come to Messina greatly biased against the Works of Fr. Di Francia, and also the
Roman Authorities had strong prejudices. Indeed, he added, he had come to decide the suppression of the Work. But
the image of that venerable and holy man, the Founder, did not let him at peace the whole night. That image was
always there, in front of him in the same attitude as the previous day when the Father have received him, with the
simplicity of his answers and the transparency of a soul all of God. And a terrible interior voice was prospecting in
front of him the horror of what he had already decided to do.
He wanted to go back to the Holy Spirit Institute to talk again with the father for a long time. He asked from the
Father a complete report about his Works to be presented to the Holy Father. Having come to know, during his long
conversation, that the Father was a prolific and devout writer of formulas of prayers, he asked one for himself and his
needs.
The Father together with the Frs. Vitale and Palma prepared the report with all the details requested by Msgr.
Parrillo; and the Father wrote the prayer which he was asked to. After some days our Fathers brought to him both:
the report and the prayer. He was so happy that since that moment he became an apostle and defender of our
Works. And never forgot, even later on, after the death of the Father, to favor them in every way.
Back to Rome, Msgr. Parrillo presented his report on our Institutions and on the Founder to the sacred
Congregation for the Religious, and obtained the following document which we report here in our translation from
Latin, addressed to Msgr. Paino:

Secretariat of the Sacred Congregation of the Religious

No. 4242/26
Rome July 30, 1926

To the Most Illustrious and Rev. Lord, Bishop of Messina,

Most Illustrious and Rev. Lord, this Sacred Congregation for the Affairs of the Religious, has reflected diligently
on the report of the Apostolic Visitor about the canonical establishment of the male Institute of Diocesan Right named
“Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus”, and of the female Institute, named “Daughters of Divine Zeal of Heart of Jesus”.
Thus, I am glad to make known to your Excellency that this Sacred Congregation has no objections [nihil obstat]
that, according to Can. 492 of the Canon Law. and according to the established form, particularly about the habit and
the finalities of both the Institutes, your Excellency may proceed to the canonical establishment of the above
mentioned Congregations of Diocesan Right, in such a way, however, that when it comes to its effects, the
establishment have retro-active power from the day of its foundation, that is, the year 1897.
Your Excellency shall care that the prescriptions of the Canon Law be observed, particularly when it comes to
the absolute separation and independence, and always considering the special finality of each one of the Institutes,
the proper Constitutions be prepared, by which the life and regular discipline could be safeguarded.
63
According to the Instruction of the Sacred Congregation on November 30, 1922, after having issued the Decrees
of establishment let your Excellency deign to forward them to this Congregation.
With the best wishes.
Most Devout of Your Excellency,
Signed: La Puma - Secretary Signed C. Card. Laurenti - Prefect

9. The canonical establishment of the Congregation

As soon as the above mentioned rescript of clearance [ Nihil Obstat] from the Sacred Congregation reached H. E.
Msgr. Archbishop Angelo Paino, immediately he ordered the issuing of the Decree of canonical establishment of the
Institute, and of the approval of the Constitutions, which were already in his possession.
Only few days passed from the date of the Nihil Obstat of the Holy See which was on July 30, 1926, and on
August 6, Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the same year, an unforgettable date for our
Congregation, the following Decree was sent to the Father from the Archiepiscopal Curia of Messina. Here is its
translation from Latin.

“We Angelo Paino, Doctor in Sacred Theology, Philosophy and Civil and Ecclesiastical Law, formerly Bishop of
Lipari, Archbishop of Aretino, and Vicar General and Capitular of the Archdiocese of Messina, and now by God’s and
the Apostolic See grace, Archbishop and Archimandrite of Messina, Count of Regalmuto, Baron of Brolo and Lord of
Alcara, etc. etc.,

To everyone who will read these Letters, greetings and blessings in the Lord. Among the most important duties
of our Pastoral Office is certainly that of favoring with all our strength all that serves to the good of souls.
 Having the distinct and Rev. Hannibal M. Di Francia humbly submitted to us for examination the Constitutions of
the Congregation whose name is Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus, so that, if there are no objections, We may
approve them by our ordinary authority, we have decided willingly to consent with his desires.
It seemed to us that the Constitutions, written by the same Founder offer the means suited to achieve the aim of
the Institute, which tends to the achievement of one’s own perfection and to provide the salvation of neighbors,
especially through the following Works: to catechize the poor and ignorant children, to help paternally and religiously
the needy, to give hospitality and every attention to the orphans. But what we like mostly is that in the distress of the
present times, by their own Institute, from which they receive the name, the Rogationist congregants pray continually
the merciful God that He may send laborers in the harvest.
Therefore according to the C.J.C, Canon 492, and in conformity to the Instruction of the Sacred Congregation of
the Religious, issued on November 30, 1922, after having obtained the permission from the same Sacred
Congregation on July 30, 1926, with Our ordinary Authority we approve and ratify the Constitutions of the above-
praised Congregation of the Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus. The same Congregation, in virtue of these present
Letters, we erect and declare canonically erected as a moral ecclesiastical entity fully subject to us according to the
Canon Law, with all the rights and faculties that according to the canons those entities use to avail of and enjoy, and
with retro-activity, when it comes to its effects, to 1897, the year of its foundation.
We warmly exhort the Rogationist congregants to observe with constancy and fidelity the Rule given them and to
love it with greatest affection, by shining in all for piety, discipline and charity.
Messina, from the Archiepiscopal Palace, with our seal and the signature of our Chancellor, in the year of the
Lord 1926 on the sixth day of August, Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ,
(Signed) Angelo Paino - Archbishop and Archimandrite of Messina
(Place of seal)
By order of the Most Illustrious and Rev. Arch. and Archim.
(Signed) Canon Antonio D’Attila - Chancellor.

Thus the long and difficult period of the expectation had come to an end. The Institute of the Rogationists was
officially born and took its place in the life of the Church. The Father finally could see the crowning of the ideal of his
64
whole life, matured in the most perfect self-denial, through a slow journey among lights and shadows, brambles and
thorns for many years, for almost his entire life.
But Calvary is always followed by the resurrection. The cross is always the sign of life and victory.

10. The perfecting of the Decree

The first effect of the canonical approval was that from that time on, starting from the Novitiate, each Rogationist
had to be given a copy of the text of the Constitutions, to direct his life according to them. It was urgent thus to print
them.
Msgr. Pio Giardina, the Vicar General, in the name of Msgr. Archbishop, together with Fr. Vitale, in agreement
with Father Founder, worked at the last editing of the text of the Constitutions. The Father, who was seriously ill,
could not follow the work, but he wanted a written text in which he expressed some directives about charity according
to his inspiration, to be inserted. But because they were in the form of exhortation, Msgr. Giardina wanted them to be
added as an appendix to the text. Thus prepared, the Constitutions were printed by our printing-press in Avignone in
a sufficient number of copies, larger than the actual need of that time. Each Rogationist Religious received a copy of
them to be the object of his meditation and revision of life.
However, since the approval had been obtained with retro-active power back to the year 1897, it was necessary
to make up all that had not been done previously according to the prescriptions of the Canon Law because of the
difficulties of the beginnings or because of the needs of such an extraordinary initiative. This is what the Father did as
the final touch to his Work on April 25, 1927.
In that date the Father wrote a letter to H. E. Card. Laurenti, who was the Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for
the Religious “to deign to grant a benign act of indemnity for all the irregularities committed, promising for the future a
perfect fulfillment of the Code's prescriptions”.
The act of indemnity was granted by the Sacred Congregation on May 3, 1927 and sent to the Ordinary of
Messina for its implementation. The Vicar General, Msgr. Giardina issued the Rescript on May 19, 1927, just a few
days before the pious death of the Founder.
 He had fulfilled the Work for which the Lord had chosen him.

11. The pious death of Father Founder

Since November 1924, when the Father had caught that persistent pleurisy in the dump, cold and inhabitable
facilities of the bankrupt film industry which he bought to transform them into the first Rogationist House in Rome, he
never recovered completely.
After a long period in bed with high fever - almost 40 days - in Rome, as soon as the physicians saw him in
conditions to endure a trip, they had him return to the mild climate of Messina, where he arrived on December 15 in
conditions of great exhaustion. The mild air of Sicily, the attentions of the physicians and of his Daughters, and first of
all the prayers to his fellow-citizen, the Blessed Eustochia Calafato, for whose glorification he worked so much, made
him sufficiently recover. On March 1925 he left again for Puglia, where he prepared the special printed issue for the
inauguration of the Orphanage in Rome. Then he went to Rome for that celebration, on May 24, Feast of the Blessed
Virgin Mary Help of Christians.
But on May 30 he returned to Messina with a strong recrudescence of the sickness, which was already
becoming chronic. However he did not fail to participate in the events of our houses in Messina to which he was
offering his edifying words even though with extreme weakness and breathlessness. He took part in the Brothers’
profession in the feast of the Patronage of St. Joseph; to the blessing of the eight bells in the Sanctuary of St.
Anthony on April 23; to the feast of June 13, when in the impressive silence of the huge crowd which filled the
temple, hanging on his words, he made his last sermon; and to the fraternal agape at the conclusion of the feast of
July 1st in the Avignone District.
By summer time he went again to the Italian peninsula to visit for the last time his Houses, which would never
see him again on this earth. In autumn, very tired and suffering, he returned to Sicily. During the 1926 winter, that
kind of pleurisy became ever more serious. He became so weak that he could not even celebrate at his private altar
in his room. The young priests took turns to bring him the Holy Communion. Fathers Vitale and Palma, noticing no
improvement with the cures of the physicians, with their consent, requested a consultation with a specialized
65
physician from Naples, Prof. Amato. He just confirmed the diagnosis and the cures of our physicians.
When spring time came they wanted to try a changing of environment and so, on May 9, the Father left his
apartment in the Monastery of the Holy Spirit and transferred to the small rooms near the Chapel of our Lady of
“Guardia”, in our countryside property. But even there the Father had alternatively improvements and relapses which
allowed him only to leave the bed and to sit in his small arm chair to receive the Holy Communion which the young
priests were continuing to bring to him by turns.
On the morning of May 31 The Father had the well-known vision of the Most Holy Child Mary, a vision so well
narrated by Bro. Michelino Lapelosa, who was assisting him, and is reported by all the Father’s biographies.
It seemed that he was recovering. But the following night he suffered the last crisis and went into coma, while
being assisted by a friend, Fr. Gandolfo from Aragona, who took care of informing by telephone the House of the
Fathers and Fr. Vitale, who rushed there by car, in the night, just to find the Father already unconscious. He asked
Fr. Gandolfo to celebrate the Holy Mass for the agonizing, while he and some Sisters remained praying at the
bedside of the Father. During the Holy Mass, the Father breathed his last.
Broken-hearted Fr. Vitale went to celebrate the Holy Mass for the Father’s eternal rest50.
50
On the evening of May 31, none of us, Fr. Tusino or myself, went to Guardia because a friend priest, Vincent
Gandolfo from Aragona, had come to visit the Father and then had remained with him. It was providential. Exactly
during that night the Father suffered the last crisis. We, young newly ordained priests, would have not understood
the situation. Instead Fr. Gandolfo, who was used to deal with dying people, perceived immediately that the Father
was dying, and gave him the last Sacraments, said the last prayers and by telephone informed the houses of Messina
that the Father was close to the end.
Fr. Vitale rushed immediately by car and stayed at the bedside of the Father who was already unconscious and sent
Fr. Gandolfo to celebrate the Mass for the agonizing. During that Mass the Father died.
Brokenhearted, Fr. Vitale went immediately to celebrate the Holy Mass for the Father’s soul.
At the mother house, because of the sudden departure of Fr. Vitale, we were all anxious, fearing the catastrophe. In
that dreadful morning we were waiting to know some news, walking to and fro near the telephone, while leaning on
my arm, the blind Bro. Mariano, who was so affectionate to the Father, affected me very much with his insistent and
restless questions. And the very sad news came. The direct line telephone with Guardia rang. We all run. From
Guardia a deeply moved voice said: “The Father, at 6,30 this morning went to heaven. Pray immediately for his
 The long pilgrimage of his sons and daughters to the Father’s remains covered with lilies arranged in his room
turned into a funeral chapel; the ‘mystical’ transferring in the evening across the dry bed of the river “Guardia”,
accompanied by a huge crowd of people in silent prayer; the arrival to our Sanctuary of Messina and the homage of
Archbishop Paino; the people who devoutly lined up for four days to pass before the catafalque, touching him with
objects to conserve as relics; the solemn funeral procession through the main roads of the City, starting from and
returning to the Sanctuary: all these things are known enough by everybody.
Fr. Palma received the news of the death of the Father by telegraph, in Rome, and before leaving for Messina he
was able to obtain from the Health Authority of the Capital, the authorization to bury the Father in our Sanctuary. He
presented the same request to the ecclesiastical Authorities. When both authorization arrived and the Interdonato
Company had prepared a suitable tomb in the Sanctuary, the remains of the Father, which in the meantime was kept
in a room adjacent to the sacristy, was entombed in the presence of the closest people: religious sisters and friends.

soul”.
Bro. Mariano seemed to faint in my arms. He had lost even his interior light. What happened later is already known.
In the afternoon we all went to Guardia where many priests and friends have preceded us. We found the Father
dressed with violet priestly vestments, lying in the usual bed covered with lilies. How many white lilies in the dark
background of that room adorned with black palls as a funeral chapel. It was a tribute of tears and prayers.
Then came an expert associated to the faculty of anatomy, sent by the titular Professor, our friend, to inject the
disinfectant liquid to avoid the decay during those three or four days before the funeral. Together with Bro.
Mariantonio I was present when the doctor carried it out. I did not know that it was necessary to introduce almost
one liter of that liquid in the groin. It seemed to me an insult to the Father. That man accustomed to treat corpses
seemed, to us, vulgar and without any respect. Bro. Mariantonio with delicate and filial care was trying to keep the
body covered saying to that man: “Do it with care…He was very delicate and reserved...” Also an enthusiastic
supplier of our Institutes, the butcher Giglio from Giostra, was present; in his ingenuity and devotion he was
repeating expressions of praise to the Father while kissing again and again those pure mortal remains. We clothed
him again and prepared to transfers him to the City. In the meantime, notwithstanding the considerable distance of
the place, many friends, admirers and devout people, had gathered there together with almost all the members of our
two Institutes, coming by cars, public transportation or by foot. 66
A truck draped in black was waiting on the way of the sea, down near the small village of Guardia. We put the
Father’s remains in the coffin and carried it down on the shoulders across the dry torrent (fiumara). When we left, it
was already dark. The great crowd with few lamps was praying silently. It looked like a scene taken from the
catacombs.
On the truck some confreres, with torches, took place around the coffin. We moved at a walking pace followed by
the crowd.
At about eleven in the night we reached the Sanctuary of St. Anthony where other people had already preceded us
and were waiting. Msgr. Paino came to shed his tribute of tears and kissing on the coffin of the Father, placed on the
floor. Then, with Fr. Vitale and some other friends, he set the modalities of the funeral for the following day. The De
Meo’s Company prepared an austere and solemn catafalque over which the body remained for four days.
In the following days throngs of priests came to celebrate the Holy Mass of the day in our Sanctuary, because we
were in a liturgical time when the Mass for the dead could not be celebrated. Interminable lines of faithful passed
near the remains of the Father to touch him with their rosaries, medals and other objects as relics.
The young Pocobelli took a film of the event of those funerals: it was an amateur’s work at his first experiences, but
very precious for us. It is a pity that such documentary cannot be found anymore. (...)
A round hole, of almost ten centimeters in diameter was made in the zinc coffin which was closed hermetically with
glass, so as to be able to see the face of the Father. The zinc coffin was enclosed in another coffin of expensive and
carved wood. Then there was the procession. It was an imposing procession, a true triumph more than a funeral
ceremony. Hundreds of priests and an immense crowd accompanied him. After the procession the remains returned
in the Sanctuary, but since the place for the burial was not yet ready, the coffin was placed in a room adjacent to the
sacristy over two benches. It remained there for almost twenty days. Morning and evening our children were going
there to pray for him, to look at him through the hole of glass on the coffin and to ask his blessing as they used to do
while he was still alive. It is to be noted that while children usually are afraid to see the dead, especially during the
night and in the darkness, they did not show any such reaction in seeing the coffin and looking at the face of the
Father, before going to bed.
When the Interdonato Company finished preparing the tomb, the coffin was buried in the presence of few friends,
and since that delay was too much in contrast with the sanitary laws, it was done in utmost secrecy. I was
accompanying Bro. Mariano; he wanted to be brought near the tomb and waited until the last moment, when the
workers were going to place the marble slab upon the tomb, he wanted to touch for the last time the coffin and tied
to it a manuscript in braille, whose content he never wanted to reveal to me. The poor Brother was suffering very
 At his death the Father left two male Houses and three male orphanages, which are: Messina - Avignone with
the Sanctuary of St. Anthony, Oria - St. Paschal and the Orphanage for children in Rome, entrusted to the Sisters.
Besides he left ten female Houses, that is: Messina - Holy Spirit, Oria - St. Benedict, Taormina, Giardini, San Pier
Niceto, Sant’Eufemia d’Aspromonte, Francavilla Fontana, Trani, Altamura e Roma51.
He left two Congregations approved by the Church as Religious Congregations of Diocesan Right. The male
Congregation was composed by four Priests: Frs. Vitale, Palma, Santoro, Tusino; one Deacon: Tursi; by the clerics:
Spada, Bizzarro, Onorato; by the Brother of the House of Messina: Placido, Mariantonio, Luigi, Mariano, Salvatore,
Raffaele, Michelino; and by those of the House of Oria: Carmelo, Redento, Luca, Camillo, Giuseppeantonio, Matteo.
The two Congregations with their Works were not separated economically. The administration was one and the
structures were of a family style. Even the land properties, acquired through the years, starting from the Avignone
houses which had been bought with so many difficulties by the Father Founder or by others in his name, were
registered as property of private persons, mostly in the name of the four Palma siblings: Fr. Pantaleone, Sister
Gesuina, Peter and Giacinta. The purpose was to avoid, as much as possible the eventual exorbitant inheritance tax,
among brothers in case of death.
In fact, our Institutes though already approved by the Church as of Diocesan Right, were not yet approved as
moral person by the Government, and thus they were incapable to possess anything legally. Other solutions that
were suggested to find a legal way to entrust the ownership of the properties such as the constitution of Anonymous
Companies or of Cooperatives, so as to avoid the dangers connected to the form of private ownership, could not be
carried out because of the long sickness of the Father, who was not in conditions to make decision on this matter.
Such a situation, together with other circumstances, became a great problem, after the Father’s death, before
the two Institutes could take their normal and orderly development.

67

much, not only for his blindness, but more for a kind of periodical form of very serious epilepsy, which was in fact
the cause of his death. I think that he asked from the Father the grace of recovery or of death, out of the love he had
for him. On the following December 3, during the novena of the Immaculate, the Lord called also Bro. Mariano to
eternity, though still so young. He was very devoted of our Lady thus the Father had named him Mariano. (From an
unpublished writing of Fr. Santoro)
51
The list of Sisters’ Houses is not complete. Here is the list, in chronological order, of the Houses of the Daughters
of Divine Zeal at the death of Fr. Founder: Mother House, Messina - Holy Spirit; January 12, 1902: Taormina;
March 25, 1903: Giardini; April 4, 1909: Oria – San Benedetto; October 24, 1909: San Pier Niceto; April 2, 1910:
Trani Orphanage; June 29, 1915: Sant’Eufemia d’Aspromonte; 24 May 1916: Altamura; April 25, 1917: Trani,
summer residence; 22 January 1925: Torregrotta; February 11, 1927: Novara di Sicilia.
 Chapter IV

AFTER THE FATHER’S DEATH

1. A Premise

What we have narrated until now represents the heroic period of the history of the Congregation, the period
which revolved around the person of Fr. Founder in an extraordinary climate, nourished by the Holy Spirit with
particular charisms, even though some juridical formalities which govern the communities in the Church were partially
neglected.
The Father was filling with his presence and uniting in his paternal affection, as in a large family, all the members
of the two Congregations as well as all those assisted the orphans and the poor. It was not by chance that his
signature used to be: the Father. Nothing more. To each and to all he was truly a father and nobody ever thought of
any authority superior to his within the Work. The bond of a truly tested obedience to the Father was very strong.
But he alone was “the Father”. Nobody could dare replace him without exposing himself to a poor performance.
When he died his role seemed irreplaceable. The support, the unifying center, the beloved and respected head of the
family who was obeyed even when somebody was of a different opinion, had vanished.
What happened later was because of such a mentality. There is nothing to wonder; the same happened even in
other Institutions, greater and more famous than ours when their Founders died.
Passing to eternity, the Father left a small male Community of around twenty Religious, two of them old priest
and two very young, one Deacon and a group of Students, novices and Brothers; and a female Community of about
three hundreds Sisters, scattered among ten houses; several properties with a considerable joined administration for
both Congregations and with common means of [the Anthonian] ‘propaganda’. But above all he left a very rich
spiritual patrimony of peculiar ascetic piety and apostolic ideals which had been absorbed by those first religious, 68
Brothers and Sisters as their own blood, and which united them better than any other juridical bond. Together with
this, however, the Father left also same big organizational problems.
The two Congregations had been already erected into ‘ moral entities’ in 1926 and their Constitutions approved
by the ecclesiastic Hierarchy. But it was necessary to apply all their prescriptions in all their parts. And this could not
happen without a laborious transition from the paternal system of the Founder to the juridical one requested by the
Canon Law and by the Church.
This change was all the more difficult, because the fatherly government of the Father, particularly during the last
years of his sickness, had given free reins to the spirit of initiatives. This led to the establishment of several novitiates
in the Sisters’ Congregation and to the rising of two quite contrasting currents in the male Congregation to the
detriment of the unity of direction of the Congregation, though there were only two houses.
Besides, the properties of the two Congregations were legally possessed by private persons with all the possible
dangers that can be imagined. It was necessary to disconnect the ownership from the individual persons and to
attribute them in a more fitting way to the two Congregations.
All this demanded a reorganization which could not be improvised but evidently needed some gradualness and
labor. God entrusts the Works to his Church, who is guided by the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Church had accepted the
two Congregations as its own through the Decree of Approval on August 6, 1926. Thus the Church intervened to fill
the void created by the death of the Father and to bring to completion the organization of the two Congregations. The
Church intervened through the Sacred Congregation of the Religious and its representatives, the Apostolic Visitors.

2. The Male Congregation

After the Father's death, for what concerns the Congregation of the Rogationist the events developed in the
following way. The day after the solemn funeral of the Father, according to the Norms of the Constitutions approved
the previous year, since we were a very small number of Priests, we consulted the Ordinary of the Mother House to
whom the Congregation, of Diocesan Right, was juridically subjected. As a consequence the four priests gathered in
a room annexed to the Church and, after praying, proceeded to the election of the head of the Congregation, who
automatically became the successor of Father Founder, at least for the male Congregation.
The articles of the Constitutions were scrupulously respected, since they were concretely applicable and Fr.
Vitale was elected. He presented some difficulties but there was little to choose. Rather we could say that his election
was already expected since the beginning, first of all because he was the eldest, the most qualified for his doctrine,
his precedents, his calm and very spiritual character, and, in some ways, he had been designated by the Father
himself as his successor.
The result was notified to the Archbishop, Msgr. Angelo Paino, who prudently reserved to himself the possibility
of consulting the Holy See, given the singularity of the case. Also because there was the collateral problem of the
Sisters, which was more complicated because of the number of their Houses scattered in several Dioceses, as well
as because until that time they did not have a regular internal government. The Father used to do everything availing
in some ways of Mother Majone.
After accomplishing these juridical acts, Fr. Palma with Bro. Carmelo went back to Oria, from where they had
already been absent for a long time and where were they had their problems as a consequence of the Father’s
death.
The relations between the two Institutes, male and female, in the meantime continued according to the traditional
and habitual course in Sicily, in Puglia as well as in Rome.

3. The priestly Ordination of Fr. Tursi

The sad events of the sickness and death of the Father had somehow left in the shadow that Bro. Giovangelista
Tursi was already in his fourth year of theological studies in the Seminary of Messina, and was ready for the priestly
ordination.
He was going to be the third Rogationist Priest formed in the Congregation and the first after its juridical
approval.
The Father had been waiting for him, indeed he was counting on him for the much longed for Rogationist House
69
in Rome. Several times during his sickness, the father regretfully said to him: “Who knows if I will see you priest!”
In fact, during that year Bro. Giovangelista had received the sacred Order of the Sub-diaconate on April 23,
1927, Sunday in Albis, in Our Lady of Pompeii, the Church of the Capuchin Fathers. Since on that day he was to be
absent from Messina, H. E. Msgr. Paino, had delegated for the ordination the missionary Capuchin Bishop, Msgr.
Francesco Seminara, in retirement at the Provincial House of Capuchin Fathers.
Bro. Giovangelista was given the order of Diaconate by Msgr. Paino in the Chapel of the Seminary on May 26,
1927, feast of the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The good Archbishop had exempted him from the canonical
interval in between the orders so as to have the joy to ordain him as priest as soon as possible and give this
consolation to the Father. In fact the Archbishop had already established to ordain him as a priest on June 11,
Saturday before Pentecost. But it was destined that the Father would rejoice for this holy consolation and would bless
and kiss the hands of his third Rogationist priest not on earth but in heaven. On June 1 the lord called him to Himself.
It seemed that the event of the death of the Father would not allow the immediate celebration of this ordination.
But Msgr. Paino did not want to postpone it, convinced as he was that this would have been pleasing to Fr. Founder
who so much had longed for this day. In heaven he could enjoy more clearly, and from heaven he would have
blessed his son more abundantly. It seemed rather that the Father was still present, because his remains were kept
in a room adjacent to the Church, waiting for the tomb in the Sanctuary to be ready. And thus Bro. Giovangelista, still
with grief in his heart, only few days after the funeral of the Father, started the spiritual exercises requested for the
ordination.
Also this time Msgr. Paino had urgent engagements compelling him to be absent and once again he delegated
the Capuchin Bishop, Msgr. Seminara, for the Ordination.
The ceremony was performed in a solemn way in our Sanctuary of St. Anthony of Padua. Together with the
Bishops about ten other priests imposed their hands on the head of the new Presbyter.
The joy that is always intense for each new priest, particularly for our Congregation which had so few priests,
was veiled by the remembrance of the recent loss of the Father. More than one Confrere in kissing the hands and
embracing the new priest could not refrain from exclaim: “If the Father were present!” And tears of joy were mixed
with the bitter ones of grief.
 4. Fr. Leo Kirchels, Passionist

Though he had been elected Superior of the Congregation, Fr. Vitale did not move to go to Puglia and to check
the problems of Oria. He was waiting for the dispositions to be issued by the Holy See, after the objective report of
Msgr. Paino. But days and months went on without any answer... The prudence of the ‘eternal’ Rome is proverbial.
Being less patient by nature, Fr. Palma tried to know something through friends, like Fr. Antonio Di Coste, from
Francavilla, Secretary of the Redemptorist Fathers and Consultant of the Sacred Congregation of the Religious. The
answer was to obey to the dispositions of the Superiors who were in Messina. Fr. Palma with simplicity told these
things to Fr. Vitale exhorting him to take care of the problems of the House of Oria, especially about the four Brothers
who were studying for priesthood and whose situation needed a solution. But Fr. Vitale did not move, always waiting
for the directives [from Rome].
And such dispositions came in December through a letter from the Sacred Congregation of the Religious
informing that Fr. Leo Kirchels, General Superior of the Passionist Fathers, had been appointed to visit all the male
and female houses of the Work.
Fr. Kirchels, from Holland, was a gentle and polite man, accustomed to high diplomacy in governing. He spoke
fluently several modern languages.
He came to Messina during the Christmas novena, accompanied by his Secretary, Peter. He came to Messina
for us, but he had planned to visit also the Passionist Houses of Sicily and Southern Italy, as well as other religious
Institutes, on behalf of the Sacred Congregation of the Religious. He was very busy. From his Secretary, Fr. Peter,
who was also a trusting and affable man, we came to know that Fr. Kirchels had been charged by the Sacred
Congregation of Religious, to visit about twenty religious Institutes: a truly excessive work. Fr. Peter himself used to
complain about this, because the great part of the work fell on him.
Fr. Leo visited the houses of Messina and its surroundings. He questioned the Fathers, the Brothers and the
Sisters. He listened to all the religious men and women, taking notes and intervening with his characteristic sibilant
northern accent. After having visited also the Passionist Houses on his way to Palermo, he left for the ‘ continent’ [the
70
peninsular part of Italy] and went to Puglia on January 1928.
Back to Rome he made his report and the Sacred Congregation took its decisions. It appointed Fr. Leo as
Superior of the two Congregations ‘for the term intended by the Holy See’ [ ad nutum Sanctae Sedis], and at the
same time as a permanent Visitor. The organization and the canonical division between the two Congregations were
entrusted to him. He informed us about all these things through a Circular Letter praising the Work of Fr. Father and
enthusiastic about its future blossoming. He quoted the famous stanzas of the Father: “I dreamed, I dreamed, in my
loving ecstasy...“ (‘Sognai, sognai nell’estasi amorosa…’).
Such a document, however, had a bitter taste for our religious in authority who were evidently waiting for
different decisions. But they had to bow down in front of the dispositions of the Sacred Congregation.
And Fr. Leo started his work as Superior. For the Sisters, he summoned immediately the first General Chapter in
Rome for the election of the Mother General and her Council and for the most urgent decisions to take about the seat
of the Novitiate and the Mistress of the Novices according to the Constitutions. Sister Cristina Mary Figura was
elected as Superior General, assisted by four Councilors and one treasurer. The house of St. Benedict in Oria was
chosen as seat of the canonical Novitiate. There were some frictions and some Sisters, even qualified ones, left or
changed Congregation.
For the male Congregation, given its small number of members, there was little possibility to choose. Fr. Leo
called as his collaborators Fr. Vitale for the discipline and spiritual life and Fr . Palma for the economy and
administration. Together with them he decided about the seat of the only Novitiate and about the Novice Master. Oria
was chosen as seat of the Novitiate also for the Rogationists, thus Fr. Palma started preparing the proper facilities
and the Chapel. Fr. Serafino Santoro was appointed as Novice Master. He was called to Rome by the Sacred
Congregation, also because he needed a dispensation since he did not have the canonical age of 35. He had an
audience with the saintly Card. Laurenti, Prefect of the Sacred Congregation, who exhorted him saying: “ I am
sending you among the youths. Remember St. Paul’s words: ‘in multa patientia’ (with great patience). I don’t say
anything more”.
To address the administrative issues and to start the separation of the economies of the two Congregations, Fr.
Leo appointed a joint Committee under his presidency. Aside from him, it was composed by Fr. Palma as his
Delegate, by Fr. Vitale and by two Sisters: M. Cristina, the Superior General, and Sister M. Gesuina Palma, Superior
of the house of Rome, at Circonvallazione Appia Street. It was indeed more a theoretical than an effective
Committee, because Fr. Leo, who was very busy especially as Superior General of the Passionists, could not follow it
up. Fr. Vitale from Messina should have gone to Rome for the meetings, while Fr. Palma, who was habitually at
Rome, together with the Mother General, Mary Cristina Figura, and his sister, Sister Gesuina Palma, practically was
deciding about everything.
This was the beginning of the labor for the proper organization of the Congregation which was destined to last so
long, even with anguishing phases.

5. Fr. Leo in America.

After starting the organization of the Institute of the Daughters of Divine Zeal, with the celebration of the first
General Chapter and the election of the Superior General and her Council, and after taking the decisions for an initial
organization of the Rogationist and the establishment of the first Novitiate, Fr. Leo had to attend to his tasks as
Superior General of the Passionist Fathers.
On July 25, 1928, he left Rome, by ship, to visit the houses of the Passionist Fathers in Latin America, where he
had planned to stay for some months. For this reason, in agreement with Card. Laurenti, the Prefect of the
Congregation of the Religious, during his absence, Fr. Leo delegated to Fr. Vitale the ordinary power as Superior of
the Rogationists.
In both the houses of Messina and Oria the usual life of piety, study, classes, and education for the orphans and
for some young men oriented to Religious life, continued. In Messina those who were attending classes at the
Archiepiscopal Seminary continued their school, while in Oria the necessary preparations were being done for the
opening of the first Rogationist Novitiate according to the Canon Law and the Constitutions.
Fr. Leo had given the main directives, as the foundation stone of its juridical and ascetic structure, and
authorized the two Fathers to examine together the candidates to be admitted to the taking of the habit [= entrance to
the novitiate].
71
Meanwhile, he left. He intended in this way to initiate the small Institute to acquire its own autonomy.

6. The Opening of the First Novitiate

Everything was thus ready. The place had been already determined, the Novice Master chosen and canonically
appointed with the dispensation for his lack of age.
Fr. Palma, with the help of Bro. Carmelo, who practically was the real Superior of the house of Oria, prepared a
large hall in the inner side of the small convent, overlooking the garden and the open countryside. There he arranged
a common dormitory, as well as a study and meeting hall, the room for the Novice Master and the internal Chapel.
Fr. Santoro left the tasks that he was performing in Messina and went to Oria. The date for the opening of the
Novitiate was set by the Fathers on September 29, feast of St. Michael the Archangel. The eight days of spiritual
exercises prescribed before the beginning of the Novitiate started on Sept. 20, under the guidance of Fr. Francesco
Fazio, a Jesuit from Sicily.
The ceremony of the taking of the habit [= entrance to the Novitiate] was presided by Fr. Vitale, assisted by Fr.
Santoro and by a crown of clerics, in the presence of Fr. Palma, who was moved by the happy event, together with
the whole big Community of the Religious and orphans, the friend priests, like Fr. Fazio, the Penitentiary, Fr. Chirico,
the Archpriest, Fr. Carlucci and Fr. Filomeno, both from Ceglie.
The ceremony ended with a touching exhortation of Fr. Vitale, with the singing of the “Te Deum” and the blessing
of the Most Blessed Sacrament.
From Sao Paulo in Brazil Fr. Leo sent a cablegram of wishes and blessing; also our House of Messina
expressed its joy and congratulations for this fundamental step of our Institute.
The Novice Master, helped by Bro. Carmelo, provided fixed confessors for the Novices and indirectly for the
whole big community of the House. He found them among the very good Cistercian Father of the Sanctuary of
Cotrino near Latiano. Who will ever forget the abnegation and generosity of the dearest Fr. Eugenio Fusciardi, who
used to spend several whole days every week to hear the confessions of all who were in need of his very fatherly and
understanding ministry? Since that time, together with his brother, Fr. Michele, he became affectionate to Oria and
never forgot the dear Rogationists, not even when in his old age he had to retire at Sora, where he suffered very
much for the passing by of the soldiers during the last war.
Thus the first stone had been placed. The rest was to come little by little.

7. The Lateran Pacts

The year 1929 is to be written in golden letters in the annals of the Italian Church. On February 11, 1929 the
long-lasting struggle between the State and the Church in Italy, came to its end. It had started with the breach of
“Porta Pia” in Rome which created the painful ‘ Roman issue’ that many statesmen would have wanted to resolve, but
for sixty years nobody succeeded. After a long preparation, on that day, the Treaty between the Holy See and Italy,
the Lateran Pacts, and the Concordat [“Concordato”] between Italy and the Holy See were signed.
In this way – as Pope Pius XI said publicly – God was given to Italy, and Italy to God.
The echo of such a grand event was felt in all the Italian cities. Even in Oria, seat of our Novitiate, there were
imposing ecclesiastical manifestations in the Cathedral with the participation of H. E. Msgr. Bishop as well as the civil
ones in Manfredi Square, where the Mayor Rocco Greco spoke warmly and incisively to a huge crowd, with
expressions of filial homage to the Holy Mother Church.
Thus a sad page of Italian history was turned and another of peace for our country was opened. This event was
going to have its consequences on the religious Institutes, including ours. In fact, it set the ground for the possibility
of a juridical recognition of our Institute by the Government, so as to give the proper legal setting to the ownership of
our lands properties, a point which had given many troubles to the Father, and after his death constituted one of the
thorniest problems.

8. Novitiate Life

The House of St. Paschal in Oria, at that time, looked like a very large House, complex and full of movement.
72
There were the four Confreres, Bros. Carmelo Drago, Redento Levi, Camillo Ruggeri, Luca Appi, and some others
who did not persevere, who were managing the house and at the same time preparing themselves to receive the
Orders. Around them and the other younger confreres a very active life was thriving.
There were a large number of small orphans in the elementary schools, the workshops for arts and crafts with
skilled teachers for the printing press and for the shoe-making, tailoring, carpentry and mechanic. Furthermore there
was a musical band of forty players instructed and guided by Maestro Chirico from Ceglie.
Beside the classes for the four Brothers preparing for the Orders, there was a group of Religious aspirants with
their proper classes. Meanwhile on the nearby hill, outside the cloister, though connected with the small convent, a
big building was under construction, where around forty workers were working hard under the supervision and
expertise of Bro. Carmelo. The church with its very heavy decorations and painting was always empty, but the faithful
of the neighborhood used to come for the Holy Mass, when they knew that a Mass was going to be celebrated.
Naturally, among all these activities the three student novices [novices who were intended for priesthood] and
much more the three coadjutor novices, who had to take care of several tasks for the house, seemed quite
overwhelmed, like drops in the Ocean.
The Novice Master was attending to them, but he was also busy with his priestly duties for that large community.
Practically, he was the only resident priest in the house, or at least, the only Rogationist priest. Fr. Palma, who was
officially the superior of the House used to come every now and then but was all taken by the Anthonian Secretariats
and by the affairs of the Sister’s Houses. Thus he was always out, reaching until Rome, following up personally, like
Father Founder, the life of the Sister’s Institutes of the continent [peninsular Italy]. It was at that time that he founded
the Houses of Corato and of Montepulciano. He used to stay in Oria only for the time needed to resolve some
particular cases, to give directives to Bro. Carmelo and to his collaborators, and then … he was gone.
Some priests from Ceglie like Fr. Lagamba and Fr. Filomeno, were invited by Fr. Palma, to teach our students,
but after their classes they were going back to Ceglie. Canon Francesco Chirico, the Penitentiary who was teaching
Dogma and Morals to our Brothers was the only one who, usually, remained during the week, but, besides having to
comply daily with his choral duties as Canon, as soon as he had free days, he used to spend them with his family in
Ceglie. Practically, he was only a guest.
 Fr. Santoro felt obliged to correspond to the needs according to the circumstances and to the desires expressed
by Fr. Palma and by the Bishop.
Msgr. Bishop asked Fr. Palma to have Fr. Santoro as the Spiritual Father of the Diocesan Seminary with monthly
conference and confession, and he did it. Talking with Fr. Palma the Bishop asked Fr. Santoro to form an Association
of Catholic man, and he did it willingly, finding in the men of Oria a consoling correspondence, because many of them
were our workers, with whom he could have daily contacts.
The residents of that area, which at that time was being populated with new houses along the road and on the
nearby hills, started to come to the Church, because they knew that the celebration of the Mass was now consistent
and there was possibility of confession. And Fr. Santoro tried to comply with such a desire.
Fr. Palma, with Bro. Carmelo, wanted to give a solemn character to the annual awarding of prizes for the
orphans by inviting the Authorities and offering a formal program. On Dec. 9, 1928, Fr. Santoro gave the formal
speech for the occasion on the topic: “The Father of the Poor”. The speech was so appreciated that after it the
Mayor, Mr. Greco, decided to dedicate to Canon Di Francia the street leading to our convent. Our student Brothers
did not have a teacher of ecclesiastical history and Liturgy, thus Fr. Palma assigned Fr. Santoro to this. Fr. Palma
wanted also to start among the orphans, the traditional Association of the Little Aloysius, Sons of Mary Immaculate
(Luigini Figli di Maria Immacolata), and Fr. Santoro took care of it.
However the Novices did not lack the presence of their Master through the observance of an intense schedule
keeping them recollected in their formation and through instructions particularly fitted for them.
From that first historical year of Novitiate, Fr. Mario Labarbuta, now General Councilor, and Bro. Egidio La Fauci,
actual treasurer of our Orphanage in Rome, are still alive. The others, unfortunately, got lost along the way. Some
already passed into eternity.

9. Our Lady takes two beloved sons

While that first year of the canonical Novitiate was in its beginnings, a death came to sadden the house of Oria.
Bro. Stellario Spada had been accepted in Oria from the nearby town of Sava, where he was born on July 9,
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1905. Having seen him inclined to piety and religious life, Father Founder admitted him soon to Postulancy; in 1919,
he sent Bro. Stellario to Messina to continue his studies [the Gymnasium Course]; in 1922, on the feast of the
Immaculate, admitted him to the taking of the religious habit and sent him with the other confreres for higher studies
at the Archiepiscopal Seminary of Messina.
Intelligent and strong willed, he was outstanding among his companions and in the final examination of the
Lyceum Course he was awarded with a golden medal and after the first year of theology with a silver one. He used to
place his medals at the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in the chapel, to whom he attributed every gift of
intelligence and diligence.
He was very skilled in music and in directing choirs. He was also the first admired organist of our Sanctuary of
St. Anthony in Messina.
On the feast of Immaculate of 1927, he was admitted to the sacred Tonsure and to the two minor orders of
Ostiariate and Exorcistate.
However a terrible hidden sickness was threatening his health though the physicians could not detect it. Finally,
after careful clinical examination, the doctors understood the seriousness and the virulence of the fast advancing
sickness [= tuberculosis]. He had to be isolated and needed to breathe fresh countryside air. He was sent to Oria and
even to his native place, Sava. It was useless. The sickness was inexorable. Having lost any hope of recovering, he
asked to die among his Confreres and came back to Oria. Delicately, he kept himself separated from the others and,
in silence, he suffered very much: his resignation and serenity were truly heroic.
After having received the Holy Sacraments, assisted by Fr. Santoro till the last moment, in full awareness he
died invoking repeatedly the names of Jesus and Mary. It was the noon of November 22, 1928, feast of St. Cecilia,
whose spiritual song and love for the sacred music he had imitated in a saintly way.
Almost one year before him, on December 3, 1927, Bro. Mariano Drago, another fervent devout of Our Lady had
suddenly left this world to go to heaven.
He was the brother of Bro. Francesco Maria of the Child Jesus; he was born in Galati Mamertino (Messina) on
December 4, 1890, and like his pious brother, had entered our Institute in Messina to follow his virtuous examples.
The Father gave him the name Mariano because of his great and filial devotion to our Lady. He was intelligent
and hard-working. As self-taught person he had become a fairly good typographer and as such he printed our first
Book of Common Prayers, the Collection of Songs and the volume of the poems of the Father, with filial affection and
great sacrifice.
He used to have conversation with the Father and, especially when accompanying him during his travels, he
used to request Fr. Hannibal to narrate the vicissitudes of the first times of our Work which he recorded in some
notebooks. They were used later by those who wrote our history: many things came to be known, as narrated by the
Founder, through Bro. Mariano’s notes.
During the 1910 events of Francavilla Fontana, he was capable of defending the interests of the Institute, facing
bravely the investigating authorities who were biased against the Work.
The Lord tested him through the blindness, which he contracted during the military service in Palermo, and later
through another more terrible illness: epilepsy.
The Father loved him very much. He brought Bro. Mariano even to Fr. Pio, to be healed by the famous Capuchin
of San Giovanni Rotondo, but in vain. The Lord wanted him to be a victim and a model of patience for almost ten
years. In his ordinary life he was always smiling, cheerful, loving. He used to spend his day by playing and singing to
Our Lady. The Father speaks of him several times in his letters.
During the funeral of the Father, when in the Sanctuary of St. Anthony everything was ready for the sealing of
the coffin, he wanted to be accompanied to attach at the feet of the coffin, a note written in braille whose content he
did not reveal to anybody not even to his closest friends.
With the great confidence that he had in the Father, may he have asked him to come and to take him soon away
from all his sufferings? It is possible. In fact, six months after the Father's death 52, during the alternating of epileptic
attacks, which did not seem serious, on the morning of Saturday, December 3, during the novena of the Immaculate,
to whom he had been very devout, a cerebral hemorrhage made him surrender his soul to God. Having called
immediately his doctor attending, who esteemed Bro. Mariano so much for his goodness and his great sufferings, he
could only certify his death. Bro. Mariano had been receiving Holy Communion every morning until the previous day.

10. A Sacred ordination in Messina

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Bro. Stellario Spada was the first Minor Rogationist Cleric53 who went to join the Father in heaven; in a similar
way Bro. Mariano, was the first and most affectionate of the Father’s sons, who went to meet him as representative
of our coadjutor Confreres.
The remembrance of Bro. Stellario induces us to give a look at Messina, where he had not been alone in
ascending the steps leading to the altar of the Lord. In fact there were other confreres taking the normal theological
courses in the Seminary, and at the proper time set by the Canon Law, they were admitted to receive the Minor and
Major Orders
On December 8, 1928 Bro. Rosario Bizzarro received the First Tonsure at Montalto’s Church.
On December 29, 1929 Msgr. Paino wanted to celebrate in our Sanctuary of St. Anthony the most numerous
Ordination in Messina after the 1908 earthquake. In fact in the presence of an immense crowd of faithful he ordained
two Clerics, fourteen of Minor Orders, six Sub deacons, three Deacons, one Priest; all in all twenty-six ordinandees.
Among them, our Bro. Gerardo Onorato received the Tonsure and Bro. Rosario Bizzarro the first two Minor Orders of
Ostiariate and Lectorate. The Priest also was ours. We remember him here just for history’s sake: Fr. Gabriele
Francesco Ferrara, even though later, much later, he left the Congregation where he had even worked so much.
Through the Rescript, which Fr. Leo obtained from the Sacred Congregation and which he signed on June 13,
1931 for its implementation, the confrere Rosario Bizzarro continued his ascent to the Major Orders.
On Sunday September 6, in the new Parish Church of St. Leonard at Giostra, Msgr. Paino conferred to him the
Sub-diaconate, and on October 14, Sunday in his private Chapel, ordained him as Deacon.
On November 22, the last Sunday after Pentecost Msgr. Paino decided to ordain him a Priest during a
particularly solemn religious celebration for which he wanted to choose our Sanctuary of St. Anthony. It was a
majestic ordination because the new Priest was surrounded by almost forty other young men, even religious, who
were to be ordained to the different hierarchical steps preparing to priesthood.

52
The night before his death, Bro. Mariano dreamed the Father who seemed to be leading him by the hand, as usual.
All of a sudden he stopped and said, "Wait here, I'll be back soon". Twenty-four hours later, the Father truly came
back to accompany him to heaven. See: FR. TEODORO TUSINO, The Father’s Letters, page 493, & footnote no. 1.
53
‘Minor Cleric’ because he had received the Minor Orders.
 Besides all these companions, Fr. Bizzarro was surrounded by all our Communities and by his own relatives: the
mother, the brother and the sisters who were rejoicing with the same joy.
In this occasion, our Bro. Gerardo Onorato received the Minor Orders of Ostiariate and Lectorate.
And so, little by little, the small clerical family of the Rogationists was being formed.

11. Fr. Leo leaves his mandate

In the first semester of 1931, the Order of the Passionists was going to hold its General Chapter, because the
six-year term of government of Fr. Leo Kirchels was over. It was foreseen that most probably another person would
be chosen to guide his Institute.
Indeed Fr. Leo was the Superior and Visitor of the Rogationists, but having to comply with his higher
commitments as ordinary Superior of the Passionist Fathers, he was following up the Rogationists according to his
possibilities, very much from on high and from afar. Nothing more could be expected from him.
Every time he had to go out of Italy for quite a time, which happened each year and for some months (in fact he
traveled around the whole world three times!), he appointed Fr. Vitale as his delegate. Fr. Leo wished that little by
little, we could acquire certain autonomy and in this he favored us. But he understood that Fr. Palma, by nature,
could not adjust to the character of Fr. Vitale, who alone, at that time, could be the Superior.
Fr. Leo’s last action towards us was done on March 5, 1931, when he obtained from the Sacred Congregation
the authorization for the Rogationists to accept, according to the terms set by the Archbishop Msgr. Paino, a new
Institute built at Rocca Guelfonia, near the Temple of Christ the King, for a charitable work.
And this was the third Rogationist House. Its Superior, besides Fr. Vitale, was Fr. Giovangelista Tursi.
Before starting the General Chapter of the Passionist Fathers, because of his merits and his high diplomatic
qualities, the Holy see proposed Fr. Leo as the titular Bishop of Salamina and Apostolic Delegate to the East Indies.
After his Episcopal ordination and after the turning over of the government of his Congregation to the new Superiors,
he was to leave Italy and to go to the Indies.
Even at that moment a last attempt was done. The Fathers gathered in the library of Oria, this time also with the
75
four Brothers who were already Clerics, to find an agreement and to ask the Sacred Congregation for a Superior
taken from among the members of our Congregation. On the occasion of his departure, Fr. Leo would have
presented our request to the Sacred Congregation with his own support. The fathers agreed and wrote down the
request. Fr. Leo presented it together with his own opinion. Unfortunately the reply never came. And the leaked out
or provoked news were negative.
Meanwhile, on June 13, Msgr. Peter Leo Kirchels, after having completed his task, left Rome for the Eastern
Indies.

12. Ordinations in Oria.

At that time the issue of the ordination of the four Brothers: Carmelo Drago, Redento Levi, Camillo Ruggeri and
Luca Appi, became hot. Since 1922 the Father wanted them to be assigned to study with the aim of priesthood, but
they could not leave the House of Oria, because the heavy burden of the management, discipline, economy and
administration of that complex House was placed on them, and there were no possibilities of substitution.
Bro. Carmelo Drago, since the moment he had come back from the military service in 1919, practically had been
the animator and the untiring Superior of that house which he raised to the level of a great Orphanage. The other
three Brothers were effectively collaborating with him with a spirit of abnegation worthy of imitation: they were truly
devoted to the Congregation. That is why the Father wanted them to study and prepare for priesthood.
Under the guidance of the Penitentiary Chirico and other teachers, they had studied the indispensable literary
subjects and had continued with their studies of philosophy and theology. When the Novitiate was set up in Oria,
even Fr. Santoro gave his little contribution with his classes on the history of the Church and other secondary
subjects.
Because of the real situation, it had been impossible to follow the ordinary scholastic courses, and this had left
Fr. Leo somehow perplexed. But it was already time to come to a decision. And the decision was taken by Msgr. Di
Tommaso, Bishop of Oria, who obtained from the Sacred Congregation the authorization to proceed for their
ordination, because it was an extraordinary case.
 Thus Msgr. Di Tommaso on January 16, 1930 conferred on them the first Tonsure in his little private Chapel, in
the presence of Fr. Palma, Fr. Santoro and the Novices: the Chapel could not hold any other persons more.
The following Sunday, the same Bishop gave them the first two Minor Orders of Ostiariate and of Lectorate and,
finally, on the 25th of the same month, the other two Minor Orders of Exorcistate and Acolytate.
The mother House of Messina participated in this new joy of the Congregation which was seeing its clerics
growing, by sending three telegrams and a beautiful letter of wishes and congratulations from Fr. Vitale.
Having to decide for the conferral of the Major Orders, with the special faculties granted to him, the Bishop
wanted to submit them to a strict examination on theology, which they passed easily. Thus they started to prepare for
the Ordination through the spiritual exercises at the Jesuits’ House in Grottaglie, still scented with the perfume of St.
Francesco di Geronimo, and where our Father Founder had left many remembrances.
The ceremonies of the ordinations could not be held in the Church of St. Paschal which at that time was under
restoration. The Church of our Sisters, St. Benedict, was chosen. So, on July 6, 1930, in the presence of both the
male and female Communities, and of many faithful, friends and relatives, the Bishop conferred the Sub-diaconate to
the four confreres.
On the following Sunday, July 13, the same Bishop, with similar solemnity and in the same Church, bestowed on
them the Diaconate.
Fr. Vitale arrived on July 19 from Messina to participate to their priestly ordination on the following day.
On July 20, the Church of St. Benedict was brimming with people since the early hours of the morning. And very
early, at seven o'clock the Bishop started the solemn Pontifical celebration according to the rite.
During the ordination Fr. Carmelo Drago was assisted by Fr. Santoro; Fr. Redento Levi by Fr. La Gamba,
professor of Sacred Scripture; Fr. Camillo Ruggeri by Fr. Palma, and Fr. Luca Appi by Fr. Vitale. The Penitentiary, Fr.
Chirico, and other priests, our friends, assisted the Bishop at the throne.
The fraternal agape, because of the great number of guests, was served in the theater of the new building.
There were speeches, verses, addresses, reading of telegrams and much joy.
In the afternoon there was the solemn program with the singing of the hymn for the occasion written by Fr.
Santoro and with the masterly speech of Fr. Francesco Chirico, the Canon Penitentiary, alternated with musical
pieces of our band under the direction of Maestro Chirico.
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The following day the youngest among them, Fr. Luca Appi, sang the first Holy Mass and Fr. Vitale delivered a
discourse worthy of his fatherly heart. The other new priests assisted as Ministers and Fr. Santoro as Assistant
Presbyter with cope.
That day, a very important page was written in the ‘clerical’ history of our Congregation and the clerical
aspiration of the Father Founder who had much desired the Rogationist Priests was fulfilled.

13. Celebrations for the centennial of St. Anthony’s death

The seventh centenary of St. Anthony’s death recurred in 1931. If the whole Christendom was preparing to
solemnize worthily such an event, the Work of Canon Di Francia, which had received so many and great benefits
from the glorious Saint, could not ignore it.
Thus Fr. Vitale and the Rogationists promoted solemn celebrations in Messina. Also the other male and female
Orphanages did not want to let that glorious recurrence of the Patron Saint be neglected. A Committee with few but
energetic members was constituted in Messina. In the month of May a wide artistic poster was displayed showing
together the great St. Anthony surrounded by the images of Fr. Di Francia and of the Temple of the Evangelical
Rogation, with the program of the various initiatives.
The Orphanage of Oria participated with the concert of the band of its orphans with about fifty instruments under
the direction of the renowned Maestro Chirico.
Fr. Palma and some Brothers accompanied the band which was coming from its performances in Altamura on
June 11 and 12 and in Trani on 13 and 14, where they gave a concert at the Municipal Plaza. They arrived in
Messina on June 16, to remain for about fifteen days. The band participated with its pieces to the solemn musical-
literary program, held at the terrace of Christ the King on the evening of June 18, when Prof. Giorgio La Pira said the
inaugural speech. On June 20, in the afternoon, the band accompanied and closed the long and majestic Procession,
together with the local fanfare of the Institute and of the city’s band. On the evening of June 21 they offered a public
most applauded concert of almost two hours at Two Street Plaza (Piazza Due Vie).
 After delighting the Mother House of the Holy Spirit and the nearby town of St. Pier Niceto, on June 22, the band
of our orphans, on the evening of June 29, returned to Oria.
On August 28 and 29 the band went until Montepulciano (Siena) to participate to the opening of the female
Orphanage.

14. The New Superior: Fr. Agnello Jaccarino

In guiding our Institute Fr. Leo had moved through many difficulties. Because of his high office as General
Superior of a great Religious Order and the different tasks which he used to receive from the Holy See, he could not
follow up closely the details of our governance. Besides, he was conditioned by persons like Msgr. Cajazzo, a kind of
factotum, who handled our files at the Sacred Congregation. However he was always a first rank personality, with
high diplomatic qualities, which earned him the mission as Apostolic Delegate in the Eastern Indies.
When he left, nobody replaced him for some months. Our request, which he presented and recommended to the
Sacred Congregation for a Superior to be appointed from among the Rogationists, was not given any answer,
because, at that time the people in the Sacred Congregation, for reasons which is not the case to discuss, were
unfavorable to us.
Anyway, we thought that it was a matter of contrast of ideas, of misunderstandings, of gossips among persons
who, on the other side, were well intentioned. In all these things there was some of truth, but it was not all, as the
future will demonstrate.
On August 29, 1931, after three or four months of vacancy, Fr. Agnello Jaccarino, a Jesuit, was appointed as
successor of Fr. Leo and thus as Superior and Visitor of our two Congregations.
Fr. Jaccarino was a young Preacher of the Province of Naples, who already had preached courses of Spiritual
Exercises even in some of our male and female communities, and would have continued to preach other retreats to
which he was already committed to. He did not have any government office in his Order.
Fr. Jaccarino was a Neapolitan, all heart, in the fullness of his vigor, always smiling, a good speaker; an
enthusiast by nature. He started exciting energies, dispelling distrust and blending the spirits with a kind of
77
indulgence which conquered all. Even during his tours of preaching he used to praise our Institutes and trying to
procure some vocations, as if he were one of our religious.
He was in Messina On November 22, 1931 to attend the ordination of our Fr. Bizzarro. There he gathered the
two Fathers Vitale and Palma, to discuss with them the pending affairs of the Congregation.
He faced and solved all the internal and external difficulties for the construction of the new Institute at Avignone
District to replace the ancient little houses, in such a way that, on December 27, it was possible to lay the
cornerstone and to start the work. He could not be present because he was with our Sisters in Altamura, from where
he sent his wishes and blessings by telegraph.
Fr. Jaccarino was in Oria at the end of November, and there on December 4, he gathered together the few
Novices, the temporary religious who were preparing to renew their vows, the postulants and the eight Aspirants from
Messina and Oria, to prepare them, through a triduum of preaching, to the sacred celebrations of the coming feast of
the Immaculate. He had the authority to exempt from the Spiritual Exercises and the Novices from the constitutional
semester. But they were still few, and he was exhorting them to pray and to work because the harvest is plenty, but
the workers are few: he looked like a Rogationist. To that profession belong Fr. Giovanni Carbotti and Bro. Vincenzo
Esposito; on the same occasion Fr. Saverio Ciro Gentile took the religious habit.

15. The Foundation of the House of Trani

In Trani, along Corato Street, on September 8, 1921, Father Founder had bought the “ Laserra Villa” to serve as
a vacation house for the Sisters’ Institute located downtown, at Duomo Street54.
After the Father’s death, in the years of 1928-1931, Fr. Palma had built there an imposing building, through
skilled workers of Altamura; the construction was supervised by him so as to save money. In 1931 the building was
almost finished and during the vacancy of the Superiors, Fr. Palma transferred from Rome to this house in Trani the

From the history of the House of Trani we know that the Father Fonder acquired the Villa on Corato St. on April
54

19, 1917, as a summer residence and called it Villa Sta. Maria.

orphanage for children which the Father Founder had entrusted temporarily to our Sisters, as a starting point for the
Rogationist house to be built in Rome.
The thirty-seven children, who were orphaned of both parents, left Rome accompanied by their assisting Sisters
on the evening of June 13 and arrived at Trani on the morning of June 14. At the station they were received by all the
members of the female Institute of Duomo Street and by the band of the Orphanage of Oria. That was also a number
of the celebrations for the centenary of St. Anthony in Trani.
In this way the project that Father Founder had presented with a special printed issue on the occasion of the
foundation of the house of Rome in 1925, faded away.
In the morning of the following Monday, Msgr. Leo, Archbishop of Trani, blessed solemnly the new house at
Corato Street. Msgr. Verrienti, the Bishop of Altamura, celebrated the first Mass in the premises used as Chapel,
where he placed the Blessed Sacrament after a fervent sermon for all the people attending.
By December 1931, those boys had been dwelling in the new Institute for six months, together with the Sisters
assisting them. However there was the need to find a solution for the future, because the boys were growing up.
Fr. Jaccarino used that situation to persuade Fr. Palma to use that house only as a house of formation, by
transferring from Oria in its northern part, which was still free, the Novitiate with all its annexes, as well as the Higher
Apostolic School (= Seminary) with the exception of the first class of the Gymnasium Course, and to let the economic
burden be assumed by the Sister’s House in Trani.
In this way, because of Fr. Jaccarino and through his merit and diplomatic sagacity, the fourth Rogationists’
House was established. The decision was swift, also because it was urgent to organize the school-year, which had
already started for the Apostolic School.
After the Christmas feasts, the Novices and at least the senior Seminarians from Oria and from Messina were to
transfer to the new house in Trani. Fr. Jaccarino appointed Fr. Santoro as Novice Master and Superior of the House,
and Fr. Appi as Vice Novice Master and Vice Superior.
On December 26, in the morning, study tables, school equipment, archives, small tables and the indispensable
furniture were sent by train from Oria to Trani. Then a wide range of preparations for the departure of the persons,
set for December 27, started.
That night only few were able to sleep. At 3:30 A.M. all were awakened: washing up, prayers, Holy Mass, then
78
everybody, when it was still dark, through the gloomy and silent roads of Oria in the December atmosphere, left for
the station, each with their own belongings and luggage, following Fathers Santoro and Appi.
The whole company included all the Novices, the Seminarians (Apostolini) of the 2 nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Gymnasium
Course, guided by Bro.s Mario Bellini, Giovanni Carbotti, Giuseppe Ferrara and the two Fathers.
The journey was more or less fair until Bari, though the vivacity of that group of boys, accustomed to the quiet of
the little town of Oria, was exploding in front of the sequence of stations, at the sight of the Adriatic Sea, which was
something new for many of them, and for all the little novelties.
But at Bari, the unforeseeable happened. It was Christmas holidays time, and thousands of soldiers returning to
their corps after the holidays assailed the train, which was already full of passengers. In that pushing and confusion,
the boys were scattered in all the corners. it was a miracle that at Trani none of the boys remained on the train, even
if many of them had to be let down through the windows with their luggage, while the station master was shouting
because the train was late.
It was almost noon. Bro. Giuseppeantonio was waiting at the station. When all were gathered, he accompanied
them, walking, in a rainy weather, toward Corato Street, full of mud and puddles created by the wheels of the
countryside carts. – Asphalting of roads was still to come. -
Fr. Palma was waiting at home. They visited the Owner of the House in the small Chapel and then went to the
refectory, where the good Sisters had prepared the lunch.
In the afternoon, accompanied by Fr. Palma, they visited the city, which was new for almost all. They greeted our
Sisters at Duomo Street and went to ask the blessing of the Archbishop, Msgr. Giuseppe Leo, who received them
affectionately.
Also the Seminarians form Messina arrived two days later, accompanied by Fr. Tusino and Fr. Tursi. Thus the
House of Trani was opened, which was to be used only and exclusively for the formation of the personnel of the
Congregation. With this aim, the Fathers assigned there, started their work.
Bein alone, obviously, they could do little. Thus Fr. Palma with Fr. Santoro started to look for some priest-
collaborators who could teach and offer spiritual assistance, which is so essential for a Religious Seminary. Msgr.
Leo, the Archbishop, who was a man of great experience, supported their efforts as much as possible.
 In the beginnings the weekly ordinary confessors was Fr. Benedetto Calvi, from Corato a very good priest,
chaplain of our sisters, as well as director of the pious lady Luisa Piccarreta; the extraordinary confessor was the
apostle of Barletta, Fr. Raffaele Dimiccoli. Both of them had already presented some vocations to our male and
female Institutes.
Other well deserving priests also collaborated during those first years: Fr. Titomanlio, Superior of the
Redemptorists of Corato, the Chancellor of the Diocesan Curia, Canon Altobella, the zealous parish priest of St.
Claire, Msgr. Carbone and many others.
When it comes to teachers, in the beginning, we had the collaboration of Dr. Canon Giuseppe Di Perna for
literature and other subjects, and of Dr. Professor Muller for mathematics and sciences.
On January, Fr. Jaccarino came to see how the new house had been arranged and brought some aspirants
whom he had recruited during his preaching tours.

16. Fr. Jaccarino resigns

As we mentioned, Fr. Jaccarino did not hold offices of authority in his Order. Then unlike Fr. Leo, who was in
much higher position and used to take care of the Rogationists only in some periods of the year, Fr. Jaccarino,
though keeping his commitments as a preacher, was truly following up the vicissitudes of the our Institutes, with an
immediate supervision. This fact was annoying those who until that time, were not used to these controls. Maybe the
Sacred Congregation had chosen Fr. Jaccarino also for this purpose.
Besides, he made an effort - or attempted - to put Fr. Palma together with Fr. Vitale in Messina, particularly for
the administrative sector where Fr. Palma was the main responsible, according to the committee created by Fr. Leo
with very specific tasks. Fr. Jaccarino also mentioned that he intended to transfer some of the confreres, a thing
which was unthinkable until that moment. And also this started to bother somebody.
Besides, the Sacred Congregation had tasked Fr. Jaccarino to investigate prudently about some grave
accusations which had reached that Department; they could have been false and slanderous, but it was necessary to
shed light on them, also to strike at eventual slanderous people. The accusations concerned the female Institute.
79
He tried to investigate with great prudence, but the ones who were at fault or suspicious, could not miss the
nature of such investigations. When they understood the mission which Fr. Jaccarino had received, they imprudently
tried to attack his work and person in order to neutralize his report which they feared unfavorable to them.
Fr. Jaccarino was a good-natured and open man, unable to do harm to anybody. He did not mind some friendly
behaviors proper to his Neapolitan character which could be interpreted maliciously by persons interested to do so.
Several Sisters relied on these manifestations of Fr. Jaccarino to forward accusations to Bishops like Msgr. Leo of
Trani and Msgr. Di Tommaso of Oria, who were already biased against him.
The result was a thick folder of accusations against the Superior and Visitor, Fr. Jaccarino, which were
presented to the New Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of the Religious, Card. Lepicier.
The Cardinal, or somebody in his name, complained strongly with Fr. Boetto, Assistant General of the Italian
Jesuits, who probably had presented Fr. Jaccarino for the difficult task as Superior and Visitor of our two
Congregations.
Fr. Boetto summoned Fr. Jaccarino and asked him to his justify himself; in the meantime he imposed on him to
resign immediately his mandate for the Congregation of the Daughters of Divine Zeal. For the Rogationists, however,
he could continue his task as Superior and Visitor because there was no reason to leave his office, for the moment.
Thus Fr. Jaccarino continued to keep the title of Superior, but practically, he realized by himself that it was
convenient to give the Rogationists some autonomy. Therefore he obtained from the Sacred Congregation of the
Religious a Decree appointing Fr. Vitale as his Vicar General, with the help of a Council for the ordinary affairs, ad
nutum Sanctae Sedis. The Fathers Santoro, Tusino and Drago were appointed as Councilors.
Then he went into a retreat in Naples where he wrote his own defense, which he presented to Fr. Boetto, and
through him, to the Sacred Congregation of the Religious. From the examination of those documents, the Sacred
Congregation took its decisions. Considering that two Bishops had taken position against Fr. Jaccarino and that it
was not convenient for him to continue to deal with them, the Congregation concluded that a more authoritative
person and alien to the affairs was needed. This could be only a Bishop sent by the Sacred Congregation itself, who
could deal on an equal level with the Bishops and examine objectively the complicated matter.
Then at least for what concerned the Sisters’ Congregation it was necessary to choose a Bishop. For the
Rogationists there was no urgency, for the moment, to make changes. However, Fr. Jaccarino himself saw this as an
opportunity to give complete freedom to the government created by the Sacred Congregation in the person of Fr.
Vitale and his Council. The Bishop chosen for the task was already working as an employee of the Holy See: Msgr.
Pasetto

17. Msgr. Luca Eermenegildo Pasetto

Msgr. Luca Ermenegildo Pasetto was a Minor Friar Capuchin from Padua. He had held several high positions in
his order. He had been the apostolic preacher of the Holy See and because of his merits he had been elevated to the
Episcopal Order.
Msgr. Pasetto had carried out several inspective roles on behalf of the Sacred Congregation, even in the field of
missions among the infidels, and in every place where difficult and complicated problems have surfaced in Religious
Institutes. He was renowned as one who used to take drastic measures and, when needed, to cut short swiftly,
severely and without pity.
He went to Messina on the month of August to start his visit to the Sisters’ Houses, but always lodging in a male
House. In Messina, he was a guest in our house of Christ the King. When he went to visit the Sisters’ Houses outside
Messina, he asked Fr. Vitale for a Rogationist Father as a companion and Fr. Vitale gladly granted it.
Later on, we came to know, but not from him, that before starting the visit, Msgr. Pasetto had given the famous
dossier of accusation against Fr. Jaccarino, together with all the attached documents, to the Congregation of the Holy
Office, because he saw in them matters which were competence of that Congregation. In fact, Msgr. Pasetto had
obtained the authorization, from the same Congregation, to use the secret of the Holy Office and its related oath for
the investigations that he was planning to carry out.
After reading the dossier, the Congregation of the Holy Office ordered Fr. Palma to remain at the Holy Office’s
disposal and to reside at the Passionist Fathers’ House, the “Scala Santa”. For this reason we saw Bro.
Giuseppeantonio, who usually accompanied Fr. Palma in his travels, returning to Puglia alone. He said that Fr.
Palma had sent him back there because he had to remain in Rome for his affairs. On the contrary, the Calvary of the
poor Fr. Palma had started.
80
When Msgr. Pasetto finished visiting the Sisters’ Houses in Sicily, he went to Puglia, always asking hospitality
from the Rogationists. In Trani, he stayed in our house “Villa Santa Maria” from September 2 to 8.
Then he went back to Rome and presented the report of his visit to the Sacred Congregation of Religious, which
appointed him as Superior and Plenipotentiary Visitor of the two Institutes. As such, on September 10, 1932, he
issued a Decree sent directly to each Sisters’ House. By virtue of that Decree, the Superior General and the whole
Council as well as all the local Superiors were removed from their office. Each Superior, after reading the Decree to
the community, had to turn over everything to her Vicar and to leave for Taormina, and there wait for instructions.
Some superiors did not accept such test, like for example Mother Elisabetta Paradiso, who asked to transfer to the
cloistered Monastery of Lecce, where her sister was.
On October 7, 1932, with another Decree, Msgr. Pasetto appointed Sister M. Ascensione Carcò as Superior
General of the Sisters’ Congregation, “ad nutum Sanctae Sedis”, M. Nazarena Majone as Vicar General, and others
as Councilors.
In the meantime, since Msgr. Pasetto had been appointed by the Sacred Congregation as Superior General and
Plenipotentiary Visitor of both Institutes, also for the many problems which were common to both institutes,
automatically Fr. Jaccarino ceased being our Visitor. On the other side, Msgr. Pasetto did not change anything about
the authority of Fr. Vitale as Vicar General. Fr. Vitale was obliged to be always in touch with Msgr. Pasetto and to
notify him the most important changes and, every time, the admission to the vows of new religious. For all the rest Fr.
Vitale enjoyed full autonomy.
Fr. Palma unfortunately remained at the disposal of the Congregation of the Holy Office, at the Scala Santa,
under the authority of the Superior of the Passionist Fathers of that House. The Sacred Congregation requested the
Rogationist to pay to that superior a good monthly fee for lodging. However that was not the greatest problem. The
poor Fr. Palma had to undergo a long and severe trial, according to the style of the Holy Office to give a detailed
account about his actions, as they resulted from the documents obtained by the Holy Office.
Unfortunately, the trial ended with a verdict against Fr. Palma. Among the other sanctions imposed on him, he
was obliged to remain in that Retreat of the Scala Santa at the disposal of the ecclesiastical authorities.
 He obeyed and remained there suffering in that House until death, which was on September 2, 1935. It seems
that the death was caused by his great emotion - in fact he was quite emotional - when he realized that the Sacred
Congregation, because of his edifying dispositions, had decided to readmit him to all his priestly faculties.
The Passionist Fathers, who followed him at that time, later said that if ever he might have committed faults, they
had been certainly expiated by his life of piety, submission and penance.
He is buried in the Cemetery of Verano in Rome in the tomb of the Rossi family, his relatives, who at that time
were residing in Rome.

18. The first numerous entrance to Novitiate

During his government, in order to increase the Rogationist vocations, Fr. Jaccarino, wanted to promote to the
Postulancy, which at that time our Constitution required before the Novitiate, also the Students of the third year of
Gymnasium, corresponding to the actual Senior High School, if they were in the canonical age.
And so it happened that in the first year of the House of Trani, there was a considerable number of postulants.
When Fr. Jaccarino stepped down, Msgr. Pasetto was appointed Plenipotentiary Superior, and things started to
become regular, Fr. Vitale decided to leave Messina to examine the problems of the two houses in Puglia.
He started his Canonical Visit with the house of Trani, where there was the Novitiate and where he had to
examine the applications of the Postulants who wanted to be admitted to the Novitiate on the following September
29, according to the already established tradition.
He arrived in Trani on September 15, 1932 and wanted also the other two Councilors, Fr. Tusino from Oria and
Fr. Drago from Messina, to come for a Council meeting according to the Constitutions. He called one by one all the
postulants who had applied in order to examine their spirit and their vocation. They were many, and Fr. Vitale was
very happy.
He went to pay homage to the Archbishop of Trani, Msgr. Leo and accepted a short program in his honor. Then
he assigned Fr. Santoro to preside the ceremony of the taking of the habit of the Novices and left for the Canonical
Visit to the House Oria. There he attended the traditional annual “Feast of the Prize” [= similar to a graduation ceremony]
81
of the Orphans. On October 5, he left for Messina where pressing affairs were waiting for him.
Thus on September 29, 1932, after a course of Spiritual exercises preached by Fr. Arcangelo, a Passionist,
there was the first most numerous taking of the habit ever done in the Congregation: 23 Novices. The ceremony was
held, as usual, in our small Chapel at Villa Santa Maria, which was full-packed, or better yet, overflowing of people,
as it had never been before. Besides our male communities, there were also the Community of our Sisters and their
girls of Duomo Street, the relatives of our candidates, many of whom were from the nearby towns, and the curious
faithful of the neighborhood. Fr. Vitale sent his blessing from Messina, by telegraph. Also from Oria, Fr. Tusino and
the community sent their wishes by telegraph. It was a memorable day.
The living confreres who belonged to that batch are Fr. Francesco Campanale, Fr. Giuseppe Cassone, Fr.
Tommaso Ciniero, Fr. Antonio Coluccia, Fr. Antonio Patavino, Fr. Liborio Prudentino and Fr. Oronzo Putignano;
those who died already are: Bro. Giuseppe Clemente, a great hope for the Congregation, but victim of phthisis at
“Campo Italia” (Me) and our dear Bro. Giuseppe Bongiovanni.55

19. Towards Normality

Under the high control of Msgr. Pasetto, the two Congregations started a time of organization in conformity to the
decisions taken by the Sacred Congregations of the Religious during the visit of Fr. Leo Kirchels.
Finally, the longed for division of the properties belonging to each Institute was accomplished. It was established
which property belonged to each Institute, in Messina, Oria and Trani. There was no mention any more of the house
of Rome, because after the transferring of our Orphans to Trani, it had become exclusively a female house. Instead,
a little mess arose about the land of Trani with its building, which used to be for the Sisters, but which was then
inhabited mostly by the fathers. A temporary division was drafted on the paper, which later became legal through civil
acts, and from temporary it became perpetual, with several vicissitudes, which is not the case to remember.

55
Among the dead is to be mentioned also Fr. Ciniero Tommaso who died on September 11, 1978.
 Msgr. Pasetto directed the management of the male orphanage of Trani to accept also the little orphan boys who
after six or seven were already growing up. The sisters who were taking care of them left, and so even the part of the
Institute that they were using became a property of the male Congregation.
Until that time nothing could be done for the transferring of the properties of the Institutes which were still
registered under the name of the Palma Brothers. It was really a delicate issue. However, Msgr. Pasetto, with tact
and energy, obtained a notary act, through which, the properties were transferred from the Palma Brothers to the
Societá Anonima Romana Immobili (SARI), a Corporation which already existed for the house of Rome, whose sole
administrator was Fr. Palma. The Corporation remained and the properties were transferred to it, but its
administration was entrusted to the Attorney Carrara and to the Accountant Galeotti, fiduciaries of the Sacred
Congregation of the Religious.
They had to avail of this expedient notwithstanding the Agreement between the Italian Government and the Holy
See [Concordato] because our two Congregations were not yet of Pontifical approval, which was an indispensable
condition to apply the Norms of Agreement, as they did later.
When it comes to the donations and incomes of the Anthonian Propaganda, which until that time had been in
common for the two Institutes in the places where they were together, which means in Messina and Oria, Msgr.
Pasetto wanted each Institute to be on its own. But difficulties were raised even by the Fathers because the faithful
knew only one ‘Anthonian Propaganda’, as it had been done until that time, and it would have been dangerous for all
to start from zero. He realized that it was not yet time for this. Thus he decided that at the end of each month the
administrators of the two institutes in Messina and Oria would make an account of all the income coming through
personal donations or mail to each of them and divide all equally. This evidently presupposed a mutual trust. But it
was only a temporary provision.
After these fundamental acts, for the male Congregation, Msgr. Pasetto let the government of Fr. Vitale and his
Council take charge, reserving to himself only a kind of assistance for the difficult cases, and to settle questions
among the two Institutes particularly about the administration which had not yet perfectly separated.
Msgr. Pasetto knew very well the scrupulosity of Fr. Vitale in observing the Constitutions and his directives. Thus
the Congregation started a period of tranquil years with the ordinary meetings of the General Council for the affairs
and the admissions.
82
In the meantime Msgr. Pasetto became the Secretary of the Sacred Congregation of the Religious, and this
helped very much the development of the two Institutes.

20. Fr. Vitale’s Government

Fr. Vitale cared intensely for the formation of the Rogationist Religious personnel, who were still so few in
number. On April 18, 1934, after 18 months of Novitiate, he admitted 18 Novices to the first Profession, and the first
year of internal Philosophical Lyceum Course was started in the same House of Trani.
On September 29, 1934, twelve Postulants were accepted to the Novitiate. For the first time the ceremony was
presided by the Archbishop of Trani, Msgr. Leo, who in the morning of September 29, celebrated in the small chapel
of “Villa Santa Maria” and after the Mass, gave the sacred habit with the usual rite. Frs. Luigi Alessandrà, Filippo
Donvito, Giuseppe Lagati and Giuseppe Marrazzo belong to that batch of Novices.
On September 29, 1935, another consistent group was given the religious habit by Fr. Vitale, surrounded by
eight Rogationist Priests: it was the most numerous ever seen until then: it was truly an exceptional event for that
time. To that batch belong the Frs. Giuseppe Aveni, Giuseppe Bonafede, Orazio Di Fini, Corrado Guccione,
Giuseppe Vilardi and the late Antonio Indelicato56.
On March 29, 1936, once again Fr. Vitale admitted to the first Profession the Novices who had finished their
Novitiate and at the same time he gave the religious habit to other thirteen Postulants. Among them were the Frs.
Amato Michele, Michele Lomuscio, Vincenzo Santarella, Francesco Tarantini.
On September 29 of the same year four students and five Brothers also entered the Novitiate. Frs. Gioaccchino
D’Amato and Giuseppe Leo and Brothers Antonio Adamo and Salvatore Labarbuta belong to that batch.
On September 29, 1937, there was another numerous taking of the habit [and entrance to the Novitiate]. To that
batch belong Frs. Antonio Barbangelo, Sabino Cafagna, Gaetano Ciranni, Michele Lamacchia, Paolo Tangorra and
the heroic coadjutor Bro. Gennaro Sfregola. On March 30 of the following year, 1938, eleven more Postulants

56
Fr. Orazio Di Fini died on December 16, 1981 [the Manuscript of Fr. Santoro is previous to this date].
entered the Novitiate. Fathers Pietro Campanale, Michele Ferlisi, Paolo Petruzzellis and Brothers Cosimo Galetta
and Luigi Sguera belong to that batch.
In that occasion two Religious, Fr. Tommaso Ciniero and Bro. Angelo Pisano, professed their perpetual vows.
Bro. Angelo was seriously sick. The Blessed Sacrament was brought to him in the infirmary and there he made his
consecration to God, whom, after few days, he went to contemplate in heaven.
And so on. Every year during the ten years of Fr. Vitale’s government there were new Rogationists, and not only
Novices. In Messina, our Confreres who were studying theology were ascending to the Minor and Major Orders. In
1935, Fr. Giuseppe Pitrone was ordained priest; in 1937, Fr. Salvatore Gerardo Onorato; in 1938 Fr. Mario
Labarbuta; in 1939 Frs. Giovanni Carbotti and Mario Bellini; and in 1940 Fr. Saverio Ciro Gentile.
Finally, almost to crown the work of ten years (1932-1942), in 1942, a numerous group of new Rogationist
Priests ascended to the Holy Altar: they were the Fathers Francesco Campanale, Giuseppe Cassone, Tommaso
Ciniero, Antonio Patavino, Antonio Coluccia, Oronzo Putignano.
It was a continuously ascending spiral, so that in our January 1936 Bollettino a writer remarked: “ In the
beginning of our Bollettino (i.e. in January 1922) we were all in all 23. On June 1, 1927, at the death of our venerable
Founder the Rogationist were 31, that is: 4 priests, 16 students, 11 coadjutor brothers.
On August 1, 1932, when the Sacred Congregation of the Religious formed the first General Council with Fr.
Vitale as Superior, we were 43: 11 Priests, 12 professed Religious, 1 Student Novice, 15 Coadjutor Brothers and 4
Coadjutor Novices.
On December 31, 1935, after only three years of government of Fr. Vitale, there were 13 Priests, 6 Theology
Students, 22 Philosophy Students, 24 Professed Coadjutor Brothers, 27 Student Novices and 5 Coadjutor Novices.
The total is 97”.
At the same date the Seminarians [‘ Apostolini’] in both Houses were 188, thus the growth continued with the
same rhythm for the following years. Those were the years when the “ Rogate Ergo” was born as an organ of the
Pious Union of the Evangelical Rogation, in 1938; the periodical publication of the Rogationist Calendar was started
in 1941; the land for the construction of the Rogationist House in Rome, so much longed for by Father Founder, was
bought; the Diocesan Process of Beatification of the Father was started; the golden priestly Jubilee of Fr. Vitale,
successor and accomplisher of the ideals of the Father Founder was celebrated with enchanting harmony between
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the two Rogationist religious Families.
All these things were fruit of Fr. Vitale’s continuous prayer, especially in the hours which he used to spend
unfailingly every night before the Blessed Sacrament, presenting to Jesus, the Divine Superior, the vicissitudes and
needs of each House with trusting fervor.

21. Extension of Fr. Vitale’s mandate

A dreadful calamity was going to strike the world, the Second World War, provoked by Hitler’s insane plan in
1939. Some years later, Hitler was supported by the mad ambition of Mussolini, bound to him by the famous ‘Rome-
Berlin Axis’.
A personal conversation between Hitler and Mussolini at the borders between Italy and Austria convinced the
“Duce” (leader) and he declared war against the Allies on June 10, 1940. A shudder of surprise and uncertainty hit
everybody and sufferings started.
Even the small Congregation of the Rogationist had to bear the consequences. Fortunately there was no general
mobilization, as it happened in the 1915-1918 war. The Norm of the ‘ Agreement’ [Concordato] between the Italian
Government and the Holy See which exempted the clerics and the members of Religious Congregation from military
service was implemented. Nobody had to interrupt his Religious life. Indeed, in the beginning, the houses did not
suffer much; their religious life continued in a normal way. So normal that Fr. Vitale, who was already almost 74 years
old, started thinking of the possibility of observing the indication of our Constitution of that time, which limited the term
of the government for the Superior General to ten years.
In reality there was no need to refer to that indication, because legally he was only the Vicar General of the
Superior General who was still Msgr. Pasetto, though Fr. Vitale was acting in everything as Superior General, and
also because the establishment on August 11, 1932 of the First General Council, of which Fr. Vitale was the head,
did not have time limits but was “ad Nutum Sanctae Sedis”. But Fr. Vitale was a man of scrupulous precision.
Msgr. Pasetto knew it well to the point that in front of some of Fr. Vitale’s perplexities he had to impose on him
what to do in order to let him at peace.
 However, before reaching that famous August 1, 1942, Fr. Vitale felt the necessity to ask Msgr. Pasetto about
the authentic interpretation of the 1932 Decree “ for his conscience’s peace and to keep the solidarity of all the
Congregation’s members”.
Msgr. Pasetto, who by that time was already Secretary of the Sacred Congregation for Religious, instead of
interpreting the 1932 Decree, had the same Congregation issue another Decree in these terms:
From: The Secretariat of the Sacred Congregation for te Religious
To: The Most Rev. Fr. Francesco Vitale, Vicar General,
Rogationist Congregation of the Heart of Jesus – Messina.

After having examined attentively the petition, we grant you to postpone the General Chapter for
election for another three years. Meanwhile let those who are ruling, continue to rule.
(Attentis expositis, pro gratia differendi Capitulum Generale pro electionibus ad alium triennnium,
et interim regant qui regunt)

Rome, July 18, 1942

By mandate of His Eminence, Card. Prefect
Signed: Msgr. L. H. Pasetto - Secretary

With a circular Letter on August 12, 1942, which is reported in our Bollettino, Fr. Vitale forwarded
the decision of the Sacred Congregation to all our Houses

21. Messina into the war

Meanwhile, the real war which until then had kept more or less far from our places, started getting closer.
We are not concerned here about the alternate vicissitudes of the sudden attack of the so called German
blitzkrieg against the northern countries of Europe; nor the invasion of the neutral nations and the bypassing of what 84
seemed the inexpugnable “Maginot Line”; nor the attack of Paris. The trouble started when the United States entered
the war and Eisenhower decided to attack Italy and Europe beginning from Northern Africa.
In the early months of 1941 we had the first English air raids from Malta to bomb Messina. Those raids however
were rare, during the night and limited strictly to military targets. In those cases, our Communities of St. Anthony and
of Christ the King took shelter in the safer portions of the building, like the basement, praying. It was a matter of a little
fear, nothing else.
But on January 30, 1943, the American four-engine airplanes carried out their first dreadful raids upon Messina.
The St. Anthony Orphanage, just because of the pressure wave had windows and glasses damaged. As usual, all
went into the internal basement, but the terror was widespread. It became necessary even to abandon the city. The
Communities had to separate.
The parish convent of Larderia accepted about thirty orphans; the theology Students found shelter in two large
rooms in Gubbiotti; the sisters went to Christ the King; the small orphan children were transferred to Oria.
When the air raids became more dangerous and the shelter of Christ the King was not safe anymore, the
Seminarians and a group of orphans of Christ the King were hosted in the Seminary of Santa Lucia del Mela, made
available by that Prelate, Msgr. Caraco. Fr. Coluccia was the Superior and when he was transferred to Oria, Fr.
Labarbuta took his place.
Only some of the Superiors and some Brothers remained in Messina to guard the houses and to coordinate the
provisions for the scattered communities, with all the difficulties that could be imagined.
Our church of St. Anthony in the beginnings was kept open only in the morning for the few faithful of
neighborhood, but later it was closed completely because it was already a heap of broken glasses and debris. The
raids against Messina continued more frequently and obstinately over what was called a “ghost city” because from the
airplanes it look still always standing, while the bombs should already have destroyed it.
At Gubbiotti, the Theology students were able somehow to organize their school because Msgr. Bensaia, their
professor in Morals and Dogma was sheltered in the vicinity; with some Parish Priests and some Rogationist priests
they were able to have all the subjects. Even at Santa Lucia del Mela, the seminarians were able to continue their
school in a proper way.
 When, on the vigil of the solemnity of the Blessed Trinity in 1943, a terrible night bombing struck also the mother
house of St. Anthony, precisely in the corner of the building where the tomb of the Father was, destroying the library
and the rooms used for the apostolic works of the Church, it became impellent to find a safe place for the precious
treasure of the remains of Father Founder. With the proper official clearances, the coffin of the Father was removed
from its tomb and placed temporarily in a nearby shelter under the mountain besides the House of our Sisters.
After air-raids and carpet bombings, the Allied Army landed in Sicily and the war spread over the whole island.
At Guardia and Gubbiotti our Communities endured terrible hours for the continued raids against the German
armies which were trying to escape from Sicily and for the furious counter-attack of the antiaircraft artillery which was
positioned on those mountains. Even in that place there was no safety. On the night of August 1, a bomb splinter hit
mortally the good Sister Euprepia, who had offered her life to God for the safety of our theology students. It was
necessary to leave those places and to come back to the city, where at least at the alarm’s sound it was possible to
run into St. Martha’s shelter excavated under the mountain.
But those facilities were narrow and lacking any essential hygienic conditions to hold that huge crowd of
persons, to the point of becoming lethal for some.
Thus the old sister of Fr. Vitale, Ms. Concettina, could not survive. She died there, while praying, because of
heart failure.
The American troops invaded Messina on August 17, 1943. From the opposite shore of Calabria the German
batteries were vomiting a terrible amount of fire upon the city and its outskirts to delay the landing of the allied and to
protect their retreating. Our Communities could breathe a little bit only when, on September 2, the imposing American
army moved into Calabria.
Fr. Vitale, worn-out by the age and by so many emotions and strains, went to St. Pier Niceto for a more quiet life.
The temple of the Evangelical Rogation was re-opened. But it was a short consolation.
On October 6, 1943 the Canadian troops requisitioned and took possession of our Orphanage of St. Anthony,
leaving only few rooms for the people of the House. The occupation lasted until January 6, 1944. But even after that
date, the house remained under requisition until July 31, 1944, when finally the decree of de-requisition arrived, and
the Community could resume its life in the Institute. It was at that time that even the temple of St. Anthony resumed in
full its religious and cultual life’s rhythm. On June 22, 1944 the venerated remains of Father Founder came back to its
85
place, even though in a very humble way. After 9 in the evening, the coffin placed on a cart, covered with a pall, left
the house of his Daughters of Divine Zeal, the Holy Spirit House, and entered into the Temple of St. Anthony where it
was buried.

20. The Houses of Puglia in the midst of the war

While the war raged Sicily, the houses of Puglia were restless: the threat of war was getting closer also to them,
while the relations with the Superiors of Messina were interrupted by the military operations.
The problems, even economical, were multiplying: sometimes it was necessary to take urgent decisions, much
more since the landing of the Allied Armies in Calabria and the retreat of the Italian-German troops forebode nothing
good. There was a moment of great uncertainty.
Thus on August 10, 1943, Fr. Santoro, who was the first Councilor and Superior of the House of Trani, and Fr.
Appi, who was Superior of the House of Oria, before the communications could be interrupted, went to Rome, the
Capital, to present the many problems and the real situation to Msgr. Pasetto. From the height of his office Msgr.
Pasetto could see things in a wider way; thus he saw the necessity of conferring to Fr. Santoro all the faculties as
Major Superior, as well as some particular faculties proper to that time of war. At the same time, he appointed the
Fathers Tursi and Appi as his temporary assistants or Councilors [pro tempore] till the storm would be over.
One of the most important and urgent problem was the threat of requisition of our buildings for the needs of the
war. On January 1943, the House of Oria was seriously under the threat of requisition. Foreseeing that the Allied
Armies were going to land in Puglia from the Gulf of Taranto, the Admiral wanted to transfer the whole Headquarter
of his Admiralty in the building of our orphanage of Oria, thus transferring all the Religious and orphans in other
places. They visited several times the Institute, making their computations and recourses to the authorities without
results. Msgr. Di Tommaso, Bishop of Oria, and Msgr. Bernardi, Archbishop of Taranto advised us to try to go to
Rome and to talk with authorities in the Quirinale Palace [the seat of the government] and with the Secretary of State
of the Vatican. Fr. Appi went to Rome and through the Apostolic Nunciature he had his request brought up to
Mussolini, the ‘Duce’!
 He obtained that the secretariat of Mussolini telegraphed to the Admiral [in Taranto] who promised to try all other
ways first, and only in case of absolute necessity he would have requisitioned our building.
The threat of requisition was prospected also for our house in Trani, but until it depended on them, both the
Italian and German military authorities did not want to bother us. Some good friends told us that it was because since
on the previous January we had opened our doors to some refugee orphans escaped from Abruzzi, the house was
considered as serving the needs of the war. Thus it was not to be touched. Many German military were in agreement
with us, even though they had thought several times about the requisition. Some of our Religious students had even
become friends of German soldiers and officers, also for the desire to learn their language.
Thus, for the moment, there were no troubles. The life in the Institute continued more or less with its ordinary
rhythm, even though among many throbbing and difficulties to obtain the indispensable provisions and for the sad
forecast for the near future. In fact the progress of the Allied Armies in Calabria; the Badoglio’s Government and of
the King's presence in Brindisi; the fear of the German Armies for the Allied Armies’ landing from the sea, were all
signals that our Institute could very soon be in the midst of the war. And it so happened particularly when, on
September 8, 1943, the separated armistice of Badoglio’s Government with Eisenhower was made public. The Italian
troops were disbanded everywhere. The German became enemies. The Allied Armies landed at Salerno. The
German Armies established a bridgehead at Foggia and Barletta. Our Institute found itself on the line of demarcation
between the two fronts. Then the well-known events happened.
First of all the battle of Trani... From Barletta the German Command, while the American Divisions were
engaged elsewhere, wanted to give a lesson to the garrison of the city, that is, the Civil Engineers Corps. The Italian
Armies suffered a great defeat, so that all the troops, even the policemen and carabineers, took to the bush to avoid
becoming prisoners. Somebody took refuge in our Institute disguised as a gardener. All the military equipment of the
city was burnt. Even the main barracks of the Civil Engineers Corps were burnt; the deposit which near the church of
St. John, a few meters from the house of our Sisters, was also burnt as well as the small barracks. There was a great
fear about the powder magazine located at the north of our Institute. It was said that the German soldiers spared it
out of sense of humanity, because there was so much explosive materials to destroy the whole city. What is sure was
that the soldiers tasked to guard it escaped and the urchins used to play there with anti-tank mines and guns. Some
neighboring persons, at their own personal danger, tried to destroy all the superficial things and made the rascals go
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away. No authority was working in the city. The Archbishop Msgr. Petronelli went out in the streets looking for the
necessary provisions, to calm the people down and to avoid the worse.
Practically Trani lived under the threat of the German troops based in the nearby Barletta. People were saying
that from time to time some English military jeep was timidly appearing to explore the situation. That is the time when
the incident of the cemetery happened. Some German trucks came from Barletta to get liquor from the Fabiano's
Company in Corato Street. In returning to Barletta, when they reached the Cemetery, from its open gate somebody
fired against the trucks. It was said that the culprit was a spying English jeep hiding in the premises of the cemetery.
Five German soldiers were killed and the others fled. Two days later, in the very early morning a company of
German soldiers armed to the teeth, with machine guns, stood guard over the important Bisceglie square, blocking all
the entries into the city, while some German jeeps rushed here and there capturing men. The plan was to avenge the
five soldiers killed. For each victim, ten men had to be shot: it was the retaliation’s law.
A German jeep reached also our Institute in Corato Street at about eight o’clock in the morning. They were
saying also that the Germans were taking young men to send them to Germany in armored wagons.
In the Institute we were ready for any event. At that time the house was full of young Novices and Students:
about one hundred people. They were praying and keeping vigilant looking from the windows. If a signal of danger
was given, the order was to escape through the fields and the vineyards at the back of the Institute.
But the jeep took away only two harmless judges, a magistrate and a registrar, who dwelt at Villa Borelli near
our Institute, who were on their way, as every morning, to their office.
They were forced to throw away their briefcase, and to get into the jeep. At Bisceglie square, they were heaped
together with other men sitting on the ground, waiting to reach the number of fifty to be shot. What happened is well
known. All the women, wives and daughters, ran to the Archbishopric to implore intervention of the Archbishop with
the German commander. Together with his Secretary, Msgr. Perrone, the Archbishop went to negotiate with the
Commander, who was strongly irritated. Unfortunately the Archbishop was not able to convince him to release those
poor men who were innocent. Then he exhorted them to repent for their sins, gave them the absolution in case of
death (in articulo mortis) and placed himself in their midst, ready, together with his Secretary, to be killed by the
machine gun. Such an action bent the Commander who maybe was a catholic; he ordered the soldiers to retreat.
They said that when he returned to Barletta he paid with his life, according to the harsh military law, for not carrying
out the retaliation.
The most terrible day for the Institute was September 21. When the Commander Lerici in Bari knew the situation
of Trani, he sent an infantry regiment to garrison the city of Trani. A company patrolled Corato Street, near the sports
field and the small barracks. A rumor spread that some German soldiers were near Capirro. Were they fugitives,
dispersed or enemies preparing an ambush?
The lieutenant, who was leading the company in Corato Street, ordered to shoot with the mortars. It was in the
afternoon. Suddenly the crackling of automatic guns was heard. We feared the worse and the Brothers tried to bring
to safer places the provisions and equipment, which were more in danger. But while they were doing this, four
mortars shells fell upon the Institute and in the courtyard. Four young Religious who were transferring the provisions
were wounded. The most seriously hit was Bro. Dabbrescia, who practically was saved by the sack of wheat that he
was carrying on his shoulders. The sack was torn by the splinters. He was taken by the Brothers and transferred to a
near safer place, only to find out that he was having a massive hemorrhage caused by a splinter which had cut an
artery. The brothers tried to tampon the hemorrhage with the available means, but it did not work; so he was brought
to a nearby doctor, but he could do little because he had no medical equipment. After doing what he could, he
advised, as soon as the fighting was over, to rush the Brother to the civil hospital. And so we did it, but even in the
hospital there was a temporary physician with no experience. Thus, by car, the Brother was brought to Bisceglie
where the surgeon of our house, Doc. Giuseppe Bassi was serving as a military. He reacted because practically the
treatments of the previous doctors had enlarged the wound. The doctor kept the brother in the hospital, put
emergency tamponing and thus was able to stop the hemorrhage. The good confrere was there for almost ten days;
he was dismissed healed, though a little limping.
After some days we saw unending columns of British, Africans and Americans of every race passing by and
going north to occupy the places abandoned by the German Divisions. At that sight it became evident the insane
ambition of trying to defeat such a well-equipped army. The Allied Armies occupied also the military places of Trani.
But we could not be tranquil.

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24. The requisition of the Institute of Trani

In fact the victorious English Command started to treat us in a bad manner. First they sequestered the issue of
“Rogate Ergo” of that month, and, as a consequence, the magistrate was obliged to reprimand the editor. What was
the fault? It was an innocent article about prayer to obtain the victory, which appeared in the in the front page. Our
Magistrate understood immediately. But the consequence was that we had to apply again for the authorization to
publish the magazine after promising to avoid articles which the conquerors might not like.
After this, they started salivating for the Institute. Several times, officers from the nearby small barracks were
seen entering our garden from the secondary gate to look at the structure of the Institute. Some of our Religious,
moved by the desire of making friends with the new masters, had allowed an officer from South Africa, who was
saying that he was a catholic, while in reality he had other intentions, to enter our library. What Italian and Germans
did not dare to do, the English Command of Bari did.
Initially an Italian liaison captain introduced himself saying to the Superiors of the house what was the intentions
of the English Command: the requisition of the Institute for the necessities of the war. It was useless to demonstrate
to them that we did not know where to send not only all those young men, but also the approximately forty orphan
refugees, who had already suffered so much for the war; were they just going to find themselves back on the streets?
Besides where were we to place all the equipment of such a big Institute? Our Officers understood and promised
that, for what depended on them, they would requisitioned as many “villas” needed not far from the institute in the
same Corato Street. It was winter time. It was impossible to communicate with Rome, or Messina. In Puglia the Holy
See had given all the powers to deal with the Anglo-American Command to the Archbishop of Bari, Msgr. Mimmi.
The head of such logistic services was a certain Colonel Wining.
Together with an Italian-American captain, who spoke a slang Italian language, a true dialect of Calabria, he
came several times to see the Institute and to renew his request. They say that the British strangle you with a silk-
thread. But they strangle you. And so Colonel Wining did. He did not accept any reason. “ Is it possible to lose the war
for the salvation of about 40 orphans? We have already requisitioned the house of the Pope: the Seminary of
Molfetta ….”
 As the last remedy, Fr. Santoro went to Msgr. Mimmi who received him with sadness. With a large gesture of his
arms, he exclaimed: “That Col. Wining does not understand anything; anything! ” It means that the Archbishop was
already hurt because of other cases. After so many negotiations, we had to submit and accept the inevitable
requisition.
The Italian Command of liaison requisitioned Villa Borelli, two “villas” in front of the Institute and other two at
north for our Institute: all in all seven villas for all the members of the Institute and for its works. The personal
belonging, the furniture and other equipment were transferred and heaped in the empty rooms of Losurdo Palace of
our Sisters in the city. Fr. Onorato with some Confreres had to dwell there. Fr. Onorato was the Rector of the small
Church of St. Donato.
On April 20, 1944 the English troops entered our Institute. The Chapel was closed and bolted with the
inscription: “Off limits”. What was the use of our places? It became a convalescent hospital for their soldiers. The
kitchen and the oven were working full time till they were destroyed. The study hall and two rooms nearby were used
as games rooms and dance halls. Every Friday night the military jeeps used to fetch the “military young ladies”, from
the nearby Andria, where they resided, and the whole night was dedicated to dance and orgies to let the military
forget the war in a foreign land, as some of them said to our Confreres who were dealing with them. You can imagine
the suffering of our Religious, who, from the near villas, could see and hear how their facilities were used!
We hoped that this would not last too long, as the liaison officers were telling us to comfort us. Our life in the
“villas” was very difficult because the groups and the services and the laboratories were scattered.
On August 1944, because of the wickedness of the times, Fr. Vitale wanted all the Councilors with him, and so,
as soon as communications became possible, Fr. Santoro was transferred to Messina. Before leaving Trani, by
makeshifts transportation, he reached Rome to try, with the Secretariat of State of the Holy Father, or with the central
Offices of liaison with the American winners, to obtain the restitution of the Institute. It was in vain. While in Rome he
received the very painful news of the drowning of the two good Brothers: Gennaro Sfregola and Cosimo Erculeo: it
was a consequence of that kind of life in the “villas”, where the indispensable services for cleanness were lacking.
For this reason it became habitual that at least once a week for the Brothers to go to the sea, in secluded places, to
take a bath. They used to be accompanied by Fr. Ciniero.
This was fatal for Bro. Cosimo Erculeo who was particularly in need of bathing because of his work in the
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kitchen. Because of his desperate shouting for help while being caught in a whirl, Bro. Sfregola rushed with his
habitual generosity, but without being aware of his own personal danger, exclaiming: “ Take courage, Brother, I’m
coming to help you”. And the whirl sunk both of them.
Some British soldiers, precisely some Red Cross nurses, run to help from a nearby place but they could only
bring two dead bodies to the shore. All the reviving attempts under the bewildered eyes of Fr. Ciniero were useless.
Maybe some victims were needed!
Realizing that all his efforts to obtain the de-requisition were useless Fr. Santoro came back to Trani, prepared
his luggage and left for Messina.
In the villas of Trani, life continued according to the possibilities. The common religious practices were at Villa
Morelli, where a sacramental Chapel or “little Church’ was created, attended also by the faithful of the surroundings.
There the sacred functions in honor of St. Anthony of Padua were held and all the religious practices, like in the
Chapel of the Institute.
Fr. Onorato organized some activities for Our Lady of Fatima, which culminated with the citizens’ homage of
propitiation, as a collective pilgrimage from the Chapel of Villa Morelli to the Cathedral, praying the Rosary. Also the
Bishop of Andria was present. The Archbishop [of Trani] Msgr. Petronelli, celebrated the Pontifical. It was a real
triumph of Our Lady.
In the beginning of the winter season for which the villas did not have any equipment, it became clear that it was
impossible for the various communities to live that life distant from one another, scattered among the fields, with
separated workshops, study places, printing house etc. Thus Fr. Vitale with his Council decided to transfer the
Novitiate to Oria and the Religious of Lyceum to Messina. On November 3, 1944 the Novices left for Oria, and in the
following day, Nov. 4 the Religious Students left for Messina. Practically only the small group of refugee orphans
together with some Brothers was left in Trani.
When the building was not anymore useful for the British soldiers, we hoped that they would de-requisite and
give it back to our Superior. Instead, when the British troops went away, their place was taken by Polish refugees:
they too were poor people oppressed by the war. But at least they were Catholics!
 And the first thing that their chaplains did was to remove the “Off limits” from the Chapel and to start using it for
their sacred functions. Their pleading songs could be heard from Corato Street and from the nearby villas. Certainly
this was much more comfortable than the laughter of the games room!
We had to wait until December 1946 to get back the house. Then, from Oria, the Novitiate returned to Trani and
little by little the Seminary (Apostolic School) resumed its life. But the house never returned to be full of the young
people as it was before.
After Fr. Santoro, Fr. Cassone had been appointed as new Superior of the House. Later on, when Fr. Cassone
was appointed as Novice Master, Fr. Liborio Prudentino became the new Superior.

25. The Foundation of the House of Rome

A great consolation was being prepared, however, in the midst of so many troubles. It had been a dream of our
Father Founder for a ong time, since ever, to found a house in Rome for the studies and formation of our theology
Students in the shade of the Holy Apostolic See, even when there were no practical perspctives in the formation of
the candidates to our congregation. The Roman apostolic zeal of the Father was compelling him to this since the tiem
he saw the first sprouting of his Rogationists in Oria. And indeed his first attempts were done exactly in 1913. It is not
the place here to recall all those attempts.
Father Founder had thought of realizing his ideal through the purchase of the land and the construction of the
building on Circonvallazione Street. But the events after his death made this plan fail.
However, this idea never died down in Fr. Vitale and in the Rogationists. Even Fr. Vitale made several attempts
to realize this dream, through his friends in Rome, trying to buy some former convents or villas around Rome, and so
on. Finally through the suggestion of Engineer Di Gioia, well acquainted with the Roman environment and friend of
our Works because he was from Puglia, we bought a land in the connection of Tuscolana Street and Asti Square,
where there were no buildings yet, but they were foreseen to sprout in short while.
The Vicariate of Rome, [the Diocesan office of Rome] in the person of Card. Marchetti Selvaggianni, who before
had been himself an engineer, foresaw a good Parish compound to be built in that place, and granted its permission.
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Fr. Vitale requested our Architect, Eng. Savoja, to prepare a plan for an Institute with the Church. He drafted a
plan with the church toward Tuscolana Street, granting space to the building for the orphans and the Students. But
Cardinal Marchetti wanted a bigger Church with the front facing what would later become Asti Square. And
negotiations were already ongoing about the construction. Four millions Liras had been already gathered and
deposited in the Bank of Religious Works [IOR] in the Vatican for that purpose; an amount, deemed sufficient for the
construction. But the starting of the war [WW II] stopped any initiative and the land remained there to receive the
debris of the buildings rising all around, in spite of the protests of Engineer Di Gioia.
It was necessary to wait, and because of the inflation caused by the war, the four millions were worth little. Fr.
Vitale first talked with Don Risi, a religious of Don Orione, a great friend of ours, who had been in Messina and at that
time was the Parish Priest of All the Saints Parish (Ognissanti), the great and beautiful House and Church donated
by St. Pius X to Don Orione, outside Porta San Giovanni in Rome, presenting to him our problem. Don Risi said to Fr.
Vitale that the rectory of the Church of St. Anne of “Palafrenieri” could soon easily be available. The St. Paul Fathers
had been there until then, to obtain a place to reside in Rome, but after having bought the hill of St. Paul, near the
Basilica, they wanted to leave the rectory. The Confraternity of Palafrenieri was looking for a Community to be hosted
there upon condition to take care of the Church of St. Anne.
The proposal was tempting because in any case it was good to have a place where to stay in freedom so as to
follow the future construction in Rome; the rectory could accommodate four or five persons; we could have a roman
Church available for us; we were going to serve the papal Palafrenieri whose friendship could be precious for an
easy access to the Vatican. Because of all these advantages, the Council decided to accept. Fr. Vitale wrote to Don
Risi to present our availability to the Governor of the Confraternity, ‘ Commendatore’ Luigi Bonatto. The Governor
accepted our proposal and in short time all the documents were settled.
And so, on June 29, 1945, feast of St. Peter, a small group of Rogationists left for Rome to take possession of
the new house: Fr. Luca Appi as Superior together with Bros. Michelino Lapelosa, and Raffaele Quinto. The
Councilor Fr. Carmelo Drago accompanied them.
It became evident that the St. Paul Fathers had no more interest to live there because the place was even
hygienically neglected. Bro. Raffaele with broom and shovel cleaned everything in the best way. The first night they
slept in the nearby boarding school, Convitto Mascheroni. Our Sisters from Circonvallazione Appia gave some beds
and food, which Bro. Michelino used to fetch with his own suitcase. Bro. Raffaele remained there just the time
needed to start. The members of the Confraternity were amazed for the cleanliness they were unused to since a long
time. After 15 days Bro Raffaele returned to Messina and Fr. Appi started that priestly life and ministry and trust with
the members of the Confraternity that endeared him their gratitude and friendship.
This was the beginning of our presence in Rome. After some time that house was abandoned in order to avail of
a larger facility, the La Salette Fathers’ House in Cavour Street for our Students, and, as soon as it would be ready,
to transfer to our beautiful Institute in Tuscolana Street.

26. Towards the first General Chapter

The three years term extension of Government of the Congregation of Fr. Vitale and his fisrt Council “ ad nutum
Sanctae Sedis” which Msgr. Pasetto, upon request of Fr. Vitale, had obtained from the Sacred Congregation of the
Religious on July 18, 1942, was going to expire.
Fr. Vitale, who about this matter was not only precise but almost scrupulous, thought of convoking the General
Chapter according to the indications of our Constitutions of that time, which were still those approved by Msgr. Paino
on August 6, 1926, since the beginning of the Congregation.
The Constitutions foresaw as members of the General Chapter all the perpetually professed Rogationist Priests,
except those whom the General Council would destine to remain to take care of the needs of the Houses during the
Chapter. At that time the houses were: Messina - St. Anthony; Messina - Christ the King: Oria; Trani; Santa Lucia del
Mela and Rome.
The Father Tusino and Drago, as Councilors, went to Rome to consult directly Msgr. Pasetto. With his usual
quick style, he answered: “Make the Chapter according to the Constitutions!”
Thus, having consulted his Council which by that time was permanently in Messina, on July 9, l945, Fr. Vitale
sent the Circular Letter of convocation of the Chapter to all the members of the Congregation. In the letter he set the
modalities of the prayers to be recited in all our Houses; the date of opening of the Chapter on August 6, 1945, at
10:00 a.m.; and the place: our Institute of Christ the King. It set also the implementation of the article 214 of our
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Constitutions, that is, how many priests had to remain in the Houses, and how to choose them; and about the
program of the Chapter itself after the elections which were the main issue57.
The Congregation of the Rogationists, though still small, was proceeding to its first General Chapter with a
considerable number of members, much more than the 23 counted at the time of the pious death of Father Founder,
gearing towards an almost normal vitality in realizing the finalities for which the Divine Providence had raised it in the
Church. The perpetually professed priests were 39; the Religious Students 42; the Professed Coadjutor Brothers 23;
the Novices 21; all in all 125. Behinds them there were two numerous Seminaries in Messina Christ the King and
Oria. The Houses were 6.
The General Chapter thus was opening with plenty of hope for an ever more fruitful future. As the first of a long
series of General Chapters, that Chapter was going to close the extraordinary historical period that started with the
death of the Founder and to open another period which humanly speaking was foreseen as normal and ordinary, as it
happens to all the religious Institutions of the Holy Church among which our Congregation was entering to take its
providential place.

57
Cf. Acts of the 1st General Ordinary Chapter of the Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus’, in Bollettino della
Rogazione Evangelica, 1945 (1st supplement).
 Chapter V

THE FIRST ORDINARY CHAPTER AND ITS CONSEQUENCES

1 - The 1945 General Chapter

Perhaps never a General Chapter of ours will be celebrated with so much faith and spiritual preparation of
prayers and penances as the first Chapter. And it is because of this that Satan seemed to hurl himself against it
particularly in order to destroy its holy fruits!
Just read again the Circular Letter written by that man of faith, who was our Father Vitale, and its detailed
prescriptions about prayers to be done in the Houses of that time, since the arrival of the Circular letter sent on July 9
until the closing of the Chapter, in order to understand the climate of spirituality which preceded it. The prescriptions
were articulated in six points, and were accomplished scrupulously in the Houses, waiting for the longed for
fundamental event for the small Congregation. Perhaps today many would say that the practices of piety were far too
many. But this was the climate of piety that reigned in the Work at that time, as a faithful inheritance of the Father,
very faithfully interpreted by Father Vitale.
Since the Constitutions of that time prescribed that all the perpetually professed Fathers had the right to join the
General Chapter, Fr. Vitale wanted its opening to be delayed for some days, to give the possibility to participate also
to those who were still Deacons, and were going to be ordained on the next July15; they were the actual Fathers
Aveni, Indelicato, Santarella, Tarantini and Vilardi.
In the letter of convocation, according to the art. 214 of the Constitutions, Fr. Vitale prescribed that in the main
Houses, the Fathers members of the House were to choose, with secret ballots, those who had to substitute the
Superiors and take care of the indispensable offices of the House [for the duration of the Chapter], reserving to
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himself the confirmation and approval. Opposition to this procedure was expressed by a letter of Fr. Cusanelli with
specious arguments, but Fr. Vitale with the Council did not take it into consideration.
In June, when the Fathers Drago and Tusino went to ask H. E. Msgr. Pasetto if the Chapter was to be held, they
presented a petition to the same Msgr. Pasetto, formulated by the three Councilors, foreseeing what would be going
to happen because of the advanced age and the health situation of Fr. Vitale. In the petition they were asking that in
any case the title of Superior General and the presidency in Council with preponderant vote be preserved for the
revered Father Vitale, while the newly elected Superior would have all the powers, but the title of Vicar General.
Msgr. Pasetto could not accept the petition, because it was anti-canonical.
Thus out of 39 Fathers composing the Congregation 27 convened for the Chapter and 12 remained in the
Houses for the running of the indispensable offices. In the main Houses they had been chosen freely by the Fathers
themselves and confirmed by Fr. Vitale, who was not a man driven by human likening.
Having thus settled everything, in the Church of the Institute Christ the King, the actual Institute for Deaf and
Mute, on the morning of August 6, 1945, all the Members of the Chapter participated to the Holy Mass celebrated by
the First Councilor, Fr. Santoro, [the “concelebration” did not exist in those times] during which Fr. Vitale read his
fervent prayer to implore the divine enlightenment on the works of the Capitular Fathers. Then they sung the Veni
Creator and prayed the prayers prescribed in the above-mentioned Circular Letter; and absorbed and aware of the
importance of the moment, they entered the Capitular Hall, prepared in one of the largest halls of the Institute.
Fr. Vitale, after the usual prayers for any common act, reminded again that the Chapter is not an assembly as
any other, but a cenacle, in which the Holy Spirit will make his presence felt for the good of the Congregation. Then,
in a solemn form, he declared open the first General Chapter of the Congregation of the Rogationists. The names of
the 27 Fathers who were present, are recorded in the Acts of the Chapter and in the abstract published, for the whole
Congregation, on the internal Bollettino.
In the afternoon the Chapter started the ritual formalities: the oath of fidelity, the election of the scrutinizers and
so on. Being the Secretary of the Council, according to the Constitutions of that time, Fr. Tusino became also the
Secretary of the Chapter; he read a detailed report on the state of the Congregation, as it is published in the Acts.
 August 7 was dedicated, according to the decision of Fr. Vitale, to meetings and consultations. The only one
exempted was Fr. Santoro, who had to be sworn in as witness in the Canonical Process for the Virtues of the Father
at the Ecclesiastical Tribunal which held its session that day in the House of St. Anthony.
That day, which in the always very honest and candid mind of Fr. Vitale should have been of mutual
enlightenment for the upcoming Capitular elections and affairs to be discussed, became instead a day of
recrimination, dispute, and regurgitation of all the complains brooded since a long time and accumulated against the
persons, who until that moment had carried the immense burden of the activities and responsibility of the
Congregation.
Perhaps this happens usually in all the religious Chapters. But our small Congregation did not have any previous
experience of this matter, and this obviously provoked understandable bitterness and resentment in the people in
authority. Seeing themselves challenged by their very young priests, whom they had accepted and raised, was too
bitter for their poor human nature.
This animosity had a particular intensity in the youths, because of the recent hard experiences of the war which
had shaken the nerves of all. This can explain some manifestations during and after the Chapter, though the saintly
Fr. Vitale with his spiritual authority of a nearly octogenarian father insisted many times on the spirit of faith, to ‘ put a
handkerchief over the eyes’, in order to recognize God’s will. But talking about death is not the same as dying.
On August 8 the Chapter proceeded to the election of the Superior General. Fr. Santoro was elected at the 1 st
scrutiny. He asked twenty-four hours of time in order to accept or not. He was not at all willing to accept, and wanted
to consult individually the most qualified members of the Congregation, and, if possible, also the Ecclesiastical
Authorities. The situation was truly overheated.
With the usual filial confidence Fr. Santoro consulted privately Fr. Vitale, who imposed him to accept in the name
of God, because this was the Divine will. Fr. Santoro consulted separately Fr. Tusino, Fr. Drago and others outside
the Council, and they answered more or less in the same way, because the will of God was clear.
He would have liked to consult also the immediate ecclesiastical Superiors, but he realized that that Msgr. Paino
was absent from Messina, and approaching Msgr. Pasetto would have been too difficult; and to go to Rome, at that
time, would have been very hard.
In the session of the day after Fr. Santoro said that he accepted the office, trusting in the prayers and
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collaboration of all, and asking forgiveness from anyone whom he might have displeased.
Fr. Vitale, who was the president of the entire Chapter, made a telegram to Msgr. Pasetto. Fr. Santoro instead
made a letter of greetings and submission, expressing the sentiments of most perfect adhesion to the directives of
the wise Visitor and of the Sacred Congregation.
Then the Chapter proceeded to the election of the Councilors. At the opening of the session, to everybody’s
dismay, starting with Fr. Vitale, Fr. Drago objected requesting not to give him any office because he would not have
accepted it. Those elected were, in order, Fr. Tursi Giovangelista, Fr. Ippolito Carmelo, Fr. Francesco Campanale,
Fr. Filippo Donvito. During the scrutiny, at a certain point the name of Fr. Tusino seemed to have a relative majority.
From the table where he was sitting as Secretary, he had a burst of reaction, which was also very painful, stating that
he would not have accepted. Thus in the next voting his name did not appear any more. That was also considered
the expression of a resented person which was in contrast with the climate of serenity that Father Vitale as president
of the Chapter was trying to maintain.
Fr. Giovanni Carbotti was elected as General Treasurer, but he was not among those present in the Chapter.
Thus a telegram was sent to him while the Chapter had to wait, as the Constitutions of that time prescribed. Fr. Vitale
exhorted to have spirit of faith and obedience. He realized that we needed it. In fact for some of the most qualified
Capitular Fathers the result of the elections constituted an unpleasant surprise: truly we all lacked experience.
On August 18 the Chapter was over, and the closing formalities were accomplished. Everything had been
faithfully recorded by the diligent work of the Secretary, Fr. Tusino.
We went to the Chapel to sing the Te Deum of thanksgiving in front Blessed Sacrament solemnly exposed. But it
was not enough to heal the bitterness of hearts of some of the participants.
On the morning of August 20, Sunday, in the small theater of, the Mother House, St. Anthony, in a solemn
gathering there was the expression of homage, affection and thanks to Fr. Vitale. It was established that from that
moment on he would be called “the Father”.

2. The first steps of the new Government

 Being aware of the bitterness with which some qualified members of the Chapter had received the result of the
elections, the new General Father realized, as mentioned above, that he had to act with extreme discretion, like in a
minefield, up the point of being accused of weakness by the new Councilors.
As during the Chapter, when he did not allow Father Vitale to leave his position as president, the new Father
General continued thus to consult him for other matters, as much it could be allowed by the respect due to the
Council elected by the Chapter. Father General requested the one whom Fr. Vitale always trusted so much, which
meant Fr. Tusino, to assist him as he had always done; thus he transferred Fr. Tusino from the House of St. Anthony
to the House of Christ the King, which had become already the habitual dwelling of Fr. Vitale because of his health
and ailments. To assist Fr. Vitale, Father General also assigned a Brother much appreciated by Fr. Vitale himself.
In agreement with Fr. Vitale, Fr. Santoro chose the new Master of the Novices, whose office had remained
vacant because of his election as Father General. He presented the proposal to the Council, who accepted and
confirmed it. Fr. Santoro presented to Fr. Vitale the difficulties of the Fr.s Drago and Tusino in accepting the office as
Superior in any House; but not even Fr. Vitale succeeded in persuading them. Thus he had to provide in a different
way and with difficulty because at that time the number of persons on whom he could count on was scarce.
However the new Council, or better, Father General, requested Fr. Tusino, while assisting Fr. Vitale, to take
care, as he had always done, of the writings of Father Founder, to be the Spiritual Father of the Apostolic School of
Christ the King and to take care, as its Editor, of the printing of the internal Bollettino, which had been suspended
because of the war. In the same way Father General asked Fr. Drago to continue to deal with the authorities of the
Department of Civil Works for the repairs of the Houses damaged by the war, with all the faculties as he had been
doing until then.
Through the offices of Fr. Vitale, Father General was able to convince Fr. Cusanelli to remain as the Superior of
Oria. Until then the Congregation never had the office of General Treasurer according to the indications of the
Constitutions. In Messina, where there were the largest economic affairs, Fr. Ruggeri Camillo had acted practically as
a General Treasurer, with all the required bookkeeping.
Also through Fr. Vitale, Father General asked Fr. Camillo to make the turnover of the books and signatures to
the newly elected general treasurer. At first Fr. Camillo asked at least forty days of time and an assistant. He was
granted Fr. Coluccia, in whom he trusted. But the turn over, unfortunately, was never done until the Visitor came.
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Also the Prefect of the students, that until then did not exist, was appointed, upon suggestion of Fr. Vitale, and
accepted by the new Council.
Unluckily all these attentions did not succeed in calming the minds. Fr. Santoro, after settling things in this way,
in spite of the difficulties that travels meant at that time because of the consequences of the lost war, decided to go to
Rome, to introduce himself to Msgr. Pasetto and to listen to his directives, but also for the affairs of the de-requisition
of the House of Trani, the construction of the House in Rome, as well as for the settlement of the administration of
the assets, which was still continuing with the disadvantages of 1932.
The morning of August 24, at 4:30 am. Fr. Santoro on the motorboat “Abbazia” left the port of Messina bound to
Naples accompanied by Fr. Redento and by a Sister [FDZ] assigned to Circonvallazione Appia Street. The travel
disturbed by the rough sea, and both the Sisters and our Fr. Redento suffered much because of seasickness. The
small boat reached the port of Naples in the evening; but it had to remain outside, waiting for the permit of the Allied
Headquarters to enter the port. The permission was granted at around 9 pm, thus the ship could dock at the Santa
Lucia pier. All the many passengers, wished to reach the Central Rail Station in order to proceed for their own
destinations. A truck authorized to travel by night carried them all with their baggage to the Central Station.
There was no way however to get any ticket for a train directed to Rome. Thus Father General with Fr. Redento
and the Sister had to accept, together with other passengers bound to the same destination, an open private small
truck, which somehow serviced that route, along the Appia Road.
The truck reached the outskirts of Rome, in the proximity of San Giovanni in Laterano, the day after shortly
before 9 am, in the midst of an early morning chaotic traffic, in which it avoided two accidents by sheer miracle.
The sister got off at Pontelungo, after having greeted the two Fathers and continued by herself; the two Fathers
continued till San Giovanni Square in order to find a transportation to carry them and their baggage to Santa Caterina
della Rota. In the morning of August 28 Father General was able to meet Msgr. Pasetto, who received him with
affection; but could not withhold a strong complain about that “blessed” House in Rome, whose construction was not
even started, to the point that “we thought - he added - of giving the land to others”. Then: “It is good for the
Theologate to be transferred to Rome, but Santa Caterina della Rota is a hole, and the House in Fiuggi offered by the
Fathers of the Consolata has been already rented to others”.
 In the afternoon the same hard complain was made by the Eng. Di Gioia, the person assigned by us, since
several years, to follow up the House in Rome. He could not understand how we could continue to sleep, while the
prices were going sky-high. Father General discussed with him the technical details, like determining the boundaries
with the Municipal Transportation Company [S.T.A.]; the companies to invite for the bidding, and other things, which
seem useless to mention, since practically they did not materialize because of the ensuing events.
On the following Sunday, August 26, [apparently there is an inconsistency of dates; maybe the meeting with Msgr.
Pasetto is to be placed after Sunday 26 Father General went to the Sisters’ House at Circonvallazione Appia Street, to
greet M. Espedita Ambrosini, who had become the new Superior General of the Daughters of Divine Zeal few months
before. She was already known by Father General, because she was from Molfetta, but also as the local Superior in
Rome. Together with her he greeted the Council: Mother Margherita, whom he knew since when she was a Daughter
of Mary in the Sanctuary of St. Anthony, and Mother Longina, whom he knew since she was in Oria.
Also the Council of the Daughters of Divine Zeal had been renewed recently, when Msgr. Pasetto had assigned
his Undersecretary, the canon lawyer Fr. Larraona, to follow up and take care of the Daughters of Divine Zeal. They
too were carrying the burden of a difficult beginning of a new government; but they had the wise and experimented
guide of Fr. Larraona, who used to come regularly to their General House.
Naturally some hints at the troubles of the congregation of the Rogationists could not be avoided also because at
that time the administrative bonds were very strong.

3 - Three urgent problems

The new Council in its meetings in Messina had taken also decisions regarding the needs of the Congregation
and had entrusted to Father General their study and implementation. Three of them were particularly urgent: the so
much desired construction of the House of Rome, which had already been prepared before the war; the transferring
of the Theology students to Rome, and the derequisition of the House of Trani, still occupied by the Polish refugees.
For the first problem, hardly had General Father introduced himself to Msgr. Pasetto, to the Card. Vicar, and
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dealt with the Eng. Di Gioia, the person following up the projet for us, that he had to endure strong complains,
because since too long time there was much talk but no appreciable results, and they attributed it to our negligence.
The Vicariate had already allotted since a long time the operation of a Parish to be entrusted to us in that area, if we
decided to construct at least a Chapel.
It is true that the war had stopped everything, but by now the normal life had resumed everywhere, and was
urgent to make a decision.
On August 31, also according to the desire of H. E. Msgr. Pasetto, Father General with Eng. Di Gioia made an
inspection in the area, in order to see practically what had to be done and to come to an agreement on the proposals
to be presented, taking everything into consideration, to H. E. Cardinal Vicar Marchetti Selvaggiani. It was agreed to
construct a building inclusive of everything, though smaller than the pre-war plan, in which would be there also a hall
to be used as a Chapel for the faithful, while waiting for the future Church.
On September 1, there was the meeting with the Cardinal. He agreed with the proposed plan, taking into
account the devaluation of the currency, the incredible increase of the prices and of the labor, and the real value at
that time of our money deposited in the account of the Works of Religion (the so called Vatican Bank). Before the
war, Arch. Savoia of Messina had considered the amount enough for the execution of the plan. It was little more than
four million Lire.
Msgr. Jorio, who later became a Cardinal, but who at that time was directing the Works of Religion, requested by
Father General, clearly stated: “Forget the idea that the money you have deposited here might have still, even
approximately, the value they had before. We will defend the religious Institutes, but heavy taxes will be imposed on
us. Besides, maybe the prices of materials and labor might decrease with the improving of the transportations, and
the production of cement will soon be deregulated. But the prices can never be any more like before the war.Wwhat
can you do with the amount you have? You have to look for other sources. If the Cardinal exhorts you to build [the
church], you have to take courage and entrust yourselves to the Divine Providence. Could you give a look at how the
St. Paul Fathers are doing, near the St. Paul Basilica? They, however, rely on several sources”.
The transferring of the theology Students to Rome had been the ancient dream of Father Founder, many times
attempted, as my times failed. Msgr. Pasetto used to encourage us; also in the Vicariate Msgr. Ercole and Msgr.
Traglia were assuring us that we did not need any authorization, because we had already the permission of residing
in Rome at Santa Caterina della Rota. At most, we could just present a simple reminder to Cardinal Vicar, who for
sure would not have anything in contrary for the Students to come to Rome and to be ordained in Rome.
But even Msgr. Pasetto himself was telling us that while waiting for the new construction we had to find a proper
temporary place, because the rooms of Santa Caterina della Rota were uninhabitable. Therefore Father General
started searching for proper premises. He came to know from friends that at Monte Mario there were the premises of
the already closed “Fascio Littorio” [Fascist Association], which could easily be obtained from the Ministry of Interior;
but they were occupied by the works of Don Orione. They had simply and practicaly entered those premises and they
were still there in spite of the repeated threats of eviction of the succeeding public administrators. In that way the
Orionini then were still occupying eight big buildings.
Beside Santa Caterina della Rota, adjacent to the Church of San Girolamo della Caritá there were the rooms of
St. Philip. The Superiors of the St. Philip Fathers of San Girolamo and Santa Maria Nuova were making some
difficulty, because of some guest, to whom they had some commitment. Then, on September 16 the Superior let us
know that the rooms were free, and their rental could start the following November 1; he asked Lire 500 monthly for
each room. Msgr. Pasetto approved it; provided that that we did not neglect the construction in Asti Square.
Other proposals were also examined and considered, but the events of the reaction to the dissatisfied members
of the Chapter aborted everything, as we will see.
As for the derequisition of the House of Trani occupied by the Polish refugees, Father General spoke with Dr.
Stanghetti, personal secretary of H. E. the Minister Spataro. He promised that he would do some tentative with the
Allied Command, but he gave us little hope.
Also the American Jesuit Father Mac Cornick, who was connected with the Allied Command, taking the problem
at heart, promised that he will do all he could, but could not assure a practical result, because the situation was
depending on the Allied Authority of the Bari Area.
With Prof. D. Pasqualino Marsella, Father General went to the De-Requisitions Office, where he found an
American Colonel who had been his student; but when he heard that the House was occupied by the Polish
refugees, he opened his arms and answered that there was little to do: “Poor people! They are too much
exasperated”. We could have tried with greater effectiveness through the [Vatican] Secretariat of State, which
through the Administrators Stone and Myron Taylor could influence the local Command of Bari and try an exchange.
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Through the “Commendatore” Bonatti, of the Arch-confraternity of Santa Caterina della Rota, Father General went to
speak with Msgr. Nasalli Rocca at the Secretariat of State, who requested a note about the issue.
In the meantime he tried also directly to the Polish Command, with a petition to the Polish Army Ordinary, Msgr.
Gaslina, who was hosted by the Polish Sisters, in Machiavelli Street.
During these operations, a threat more serious than the requisition itself, which sooner or later was going to be
over, was looming over Trani. A threat coming from the most unthinkable side: the Daughters of Divine Zeal. It was
part of the internal front that was organizing itself against the new government of the Rogationists. The Sisters had
succeeded in convincing their Visitor, Fr. Larraona, that the agricultural land of Trani belonged to them and that the
Rogationists were occupying it illicitly. Therefore it was the moment not to let anymore the Rogationists go back to it,
as soon as the building would be de-requisited. Thus Fr. Larraona issued an order that what was left of the male
Institute had to go away.
Fr. Prudentino Liborio rushed to Rome and with Fr. Tursi, who was already there, they went to demonstrate to
Fr. Larraona the illegality of the order, indeed its fraternal cruelty in that moment. Fr. Larraona thus postponed the
directive he had given. Father General on November 4, with an improvised transportation, a Polish truck, from Trani
went to Rome to complain that he was not even informed of such an order. But he became aware that unfortunately
these were only the initial signs of a terrible storm, provoked by the inexperience of the disappointed and dissatisfied
members of the General Chapter, but which could have given such a jolt to the small Congregation to sweep it away
forever. The Lord did not allow it. A ‘Jonah’ had to be submerged by the waves to calm the storm.

4 - The reaction of the disappointed members of the Chapter

The topic which we are going to remember now is much humiliating and painful. The only true justification of
these facts was for sure the lack of knowledge and inexperience. Therefore, we will avoid making names, believing in
their good faith during this ill-fated fraternal fight, carried out with too much obvious venomousness and falsity.
Father General had gone to Rome with an improvised means of transportation, a Polish truck, for the never
ending issue of Trani. On November 8 he went to greet and give account of the course of the events to H. E. Msgr.
Pasetto. Monsignor received him very angrily, because Fr. Vitale had not been put in Council; because the Chapter
had been done in their own way; because the best ones had been left in the Houses. General Father could not say
but few words, because Msgr. Pasetto was expected by the Cardinal, who had summoned him.
The following day, November 10, Father General went to the house of Msgr. Pasetto to speak with him with
more calm. He found Msgr. more reasonable, listening to him with calm, although still irritated. Msgr. Pasetto said:
“The Congregation does not intervene, unless there are, not anonymous, but written and signed letters”.
“Your Excellency, the Acts of the Chapter are drawn up, written and signed exactly by Fr. Tusino, as a Secretary.
If you like I can have them brought here and presented to your Excellency for examination”.
“Present the documents; present all the documents you can”.
On November 15 Father General presented to Msgr. Pasetto the original Acts of the Chapter, which he had
brought by Fr. Ippolito from Messina; and added a note in which he answered more or less to the accusations
surfaced in the conversation with Msgr. Pasetto.
Mons. Pasetto was visibly calmer, but said: “When even Fr. Nalbone, who was Assistant of the Jesuits of Italy,
and who now is his confessor, laments that you have put Fr. Vitale aside…”.
“Your Excellency, his confessor is a Camillian Father! …”
By then all was clear. It was all a plot in order to impress. Poor Father Vitale! They are using him as a banner…
or as a rag? Even the walls know the discretion with which he has been treated; and nobody, even the rebellious,
have given a vote to him, as it is obvious and documented.
The same evening Father General went to Cardinal Prefect, at the Convitto San Francesco, where Cardinal
Lavitrano resided, to encounter him, also upon advice of friends. The Cardinal was much affable and paternal. The
talk fell on the necessity of having the decree of papal approval; but he said in this way: “Now let us see the result of
this visit. The atmosphere is not serene”.
Father General understood therefore that a visit was being foreseen.
In fact, some days after Eng. Di Gioia insisted to know when the works were to start, because the Companies
invited for the bidding had to make their plans. Father General could not give any answer, thus he went to ask Msgr.
Pasetto, who answered: “Tell the engineer to wait. You go to Messina; there you will know what to do”. Father
General left for Messina; and, as soon as he arrived, on November 25 he went to visit Fr. Vitale at Christ the King. He
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found Fr. Vitale cold and uncommunicative. O quam mutatus ab illo! Where was his habitual paternity, the affection
with which he had always surrounded Fr. Santoro, whom he had obligated to accept [the role of Father General], the
trust of many years, never withdrawn, not even in the vicissitudes of the Chapter?
Taking advantage of some sentences escaped from Fr. Tusino, Father General placed under the eyes of the
poor Father Vitale the terrible truth, which had been planned. He reminded Fr. Vitale what he had many times
recommended in the Chapter, that the dirty cloths must be cleaned among us, not with the outsiders, even Superior,
that this was the beginning, but its development was not foreseeable. And so on. It seemed that Fr. Vitale understood
that they had placed him on a false road, and spoke of a kind of coalition, of which he had been the victim.
Also the Archbishop of Messina, who had summoned them about his projects, was disappointed by this news;
and Father General presented to him the printed abstract of the Capitular Acts and a copy of the note presented to
Msgr. Pasetto. Msgr. Archbishop was much saddened by the direction of the events; but he assured that the crisis
will be resolved! “Later, however, stay closer to the Shepherd”. Clearly he appeared not much happy of the way of
acting of the Rogationists of Messina towards him.
On December 3, Father General received a registered letter of Fr. Agnello Jaccarino, announcing his
appointment as Apostolic Visitor of our Congregation, and giving the related directives. He would have come as soon
as he could be free from his actual commitments. Father General immediately made his Circular letter to the Houses,
notifying the appointment of the Fr. Jaccarino as Visitor of the Congregation.

5 - The Visit of Fr. Jaccarino

The month of December 1945 passed because Fr. Jaccarino had to finish his previous commitments as
preacher. He wrote saying that he was sorry for the delay and requesting Fr. Ruggeri, in the meantime, to make the
turnover to the Treasurer elect, Fr. Carbotti.
On January 1, 1946, he unexpectedly arrived in Messina to start the Visit.
 Evidently the Sacred Congregation had entrusted this assignment to Fr. Agnello Jaccarino because Msgr.
Pasetto, as a Secretary of the same Congregation, could not take care directly of it; because Fr. Jaccarino in his
previous visit in 1931 had demonstrated his tact and integrity, and also had known the Institute of the Rogationists, its
members and its problems; but also because it the name of Fr. Nalbone, by that time already retired, authoritative
and eminent Jesuit, former Superior of the Jesuits and of Fr. Jaccarino himself, had been implicated.
Fr. Jaccarino went to pay homage to H. E. Msgr. Archbishop and to listen to him. Then he went to Fr. Nalbone,
his elder confrere and former Major Superior. Fr. Nalbone, even almost without having been requested wanted to
declare spontaneously that he never intended to meddle with this situation or to defend a part or the other. His task
by now was only that of praying. Fr. Jaccarino wanted on purpose to let us know these sentiments of Fr. Nalbone.
But it was visible that even that poor old man was aware of the wrong direction taken.
Then Fr. Jaccarino began the interrogation of the individual Fathers, starting with Father General. The
accusations formulated in several memos were practically centered on the effort to demonstrate that the Chapter had
been maneuvered and it was counting on the more sensational argument that the saintly and revered Fr. Vitale had
been intentionally set a part. And in order to support their thesis, they had reported sentences, altered attitudes and
facts, charitable actions were malignantly misinterpreted.
Fr. Santoro was the one most maltreated: he was accused of having prepared since a long time his candidature,
seducing the young ones; the very way in which the Chapter had been shrewdly conducted, should render it invalid;
Fr. Santoro did not understand anything of the spirit of the Father; the new Government was driven by a mania of
innovation and reformation, also because Fr. Santoro was a rebel of the Council; he had whimsically wanted a
Marian Mini-Congress in Trani; on the occasion of the election he used his picture published on the Rogate ergo of
Trani, in order to look younger…
Fr. Visitor asked him to answer to these accusations. Fr. Santoro promised to do it in the best way he could, but
it would take a book. It is easy to accuse, but to demolish the accusations you need prove them with the citation of
facts and events. However, the Acts of the Chapter wanted, requested and written exactly by those who today are
rebelling to it, speak by themselves. All, and especially the rebel religious, knew better than any other how things
went. Nevertheless, unfortunately, passion blinds, until no light can be seen. Even them as members of the Chapter,
had not given any vote to Fr. Vitale, both for his health conditions, as well as because it would have ment diminishing
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him and putting him under others, even as a member of a Council composed by very young religious.
At the end of his analysis, Fr. Visitor exhorted all the Religious to charity and obedience, with much calm and
serenity. Naturally all the authors of the orchestrated campaign were disappointed. They were like shipwrecked,
holding to any argumentation, even inconsistent and non-subsistent ones.
What was most of displeasing was the embarrassment they created around the saintly Fr. Vitale; as well as the
ferment of the young students who were aware of everything, up to the point of fearing a moral collapse. But it is
inevitable for scandals to happen, says the Gospel.
Having finished his visit in Messina, Fr. Jaccarino left for Puglia, recommending Father General to visit often Fr.
Vitale, as he had always done; because Fr. Vitale, from his couch, unfortunately comes to know only what the
gossiper and dissatisfied, including the gossiping Sisters, tell him.
In Puglia Fr. Jaccarino had to call Father General for some proposals of foundations, at St. Michele Salentino,
Monopoli, Santa Fara in Bari and so on. Therefore Fr. Santoro went to Puglia and accompanied Fr. Jaccarino in the
examination of such proposals. Then they went to Trani where the Archbishop, Msgr. Petronelli, had words of fire
concerning the decisions deliberated in Rome; concerning the Sisters who taking advantage of that moment of
difficulty, were trying to evict the Rogationists from Trani; concerning the Ecclesiastical Authorities, who had given
orders based on nonexistent accusations, without consulting the local Ecclesiastical Authority.
On February15, with an improvised means of transportation, a Polish car, in the evening Fr. Visitor with Father
General left for Rome. Fr. Jaccarino was going to make his report on the Visit, while Father General was going to
discuss, with Msgr. Mimmi, Archbishop of Bari, who was a guest in the Parish of San Giuseppe at Trionfale, the
much longed for Work for the street children, which Monsignor wanted absolutely to start in favor of the abandoned
children in Bari. [ through the work of Prof. Di Cagno?]
In his paternal and amiable conversation with Fr. Santoro, Monsignor complained against the bureaucracy,
which was tying his hands for this indispensable work. They concluded that for the practical implementation of that
work they would have spoken as soon as possible and concretely in loco, in Bari.
Fr. Jaccarino prepared and presented his report which the Sacred Congregation examined carefully. In
conclusion, in the name the Card. Prefect, the Secretary, Msgr. Pasetto, proposed to him to continue to assist the
Congregation of the Rogationists, but at the same time, because of the disciplinary and administrative relations
connecting them together, he would have to assist also the Congregation of the Daughters of the Divine Zeal. At this
proposal, Fr. Jaccarino backed up, saying that it was not convenient for him. He had had too many troubles from the
Daughters of Divine Zeal in his previous visit in 1931, and he did not want to face the same troubles.
Msgr. Pasetto decided to take time to reflect on it.
In the meantime, in Rome, Father General met Msgr. De Filippis, Archbishop of Brindisi, for the proposal of St.
Michele Salentino; Msgr. Bianchi, Bishop of Monopoli, about the proposal of foundation in that city; Msgr. Paino, who
was residing at the House of the Redemptorists at Merulana Street, for an exchange of opinions on ours things, and
his judgments were unfortunately precise and right; and H. E. Card. Agagianian, who had become our Sacred Allied,
after his visit to the House of Oria. With representatives of that House, who had brought spiritual gifts as
thanksgiving, Fr. Santoro went in audience to the Armenian College in St. Basilio Street. The cardinal received them
with immense goodness and asked what was the situation of the process of our recognition as Congregation of
Pontifical Right. Father General answered in a general way; had him known the situation…
These Prelates were in Rome for the public Consistory, which was held on February 21, in the most solemn way,
as a demonstration of the greatness and universality of Holy Church of God. Father General attended it together with
Fr. Jaccarino.
While waiting for the venerable decisions of theSacred Congregation, Father General with Fr. Jaccarino left by
train for Naples, with the intention to check the work of Fr. Levi, who wanted a Rogationist foundation in Naples at
any cost. In that occasion Father General celebrated mass in Pompeii, at the Altar of Our Lady, then at Church of
“Jesus”, at the altar of St. Francis Xavier beside the tomb of the servant of God, Dr. Moscati. Then in the afternoon of
March 1, with Fr. Jaccarino who had to go to Taranto, Father General left for Puglia. In order to reach Oria, from
Francavilla Fontana he had to avail of a cart: there was no other means.
After visiting the Houses of Puglia, he left for Messina, to wait for the decisions of Holy See. And there he
received the letter of official dismissal of Fr. Jaccarino. Father General immediately sent this communication through
a Circular to the Superiors of the Houses and their Communities.

6 - Fr. Larraona as Visitor

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After the dismissal of Fr. Jaccarino, everything halted. Father General withdrew to St. Anthony in Messina,
waiting for the decisions of Holy See. Meanwhile a strange, almost incredible thing happened.
Msgr. Barbaro, the secretary of Msgr. Paino, started to make pressures for the foundation of Rometta, a
beautiful small convent in a pleasant position, promising constructions to be added for the works that we might
wanted to be done. Fr. Argentieri Pietro from Oria wrote that the Archbishop of Brindisi, Msgr. De Filippis, was
waiting for the foundation of St. Michele Salentino, in that Church and House which Fr. Jaccarino and Father General
had visited before. Msgr. Bianchi, Bishop of Monopoli, notwithstanding his prejudices, wrote that the house was
ready, because has obtained the derequisition of the proposed Convent, and was waiting for an inspection. Fr. Lagati
sent a wire from Trani saying that Msgr. Mimmi in Bari had obtained twenty-two military shacks and was waiting for
personnel in order to begin the Work for the Street Children. Fr. Levi sent a wire from Naples asking a skilled Father
for the adaptation of the building into Orphanage in that city.
But practically nothing could be done, or better it was not proper to commit ourselves in anything. Does it not
look like that the Lord wanted to joke and say: See, I exist?
In the meantime the struggle of the Daughters of Divine Zeal in Messina for the St. Anthony’s propaganda,
became more and more fierce, most probably also upon instigation of some of our confreres. It reached the point
that, in order to avoid public scandals Father General had to make a petition to Msgr. Pasetto for an intervention from
above. One day, Monsignor, blurted out: “Get separated once and forever! Even Msgr. Paino says that you are
always quarreling. You love each other like enemies, as they say in Florence”.
On April 10 a letter from Fr. Larraona, informed Father General that the Holy Father appointed him (Fr.
Larraona) as our external Superior. Father General showed Fr. Larraona’s letter to Msgr. Paino, who had summoned
him for an exchange of ideas. Monsignor remained speechless; only exhorted to acceptance and confidence in God.
Perhaps neither him was expecting this.
Father General answered to Fr. Larraona paying homage to him, waiting for his dispositions also about the many
pending transactions.
 On April 23, Fr. Donvito Filippo returned from Rome bringing the news that Fr. Larraona was at first hesitating,
but then had decided that for the meantime he would not come [to Messina]. He was to send instead a Capuchin, Fr.
Angelico of Alexandria, expert in economic matters.
From Bari in the meantime, things were pressing. The Council deemed that they had to act. Who knows,
however, the indications of the Instruction of Sacred Congregation, mentioned by Fr. Larraona in his writing?
Nonetheless, Father General, also because the Council believed that delaying meant not precaution but fear,
decided to send Fr. Labarbuta to Bari, and to inform immediately Father Larraona, insisting also for the other urgent
matters underway.
Fr. Angelico of Alexandria, a Consultant of the Sacred Congregation of the Religious finally arrived on May 1; he
showed the documents of appointment of Fr. Larraona and his delegation “ad omnia [for all the matters]” for him, with
the Instruction required for his task and which he kept for himself.
He declared that all the issues on the legality of the Chapter were closed as well as that its elections were
revoked, because Father Larraona is Superior and Visitor of the two Institutes of the Rogationists and of the
Daughters of Divine Zeal, with ordinary and extraordinary faculty. Father Larraona had appointed him, Fr. Angelico,
as his Delegate.
Therefore the day after he started his meetings, and dealing with the several problems. In the beginning he gave
a very good impression: swift and decisively, he resolved many difficulties through secret voting. Alone, he visited the
Sisters and Fr. Vitale.
Thus, in the following days, Fr. Camillo finally made the turn over of the other valuables which he was still
keeping, approximately two millions.
On May 11, at noon, Fr. Angelico wanted all for lunch at St. Anthony. Also Fr. Vitale had to come down from
Christ the King. Later on Fr. Angelico with General Father paid a visit to the Sisters of the Holy Spirit. Then, in the
evening, they left together for Naples and Rome. In Naples they saw what Fr. Levi had done for his great aspiration
of a foundation of ours in that great city. Then they proceeded for Rome.
On May 15 they were received by H. E. Msgr. Pasetto, who insisted for the administrative separation of the male
and female Institutes be made at any costs. Therefore Father General was requested by Fr. Larraona to prepare a
draft for the practical realization of this so much awaited division. Fr. Larraona gave a look at the draft and made his
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observations.
Then Fr. Angelico with Father General went to the house of Eng. Di Gioia, to discuss the construction in Asti
Square; and together with Fr. Larraona talked about settling our business in Rome and other transactions. Father
General thus was given back the book of the Minutes of the Chapter which Msgr. Pasetto had kept with himself
during all that time.
In the afternoon of the 19th, the Mother General of the FDZ, with all the Council, receives Fr. Angelico and Father
General, in order to discuss the modalities of the administrative separation, on the base of the draft written up from
General and corrected by Fr. Larraona. The Rev. Mothers accept to study the issue; and two days after they declared
to be convinced of the necessity of this division. As good sisters they were crying over the destruction of the Male
Work. “Oh, poor Work of the Father!” they were saying in distress.
After settling several matters, even administrative, Fr. Angelico with Father General presented to Fr. Larraona
the true state of the things. Fr. Larraona wanted absolutely to find a solution to the domestic assistance of the
Rogationists, currently handled by the Daughters of Divine Zeal, so as to substitute the Sisters at least by the coming
July 1st. Moreover he wants the Periodical “ God and Neighbor” be entrusted to the Sisters’ Institutes; the Fathers’
Institutes will have to create another periodical with different title. He said that the Sisters, particularly in Messina,
were having serious losses because of the Rogationists. Fr. Larraona was so impressed by the claims of the Sisters
of Messina, that he would have wanted Fr. Ruggeri to be reinstated immediately as the treasurer.
Fr. Angelico went to the Sisters to examine their claims and documents, and it was easy to demonstrate to Fr.
Larraona that it was all but a fantasy fabrication.
However in a meeting on May 28 it was decided that we will start another periodical, with to the title of “ The
Herald of St. Anthony”. “God and Neighbor” from now on must serve only the Sister’s Institutes and must be written
and printed by them. Moreover also the internal Bollettino, which must be resumed, have to serve only the
Rogationists. The Sisters will have to provide by themselves if they want a publication for their Houses.
The Sisters were irritated by these novelties, up to the point that, when a day Fr. Angelico with Fr. Appi, who,
being appreciated by the Sisters, had been purposely assigned to the division of the addresses [of the Anthonian
Propaganda], went to the House at Circonvallazione Appia Street to deal with these matter, Mother General sent
somebody to answer that she could not receive them because she was not feeling well and the other Mothers had
left and were to return in a few days. Fr. Angelico with Fr. Appi had to return without having done anything. The
Sisters unfortunately knew that they were supported in their point of view by Fr. Larraona and in some aspects also
by Msgr. Pasetto. This was also another reason why Fr. Larraona in all occasions insisted for the suppression of the
Fathers’ House in Trani, according to the vision of the Council of the Daughters of Divine Zeal.
Because of this set of mind, practically, from that moment on Fr. Larraona cared and defended only the positions
of the Daughters of Divine Zeal, leaving every care of the Rogationists to Fr. Angelico, though he was only his
Delegate. And Fr. Angelico, in spite of the general delegation he received, did not care anymore of the Sisters; and
about the Rogationists, practically he dealt diplomatically with Msgr. Pasetto. For several aspects, this was
providential.

7 - The construction of the House in Rome

We must acknowledge that Fr. Angelico of Alexandria, Capuchin, as the Delegate of the Visitor, who was Fr.
Larraona, quickly empathized with the vital problems of the Congregation of the Rogationists, bypassing the forms,
and using Father General and his Council elected by the Chapter, until a certain point, when it was convenient and
he deemed them be useful to him. It was not an easy task. The division and the acrimonies were such that he too,
though supported by Msgr. Pasetto, happened to make big blunders.
His first and most urgent thought seemed to be the so much longed for and delayed construction of the House in
Rome.
On June 7, in the house of Eng. Di Gioia, he convoked a decisive meeting attended by, besides Father General,
Fr. Tursi and Fr. Drago whom he had purposely summoned from Messina in order to follow the project in his name.
The concrete details of the construction were settled down, and about money he let us understand that he will move
heaven and earth in order to get them, in such a way that the part of the building that has been decided to be
constructed may be completed in one year: it was the basic resolution to solve all the problems.
Fr. Angelico remained in Rome with Fr. Drago to prepare what was needed and sent Father General to visit the
Houses in order to see how the various Works were developing: how was the work with the street children in Bari
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being started; how were the conditions of the derequisition of the House of Trani; how was Fr. Levi maturing the
desired foundation in Naples. Then Father General had to stay in Messina and wait for Fr. Angelico to call him for the
problems of the Mother House.
Indeed that year, in June, the celebrations in honor of St. Anthony assumed particular solemnity in Messina: the
preaching of the Bishop of Lipari, Msgr. Re, a Capuchin, the lunch for the poor children of the city, who were so
many, rendered those festivities very interesting. The lunch was presided by Msgr. Barbaro on behalf of the
Archbishop, and by the Prefect of Messina with his Lady. She offered to Father General Lire 1.000.
Father General dealt with H. E. Msgr. Paino about the next ordinations of some our clerics; the cession of the
former Hospital of “Christ the King” that had ceases to be used as a military hospital; the proposal of Rometta and
other affairs regarding Messina.
On June 15, Fr. Angelico wired from Rome for Father General to go immediately there because he had
everything set for the starting of the construction in Asti Square. Eng. Di Gioia would had the collaboration of Mr.
Sibbio a very competent foreman, an acquaintance of Fr. Angelico, under the immediate guide of Fr. Drago.
But more money was needed, besides the deposit on the account of the “Works of Religion” and therefore he
called also Fr. Ruggeri to Rome, to tell him to prepare his papers in order to leave for North America, where he had
to procure dollars. Practically however, Fr. Ruggeri had himself appointed as director of the St. Anthony’s
Propaganda Office at Asti Square with a document written and signed from Fr. Angelico. Thus he remained in Rome.
It was the good Fr. Tursi who later on went to America; and there he remained forever.
To raise money for the construction, he used all the possible means: selling of unsold items of our warehouse,
selling of machinery like the rotary press of Messina and the shoe factory machineries of Oria, changing the gold of
St. Anthony. All this was done using the Treasurer, Fr. Carbotti.
He favored by all means the creation of the of St. Anthony’s Propaganda Offices, entrusting them to active
Fathers, like Fr. Appi, Fr. Lagati and Fr. Ruggeri in Rome, who, being appreciated by the Sisters, could more easily
obtain the division of the addresses with the respective offices of the Sisters’ propaganda. He personally toured all
the Houses to get all he could hoard: the gold of St. Anthony, objects, money.
For this, having not succeeded in sending Fr. Ruggeri, he sent Fr. Tursi to collect dollars in north America, where
there was a brother of his with his family.
 However in that moment Fr. Angelico had to resort to loans, like that of Lire 5.200.000, obtained from the Fr.
Treasurer of the Capuchins, on June 21, 1947, which later were reimbursed according to the requirements of the
Rule with US $ 10.000,00 which were lent by the Polish Sisters at Via Machiavelli, whose Visitor he also was. The
construction had to be done in one year, because the agreement with the La Salette Fathers was going to expire on
July 1, 1947 and Fr. Angelico did not want absolutely to renew it, so that the Center of Studies for the next year had
to be in Asti Square. Thus they were able to finish on time, and November 4, 1947 Msgr. Traglia, Vicegerent of
Rome, future Cardinal Camerlengo di Holy Roman Church, blessed the new Chapel for the faithful at Varallo Street
and celebrated the first Holy Mass. At the Gospel he said beautiful words about the Father, St. Anthony, and the
Rogate, showing a profound acquaintance with our reality.
Thus the House of Rome was founded. Two days after Father General went to Msgr. Traglia to thank him for his
participation and benevolence.

8 - The administrative separation of the two Institutes

Until 1947, in spite of the dispositions of Sacred Congregation since 1928, the two congregations did not
succeed in bringing about this ‘blessed’ separation of administration. When the Corporation of the Daughters of the
Divine Zeal had obtained the legal acknowledgment the properties of the Sisters were transferred to their
Corporation. But there were always the relations of the St. Anthony’s propaganda, whose Secretariats, at least in
Messina and Oria, were in the hands of the Sisters. From the Secretariats originated some connections and interest
which had their consequences also on the discipline and the several internal vicissitudes of the Rogationists. It had
become terrible burden for the journey of the male Congregation, while it seemed to favor almost the influence of the
Sisters towards some Fathers and their aversion to others.
The other great work of Fr. Angelico, which he felt as urgent, was the administrative separation. In this job often
he found himself often in contrast even with Fr. Larraona and Msgr. Pasetto, who were sensitive to the often fantastic
petitions and complains of the Daughters of Divine Zeal. The Sisters who knew well this weak side [of these persons]
and were residing in Rome, while the Rogationists were happily living in the far flung Messina, and were represented
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by that very kind man, who was Fr. Vitale. For this reason, also in the division of the real estate, at the proper time,
the Sisters were able to get incredible decisions even in contrast with the real truth.
Something similar was bound to happen now in the division of the St. Anthony’s Propaganda. Here are some
stories.
On July 17, 1946, Fr. Angelico went to the Congregation to discuss various affairs with Fr. Larraona and Msgr.
Pasetto. He wanted to be accompanied by Father General, who after the meeting should be handed down the
decisions. Coming out at the end of the long meeting, Fr. Angelico told Father General that there had been awful
appeals of the Very Rev. Mothers [ of the FDZ] about the administration, even against Fr. Appi, who used to be
highly esteemed by them. He said that Msgr. Pasetto had exclaimed very angrily: ‘Why are we losing time with this
Congregation!’ And Fr. Angelico added: ‘I have never found myself in such a mess! The Congregation is in dire
straits’. Msgr. Pasetto, Fr. Larraona, all the Sisters are supporting those…” He was referring to the rebels of the
[General] Chapter. He spoke in such way of the fight that both Rogationists and Daughters of Divine Zeal were
making, that Father General exclaimed calm and serene: “If the Lord does not want the Congregation, let it be
suppressed. What can we do? Certainly it cannot continue like this”
Few days later, taking leave so as to join the provincial Chapter of his Province, Alexandria, though continuing to
speak about the fraternal struggle, he said to Father General: “The devil is prowling but we must save the Institute.
The division is to be done completely. When the Institute acquires its autonomy it will walk by itself and no one will be
able to stop it anymore”.
The Sisters, to defend their presumed right, were able to find a certain Att.y Ceccacci, who, having noticed that
two fifth of stocks of the Anonymous Corporation were registered for the Sisters, tried to demonstrate in a paper that
the Sisters had to own also two fifth of the real estate of the Rogationists.
The administrator of the Anonymous Corporation, Prof. Galeotti, who knew the true state of the matter, was
astounded to read those few lines of Att.y Ceccacci’s paper. Everybody knew that the Anonymous Corporation and
the other thing connected were just legal fictitious entities while waiting for the legal recognition of the Government.
Even Msgr. Jorio, who was keeping the stocks of the Anonymous Corporation at the Works of Religion, the so-called
Vatican Bank, in front of this attitude of the Sisters, exclaimed [to the Fathers]: “You have been too good” just not to
say too naive or something worse.
 About the topic of division, after the separation of the addresses of the Anthonian propaganda of the houses of
Messina and Oria, the most hurting point was the property of the house in the outskirts of Trani, which, in the division
made by Msgr. Pasetto was destined partly (building and agricultural land) to the Rogationists and partly to the
Daughters of the Divine Zeal.
The building and surroundings were still occupied by the Polish refugees; but in meantime, while waiting for the
derequisition, the Council of the Daughters of the Divine Zeal tried to convince Fr. Larraona, and partially also Msgr.
Pasetto, that both the building and the land were all their property illegally taken by the Rogationists.
With this conviction, in good faith, they insisted with Msgr. Pasetto and their direct Visitor, Fr. Larraona, that the
property be given back; and the occasion was fitting, because the derequisition and the evacuation of the Polish
refugees was imminent. There was not a single time that Fr. Angelico and Father General went to the Sacred
Congregation, that the Superiors, Msgr. Pasetto and Fr. Larraona did not make remarks on the noise that the Sisters
were making for the restitution of the House in the outskirts of Trani; and, contrary to previous decisions it seemed
that both Msgr. Pasetto and Fr. Larraona agreed with them.
Fr. Angelico with Father General toured our Houses starting from Sicily and reached Trani on August 28. Fr.
Angelico did not say anything, but he later let us know that he was carrying already the decree compelling the
Rogationists to leave Trani, provided that the Sisters gave them an adequate compensation.
He had been charged, in fact, to evaluate the portion [of Trani] occupied by the Rogationists, and to have the
Sisters pay for it according to his judgment. In the meantime he made us also understand that very bad things had
been said against the Rogationists in Trani and the Community dwelling there. Since he could not do anything else,
Father General prayed and celebrated a Mass to the Souls in Purgatory.
They arrived in the evening and lodged at Villa Morelli. In the morning, Fr. Angelico seemed wildly against the
Community of Trani. He did not believe that there were orphans. All seemed nasty to him: the House, the
Community, the schedule they were following. He was saying “It is true; this is a Community of lazy people, who go
every day to Bari. There is too much disorder in this Congregation!” Father General had to swallow the bitter
remarks.
Then, Fr. Angelico, accompanied by Father General, went to inspect the building. Fr Angelico was taking
advantage of the fact that he was also the Visitor of the Polish Sisters who were assisting the refugees. The building
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was crowded with young girls. Unfortunately even the Chapel of the Novitiate, which once had frescoes painted by
the Candida brothers from Oria, had been turned into a dormitory, with sets of four folding beds one over the other,
where those poor children slept.
Fr. Angelico noticed the old writings on the walls of the facilities of the Novitiate for the whole length of the
corridor. He was silent and looked impressed. When he reached the end of the corridor from the windows he could
see the wonderful panorama of Trani with the blue of the Adriatic sea in the background, he exclaimed: “It is
wonderful! We will not leave this place anymore. Let these Poles leave as soon as possible! The Sisters will never be
able to pay for this building. It is worth 100 million [lire] now! It is understandable why they want it so much!” And
repeating these expressions he proceeded to the portion of the building used by the Polish Sisters. Then he gave a
look at the stables, the garden, repeating enthusiastically: “The Sisters will never be able to pay all this”.
In the afternoon he paid a visit to H. E. Msgr. Petronelli, who received him with his Vicar, Msgr. Perrone. All and
two were displeased because of that decision and of the provisions taken the previous year by Fr. Larraona for the
evacuation of the Lo Surdo House of the Sisters. Msgr. Petronelli did say many times to our religious, “If you leave
Trani, I will curse you”. Therefore when Fr. Angelico manifested his impressions, they rejoiced, and did not hide their
wonder that Fr. Larraona could see inconveniences from Rome, that they living in the place had never noticed.
After the visit to the archbishop, we went to the Sisters who treated us bitterly and in a very reserved way, to the
point that that Fr. Angelico wanted to be alone with them. He even returned there the day after, when he saw that the
Superior did not accept his invitation to discuss the issue in its details openly in the place itself [in the Rogationist
House which is in the countryside of Trani]. But they were so embittered, that Fr. Angelico said sadly: “They are truly
mean”
However he contented them in some details, like, for example, on the name of “Villa Santa Maria”, a name which
the Rogationists were not allowed to use. “Better, he said, to yield in some secondary things, in order to keep the
essential ones”.
Back to Rome he made his report; but the problem did not end. The claims and pressures multiplied more and
more as the day was approaching, when the Polish refugees were going to leave, and the building would have
remained empty. On the evening of October 2, the Brothers and the orphans, having seen that there was nobody
inside, tried an invasion of the Institute. But the English soldiers from the barracks, who noticed this, inexorably called
our constabulary [= Carabinieri], to move them out; and the constabularies had to do it. Vae victis!
On October 20, furious for the piling up of claims and complains from the Sisters, Msgr. Pasetto called Fr.
Angelico and in an outburst said to him: “I give you a golden medal, if you solve this problem”. He meant in the way
wanted by the Sisters. Fr. Angelico took with himself Fr. Drago and Fr. Ruggeri, who were liked by the very Rev.
Mothers of the FDZ Council and went to deal with them about the thorny transaction of Trani. But the results were
always the same.
Finally, on December 2, the Rogationist Brothers and the orphans, freely and legally occupied the building. On
the following December 15, Father General went [to Trani] to assess the damages and the possibility to put the
previous Communities back there. Unfortunately the kitchen was burnt; many of the equipment were damaged. The
refugee families in the two last months had made many damages. However with some sacrifice the previous
Communities could be reinstated and restart the usual activities. Almost immediately Fr. Girasoli accompanied to
Trani 26 aspirants from Messina. On December 20, Fr. Cassone moved the Novitiate from Oria to Trani. They were
joined a few days later by the Apostolic School consisting of 16 aspirants for Coadjutor Brothers in 3 rd and 4th year
gymnasium, because there was none of 5th year. And thus finally Christmas was celebrated in the Institute. The
Chapel of the Novitiate went back to its purpose, and Father General placed back the Blessed Sacrament.
But the Sisters could not give up the issue. Fr. Larraona, taking advantage of the Christmas holydays, went to
the Sisters in Trani. Father General did not wait for Fr. Larraona, indeed avoided to meet him, because thus Fr.
Angelico had ordered him, and went to Bari. There Fr. Lagati reported to him the position of Fr. Larraona, and that of
the Sisters. Father General had the impression that nothing was going to change.
When Fr. Angelico returned from the north, he turned immediately his attention to Trani, and asked from to
Father General in Rome news on the effects of the visit of Fr. Larraona. Then he went to Msgr. Pasetto, who told
him: “As soon as the house of Rome is constructed, you must carry to Rome all that is now found in the house of
Trani”
On January 20, Fr. Angelico had a very lively talk with Fr. Larraona for approximately one hour and a half in the
seat of the Congregation. He had gone there with Father General and Fr. Campanale, and after the talk introduces
both of them to Fr. Larraona. It was evident that Fr. Larraona was tense and red in the face, and Fr. Angelico
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mortified: it was a sign of a strong storm.
In fact on February 21 Father General, in a conversation with Fr. Angelico, notices that he is inclined to please
the Sacred Congregation (that is) the Sisters, surrendering the House of Trani. Since Fr. Larraona was insisting, Fr.
Angelico asked for a written disposition. He answered that for a written document he had to think about; thus
practically nothing happened. Thing were going on in that way; and the Rogationist house in the countryside of Trani
resumed its life in full as before.
Nothing will be said anymore about this issue, when the Jonas [= Fr. General, Fr. Santoro] because of whom all
these storms had started, will throw himself into the sea, by surrendering his resignation.

9 - The Theologate in Rome

The ancient desire of the revered Father Founder, with his catholic ecclesiastical spirit, had been to form his
priests in the shadow of the Holy See. Because of the alternating of events before and after his death, his longing
had remained only an ideal, a pious desire.
Father General and his Council, elected by the 1 st Ordinary Chapter had made it a project to be implemented at
all costs. Even previously, also the foundation in Santa Caterina della Rota had intended in some way to hurry up this
goal. Also Msgr. Pasetto wanted this to be realized, and, correctly, he thought that Santa Caterina della Rota was a
hole, while, when it comes to the construction in Asti square, no matter how it would be hurried up, it would have
taken still plenty of time. Thus, he exhorted Father General to do his best to find a temporary premise where to lodge
the Students. Father General had made already several approaches, when the announced visit stopped, him from
any commitment.
When Fr. Angelico assumed the direct responsibility of the Institute of the Rogationists, he assumed personally
even this problem and tried to resolve it following the directives of Msgr. Pasetto.
At first he tried to obtain from the Swiss Gift, a charitable work for the homeless created after the war, some
ready-made cabins which could be placed in the area of Asti square. But when this attempt failed, and it did not seem
convenient to resume the negotiations for the rooms of St. Philip and the other proposals already examined by Father
General, the mind went to our old friends, the La Salette Fathers, who, in that moment after the war, had their college
in Cavour Street empty.
On July 6 Father General began his negotiations with Fr. Piriou, who was the Procurator of the La Salette
Fathers, assuring him that we would have provided our own beds and furniture as well as the domestic service, while
the few La Salette Fathers would have find their own arrangement.
During Fr. Angelico’s vacations [Father General] sent all the Students to several places all over Italy searching
for vocations. After the vacations, they would have transferred to Rome and would have attended the Roman
Ecclesiastical Universities. In fact on October 18 our students began to sleep in the College of the La Salette Fathers;
and during that month all the students transferred to the same College. Accompanied by Fr. Donvito the Students
from Messina arrived on October 29. Fr. Tusino remained as Superior in the House St. Anthony, in Messina.
Fr. Carbotti in the meantime was doing his best in order to find Sisters for the domestic service; and on
November 10 four Salesie Sisters [Sisters of St. Francis De Sales] who had asked permission to enter Rome, but
were not granted it, arrived from Padova. However, through the endorsement of Msgr. Pasetto and Fr. Angelico the
Congregation was granted permission, so they came. A chapel was created only for the exclusive use of the
Theologate, and Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament was placed in it on November 21.
The Students, entrusted to Fr. Ippolito, helped by Fr. Donvito as Treasurer, were enrolled in the Lateran
[University]; and some at the Angelicum.
The first Ordination of our 9 Sub-Deacons and three in minor orders was officiated by the ‘Vicegerente’
[=Archbishop assistant to the Vicar, the Cardinal who directs the Diocese of Rome on behalf of its Bishop, the Pope] ,Msgr.
Traglia, on January 19, 1947 in the Chapel of the ‘Collegio Leoniano’ in Pompeo Magno Street, with many other
religious Clerics. The celebration was attended by Father General, because it was our first Ordination in the
Rogationist Theologate of Rome.
The 9 Sub-Deacons were ordained Deacons by Msgr. Carinci on March 22, in the church of Santa Maria sopra
Minerva.
And on July 19, after the spiritual retreat preached by Fr. Bertolotto del Mascherone, that is the Institute of Mary
Immaculate, they received the sacred Presbyterate through the hands of Msgr. Traglia, in the Basilica of the most
Holy Apostles, in an imposing roman ordination, assisted by the fathers, with the presence of numerous relatives,
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who were hosted at Cavour Street according to the meager possibilities.
In the meantime by July 15 the students enrolled in the Lateran had already finished their classes; and so the
scholastic year was over for all.
By the end of July the Students went to the Houses upon order of Fr. Angelico; and also the Fathers residing in
Rome did the same since they could not yet be accommodated at Asti Square. Fr. Angelico wanted that, according to
the agreement, the keys of the La Salette Fathers’ facilities be given back to them on July31, though Fr. Molinari of
La Salette was not pressuring for this. So [Fr. Angelico] went to Cavour Street and said to Father General to deliver
personally the keys to Fr. Molinari after the lunch, and then, with the other religious, to wait for him at the train station,
where he would have come. Thus the staying at the La Salette Fathers’ House ended. For the new school year the
students were to transfer to Asti Square.

10 – The Closing of two Houses

The House of La Salette Fathers was not the only house, though intended as temporary, which was closed that
year.
Santa Caterina della Rota had been opened in the last months of the previous government, through the
mediation of the Don Orione’si Fathers, in order to have, a place where some of our religious could find hospitality
during the construction in Asti Square while following up the longed for construction.
We cannot deny that there was a kind of advantage in having our residence in Rome in Santa Caterina della
Rota. It was in fact, the center of the Confraternity of the papal Palafrenieri [Knights], under the presidency of the
“Commendatore” Bonatti, who practically had authority in the Vatican, and with the protection of Rev. Card. Granito
Pignatelli di Belmonte, our Fathers who were officiating in Santa Caterina della Rota, were placed in the condition of
having easily access to the highest ecclesiastical authorities.
Fr. Angelico did not like this; when the Students and with them Fathers started residing in Cavour Street at the
La Salette Fathers, in the changing of personnel stationed at Santa Caterina della Rota, they started to neglect the
church of St. Catherina. Thus, while at first the members of the Confraternity were enthusiastic of the work of our
fathers, then they began to complain in such a way that it reached the high levels. They complained with Card.
Granito, who had been so affable and paternal with us. In one of these occasions, the Cardinal would have said: “I
have the power to send them out of Rome”.
In January 1947 the complaining against our religious reached the Sacred Congregation of the Religious. Fr.
Angelico did not give up. Indeed he worked in such way to solve everything peacefully. He led the Vocationist
Fathers to take care of St. Catherina starting February17. Fr. Levi who was there until that moment, went to Messina.
With the Vocationist Fathers, he just reserved for us two rooms at St. Catherina, when we needed; and there he kept
all our things while waiting to transfer them to Cavour Street or to Asti Square.
The other residence which was closed was Santa Lucia del Mela.
The House had been created because of the state of emergency during the war. The good bishop, Msgr. Geraci,
made available the premises of the seminary which was empty, beside the sanctuary of Our Lady, who is
represented in a wonderful sculpture by Cagini and venerated by the good people of Santa Lucia. The people liked
our Institute; and when Msgr. Bishop expressed the desire that our community should vacate the building of the
seminary, since the storm of the war was over and things were already back to normal, the people did not want us to
leave. They had been become accustomed to the beautiful celebrations of the little orphans in the lovely sanctuary of
their Madonna on the top of the hill and to the sermons of the Fathers, who had been alternating there. Also the
Rogationists had become attached to the Madonna and to the good people who answered with such fervor to their
priestly ministry.
In the meantime, on July 27, 1946, the good bishop passed away to eternity, and the day after there was the
funeral. Father General participated in it, because he did not want to miss this act of gratitude.
The Authorities of the town offered other premises to the Rogationists in order not to let the Orphanage leave the
place, because it had become a prestige for the citizen. In fact the same evening of the funeral of the Bishop, a
committee of notables, headed by the Commissioner of the Municipality, approached Father General to know what
he meant to do with the proposal of using the premises of the Hospital for the Institute.
Father General, who could not do anything because of the ongoing Visit, answered that during the time that the
diocese was without its authority, it was not convenient to take any decision; than eventually the building of the
Hospital should have had to be given entirely, which seemed impossible. The good population was fretting, and was
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ready to do anything in order not to let the Orphanage leave. Both civil and ecclesiastical authorities were rightly
worried.
On August 17 Fr. Angelico with Fr. Tursi went to Santa Lucia to examine the situation on the spot; and on the 19
he presided over the committee of the authorities, who had gone to him to repeat the insistences already made to
Father General. The conclusion of that meeting was to accept the proposal of the hospital, where the Orphanage
would transfer before September 15; but the orphanage would have left the hospital immediately if the orphans were
not comfortable with it. Also the Capitular Vicar, Msgr. Menniti was present to that meeting. Nevertheless, when the
transaction was discussed in the city council, the authorities concluded that the conditions set by Fr. Angelico were
unacceptable. Therefore, on September 14, the Superiors of the House prepared to leave in order to leave vacant
the seminary, but because of the pressure of people, and to avoid riots they remained there again.
In Rome Fr. Angelico resumed the problem of Santa Lucia with Father General and Fr. Tursi and decided for the
moment not to react and to accept the proposal of the hospital according to the agreement with the Municipality. On
December 3, Father General went to Santa Lucia to see with Fr. Bizzarro and Fr. Indelicato, who were directing that
work, how they had settled in the hospital.
In the meantime the new Prelate of Santa Lucia was appointed. He made his own the desire of the authorities
and of the population. But Fr. Angelico wrote a letter to the new Prelate, declaring closed the issue of the final
withdrawal of the Orphanage from Santa Lucia; and sent Father General to deliver it personally.
On August 23, 1947 Father General went by car to Santa Lucia to bring to the Prelate the communication of Fr.
Angelico. The good Prelate advised Father General to speak with the Mayor, which was dismayed by the sad news.
On 24 Monsignor kindly returned the visit Father General, fallowed later also by the Mayor, in order to invite him to
attend a meeting of the members of the Committee organized in favor of the Orphanage at the presence of H. E.
Msgr. Bishop.
They discussed went on for more than three hours: the result was that the municipality committee would gather
in extraordinary session in order to make the point of the situation.
Monsignor Bishop, the Mayor, Canon Guidara requested Father General to write a letter that the Mayor could
read in the Municipality Council in order to justify their embarrassment. Father General wrote it and sent it to him in
the afternoon.
 On August 28, 29 and 30, in dribs and drabs, with precaution, the orphans and theirs items were transferred to
Messina. However a wagon of belongings [from the orphanage] left from the railway station of San Filippo for the new
House of Naples. Thus the House of Santa Lucia del Mela was closed.
It is worth remembering also the House of Rometta. It was so dear to Msgr. Barbaro. Because of his insistences,
in August 1946 Fr. Pitrone with some Brother went to settle down there, in the small Convent with Church, which
Monsignor had restored. Some of the Fathers, even the young ones, were alternating there and did a lot of good in
the town and in the nearby villages. After some time they started also taking care of some orphaned children.
Fr. Angelico went to visit it with Father General on December 11, 1946; in coming back on the Peloritani
Mountains they were caught by surprise by a strong storm of hailstones. Perhaps [the house of Rometta could have
been good as summer residence. But it was always too windy, because it was too exposed; and in winter Fr. Pitrone
had always problems with his throat. It was closed on August 1952 by Fr. Tusino.

11 - New foundations

This was what happened of the house of Rometta, though so much loved by Msgr. Barbaro who was born in that
small town. The same happened with other attempts, which Fr. Angelico encouraged, for the commitment that he had
to develop the Congregation. Among the many foundations some were also blessed and prosperous.
Under the leadership of Fr. Mario Labarbuta, with the collaboration of the Confreres destined there by the new
Council, the Boy’s Village, in Bari, so lively desired by the Archbishop, Msgr. Mimmi, was developing and gaining the
esteem and the care of the whole city, which looked at that work as the most timely, among the many beautiful
institutions that the city had already. Msgr. Mimmi repeated many times in his enthusiasm that he held it as the best
work of his episcopate. He followed it up even when later he became Cardinal and Prefect of the Sacred
Congregation.
Our dearest and late Fr. Levi had a fixation: to make a similar work in Naples, his city, and he insisted so much
with the Superiors, that they granted him to stay in Naples in the house of some friends, in order to realize this holy
ideal. He made several attempts on which it is useless to delve.
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When Fr. Angelico began the Visit, he did not disapprove this attempt. In fact during his travel back to Rome with
Father General, on May 12, 1946, he stopped in Naples to examine the proposal of the so-called Splendore, leaving
to Father General to follow it up in its details. The same happened to the proposal of Capodichino, and the others.
Finally on September 1, 1946, Fr. Angelico with Father General, Fr. Tursi and Fr. Carbotti went to visit the
Astarita Villa, at Capodimonte, which was on sale, but which had been excluded at the beginning because it was
considered out of the way and an isolated place. Nobody, at that time, could have foreseen the development of the
city in that area. It is true that it was a too isolated location, but all were enchanted, because the house in its solitude
and splendor was truly fitting for the formation work. There was a bargaining on the price, also because of the
ongoing construction of the House of Rome. The price asked by the owner, Mrs. Astarita, was too high. Her husband
had his office in Rome, therefore the negotiation could be done in Rome. The negotiations reached a positive
outcome, and the date of the signing of the preliminary agreement was set.
On March 18, 1947, Fr. Angelico with Father General left Sicily directed to Naples, where Fr. Levi, Fr. Donvito
and Fr. Carbotti were waiting for them, because on the 19 th, after so many years, the first holy Mass would have been
celebrated in the princely small church of the Villa. The tenant still preserved the vestments, candlesticks, vases for
flowers etc. In the small Church blessed and reopened to worship by Fr. Levi, who was all radiant for the
accomplishment, Father General celebrated the holy Mass, making a short exhortation to the few faithful who had
assembled from the Scudillo [the name of the surroundings place], and Fr. Levi confessed them; then Fr. Angelico,
Fr. Donvito and Fr. Carbotti celebrated their mass.
Father General then went to Att.y Vernicchi, the mediator of the agreement who had drawn up of the deed of
sale. With him there was Dr. Chianese, the husband of Mrs. Astarita, who was worried because the other persons
involved in the sale had not yet arrived, while, in the meantime, his brother was having a meeting with Fr. Angelico.
The two of them came with Fr. Angelico, Fr. Carbotti, Fr. Donvito and Fr. Levi. It was set to write up and to sign the
deed of sale in the afternoon at 7:00 pm in the house of the notary public Catalano Riccardo, at 24 Germano Serrano
Street, to whom we will entrust also the 2 million lire of down payment. In the evening the notary public drew up the
deed sale and the deed of delivery of the 2 million. Both the deeds were signed by the parties: Mrs. Astarita, Dr.
Chianese, Fr. Santoro, and Fr. Carbotti. The witnesses were Fr. Angelico, Fr. Donvito, Fr. Levi, Att.y Vernicchi, Att.y
Pomez, and Mr. and Mrs. Nicola Chianese beside the notary public.
 When towards 10:00 in the evening we returned to the Villa, which now was ours, all showed their happiness.
Even the starry sky was enchanting. The day after Father General with Fr. Angelico explored the outskirts of the villa,
and the immense inner and underground premises, which were wonderful. Thus the house of Naples was founded.
Father Levi was rightly very happy.
Fr. Angelico, who enjoyed the absolute trust of Msgr. Pasetto, while taking care of our institute, was carrying out
other visits of other men’s and women’s Institutes. Thus, often times he had to be absent for many days. Once he
had to go to Holland for several days. Once, Msgr. Pasetto entrusted to him also the care of the Institute of the Grey
Friars founded by the Venerable Fr. Ludovico da Casoria. The Congregation was not in good shape, especially in the
Institute for Blind Deaf and Mute in Assisi. With very enticing words and perspectives Fr. Angelico tried to convince
the Father General of the Rogationists to accept all the Houses and the members of that Institute, which could not
stand up by itself. But Father General for obvious spiritual and practical reasons never accepted: it was the work of a
saint and it was not to be destroyed; we had already our troubles, and a merging in of that kind would have surely
multiplied them.
But for the Institute of Assisi the situation was such that Father General could not oppose it for a long time,
because thus the Sacred Congregation wanted. Fr. Angelico sent Fr. Ruggeri to put things in order about discipline
and administration. Thus from July 1, 1947 we assumed the direction of the “Istituto Serafico” in Assisi.
According to what Fr. Angelico was saying, he would have accepted the Visit of the Congregation of the Grey
Friars, only with the condition of being authorized suppress it within six months. Thus he said to Father General, Fr.
Santoro, who instead was exhorting him to be patient and to reorganize, not suppress, the work of a saint. But in this
vicissitude he had to bow his head to accept a good grey friar, Bro. Pietro Romano, who went to Trani to prepare
himself to enter our Congregation. The ensuing events made useless this plan and the kind Bro. Pietro returned to
his institute.
We always thought of Padua as an open issue, with the land and the small building acquired and begun by Fr.
Founder, which then was never finalized because of the oppositions we encountered there. Neither Fr. Jaccarino, nor
Msgr. Pasetto, who was from Padua, could solve the situation during the visit in 1932, with Bishop Msgr. Elia Dalla
Costa. Fr. Santoro, as soon as he was appointed General, with the support of the Sacred Congregation, before
introducing himself to Fr. Angelico, made a request to his successor Mons. Agostini. Msgr. Agostini in that occasion,
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with great dismay of our friends like Mrs. Battizzocco, answered to Father General, who had presented to him the
desire of the Founder and the losses of a real estate, which had been unused for many years: “Sell it, sell, if you find
a good occasion”
Time and circumstances would have matured the events. Msgr. Agostini found himself in difficulties for the
situation of the Shelter for Minors “Filomena Fornasari” and the administration of that foundation requested a
religious institution to assume its direction. The Rogationists accepted it and thus the difficulties of Padua, where it
seemed impossible to enter, were overcome. During the vacancy, after the transferring of Msgr. Agostini, it was easy
to go and construct a small Institute at the Arcella. The new bishop, Msgr. Bortignon, at his entrance, found it as a
deed already accomplished and he accepted it.

12 - The acknowledgment of pontifical right

One of the most urgent problems to resolve that the new Council had to deal with was to extricate from
complications and difficulties for the peaceful possession of its properties. According to the legislation following the
1929 Agreement [Concordato] between the Holy See and the Italian State, it was enough to obtain the pontifical
acknowledgment, which would be followed by the legal recognition by the [Italian] government, and the establishment
into ”Public Corporation” [‘Ente Pubblico’] to be legally able to possess and to administer. All the obstacles, which
had troubled the Institution’s administration, would have been overcome. It would have been no more necessary to
avail of proxy, to constitute fictitious Anonymous Corporations and Cooperatives subject to the commercial laws
which demanded experts.
The point was: how could we obtain it?
Our co-sisters, the Daughters of the Divine Zeal had obtained it through Msgr. Pasetto with the Decretum laudis
ad experimentum, for seven years, dated February 19, 1935. Thus they had become of Pontifical Right, and in
compliance with the Agreement, after following all the bureaucratic procedure, they had obtained the recognition also
of the Italian Government.
The Congregation of the Rogationists on this point was at ground zero.
 The first thought of Father General, as soon as he arrived in Rome, was to face also this problem; but before
bringing the matter to Msgr. Pasetto, he sought the advice of competent people, because the issue was connecter
also to several other problems. Fr. Larraona was then the undisputed master in this matter; but he was out of Rome.
He dealt instead with his colleague, Fr. Goyeneche, who, upon hearing Father General’s report, expressed his
surprise because we had not yet obtained the decretum laudis, like our co-sisters. He encouraged us to take the
proper steps, as soon as the summer vacations would be over. It was not difficult.
Also Msgr. Paino was in Rome and with his great heart, when Father General asked him to favor that step with
his report, he answered that he had no difficulty in doing it, if Msgr. Pasetto wanted his favorable report.
Even Prof. Galeotti, in the afternoon of September 6, exhorted Father General to hurry up, because after the war
the perspectives were bad for the commercial companies, no matter if anonymous or cooperative, and he was
foreseeing so heavy taxes that our Anonymous Corporation could be closed. Certainly, he added, this is not in order
to return to the individual ownership, like before, but to hasten the pontifical approval.
When Fr. Larraona came back from his vacations, Father General was able to have a long talk with him. About
the issue, he said that for the decretum laudis eventual administrative difficulties are not taken into account. But in a
petition to the Sacred Congregation we could ask what we desired. In our case eventually we could ask the
transferring of our properties to the Corporation of the Daughters of Divine Zeal, only for legal purposes, since it was
a sister congregation. Perhaps in that advice there was not all the needed objectivity, as the events which happened
immediately after demonstrated. In fact, shortly after, he took a strong position about the restitution of the House [in
the outskirts] of Trani to the Daughters of Divine Zeal and imposed to remove all the material of the Rogationists
house, which on the occasion of the requisition were placed temporarily in the empty premises of the Lo Surdo
palace, under the custody of Fr. Onorato and some Brothers, who lived there.
In spite of the cruelty of the order, in that situation of emergency, an order disapproved also by the Archbishop of
Trani, who knew the truth of the local situation, the Fathers wanted to obey, though seeing in that a first attempt the
desire of the sisters to send them out of Trani. Father General thought of presenting humbly to Fr. Larraona his
complains for not being even informed. But he found that a formidable storm had broken out. He found Msgr. Pasetto
all of a sudden so restless because of the complains which had reached the Sacred Congregation against the
Chapter, which he himself had wanted and ordered, without any reservation.
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On November 15, the Card. Prefect, H. E. Luigi Lavitrano, received Father General in a private audience in his
home. He was very affable and encouraging with Father General; and when this submitted to him the desire, of a
pontifical acknowledgment or certificate, at least just for administrative purposes, in order to avail of the dispositions
of the Agreement [Concordato], the Cardinal answered: “Let us see first the result of this Visit. The atmosphere is not
serene”.
With these words Father General realized that the Sacred Congregation was already thinking of a Visit and so
there was nothing that could be done do. He withdrew to Messina waiting for the Visit.
We said already how the Visit was done, first with Fr. Jaccarino and then with Fr. Larraona, who delegated Fr.
Angelico from Alessandria ad Omnia [=for all the affaires].
When Fr. Angelico met with the administrative difficulties, especially with the implementation of the division of
the properties from the sisters’ Congregation, he realized immediately the necessity to resolve radically the problem
of the property. He too saw the solution in a certificate of pontifical recognition, which could become the base to be
acknowledged by the [Italian] State as a legal moral person [Corporation] at all the purposes.
Thus almost one year after the previous attempts, on September 4, 1946, with the consent of Msgr. Pasetto, Fr.
Angelico with Father General, asked Msgr. Sposetti, who was the person in charge of this sector, a document of
recognition to be used to ask an acknowledgment from the State. Two days after, Father General picked it up. In it
Sacred Congregation attested that our Institute was recognized by Holy See. Father General presented it the Ministry
of the Interior in order to begin the bureaucratic procedures for the establishment into religious legal Corporation, in
compliance with the Agreement [Concordato]. However, since our General House was still in Messina, the
procedures had to be accomplished in Sicily.
To hasten the long-winded bureaucratic process, Father General had to importunate friends like Dr. Grilli at the
Prefecture of Messina, and Dr. Ricci at the Ministry of the Interior in Rome, with delays and interruptions that required
quite a time.
In the meantime the administrator of the Anonymous Corporation [S.A.R.I. Societa’ Anomima Romana
Immobiliare (?)], prof. Galeotti together with Fr. Angelico thought of constituting a [new] Administrative Board, which
until that time had included also the Sisters. And on February 26, 1946, in Sicily Street, near the Capuchin Fathers,
where Fr. Angelico was residing, the Board was formed in this way: President: Fr. Vitale Francesco; Vice President:
Fr. Santoro; Administrators: Fr. Tusino, Fr. Drago and Fr. Ippolito; Auditors: Fr. Campanale, Fr. Donvito and Fr.
Carbotti. Obviously it was a fictitious set up. The signatories for its acts were Fr. Santoro and Fr. Drago. Thus the
Anonymous Corporation continued its legal acts.
On september 1947, the draft of the recognition of the Congregation was already prepared at the Ministry of the
Interior; but the events which followed later did not allow anymore, for a long time, the following up of the papers.
However, for the true decretum laudis of the Congregation, we had to wait until February 15, 1958, more than
ten years after.

13 - Gloomy clouds at the horizon

The Visit of Fr. Angelico, according to his peculiar style, was proceeding towards a preset plan. Truly, those
dissatisfied with the Chapter had their positions dismantled also because they had assumed them out of
inexperience. In fact neither Fr. Jaccarino, Msgr. Pasetto, or Fr. Larraona, though pressured by the Sisters who were
sympathizing with the dissatisfied Rogationists, nor Fr. Angelico, were able to find the smallest legal pretext against
the legality of the Chapter, of its acts and elections, though they had examined it scrupulously.
However, because of the rough waters, in its high administrative and directive function the Sacred Congregation
had thought prudently to apply the system of the plenipotentiary Visit. The person directly assigned by the Holy
Father was Fr. Larraona; but he, in agreement with Msgr. Pasetto, thought of not making any other move, than the
appointing Fr. Angelico as his Delegate ad omnia [in everything]. On his side, Fr. Angelico practically was taking care
only of the Rogationists, having, with the Daughters of Divine Zeal, only the rare contacts which were necessary for
their relations with the Fathers. Fr. Angelico had realized that Fr. Larraona was protecting the thesis of the Sisters,
who were in turn influenced by the discontented [fathers].
When Fr. Angelico had come to Messina, on May 1, 1946, and presented his credentials, he had declared that
“the issue of the legality of the Chapter was closed, as well as the elections had been revoked. Fr. Larraona, with
ordinary and extraordinary powers, was Superior and Visitor of the two institutes; and he was his delegate “ ad
omnia”.
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With this premise he started to govern, and, using Father General and his Council where and when he liked as
well as of those who were dissatisfied, declaring to them that they depended directly only on him.
This way of proceeding, brought to its extreme consequences, just increased the fracture ( divide et impera!).
After the initial surprise, this ended up displeasing both the parties. Obviously, in saying this, we do not want to fail to
appreciate Fr. Angelico neither his good intention, nor his true desire to develop the Rogationist Congregation, nor
the effective success he obtained in many problems, which would have never been solved through the ordinary
ways. This is the reality. We all could only accept passively, because we knew that Fr. Angelico, more than Fr.
Larraona, was the representative of Msgr. Pasetto. In addition, with Msgr. Pasetto, for the reputation that he had
gained and for the decisions he had taken in other cases, there was little to joke. Our sisters had experienced
something of this.
Father General, on his part, for the supreme interest of the Institute, was enduring the frequent outbursts of the
character of Fr. Angelico without too much fuss. He used to accept the good things which the Visitor was doing, and
did not fail to prudently present his difficulties on the issues which he did not like. It must be said that Fr. Angelico did
not press too much and seemed to accept suggestions almost always.
Those who were dissatisfied, knowing that they depend only on him, and at times were instigated against Father
General and his Council, perhaps because of politics, ended up with getting tired. Though obeying in the
assignments that he had given and disguising, in many transactions, they tried to bypass him, by resorting secretly,
or through the Sisters, to Fr. Larraona and Msgr. Pasetto. Several revealing episodes, which could not become
public, showed these attempts or maneuvers. Fr. Angelico every now and then used to burst out against this or that,
saying the tremendous fights, which he had to endure with Fr. Larraona, while Msgr. Pasetto was warning him “Be
careful, there are some Giudases around”
Among these difficulties, he however was following his plan to be realized little by little. On December 1946,
having not succeeded in persuading Fr. Ruggeri, as he had wished, with the pretext of making dollars for the
construction of the House of Rome, he succeeded to send, to the United States, Fr. Tursi, who had a brother married
there. Thus the Council began broke up: Fr. Tursi was the Vicar and the oldest, after Father General. The younger
Councilors, Fr. Ippolito, Fr. Donvito and Fr. Campanale soon realized that, even without any official letter, their title
was becoming meaningless. Fr. Angelico, even in ordinary transactions, was starting to take decisions without
consulting them. Father General exhorted to have patience; to dissimulate their emotion, fearing that worse may
happen. Those who knew how Msgr. Pasetto had dismissed whole Councils, how he had merged Congregations (Fr.
Angelico, on his behalf, had insisted with Father General to consent to absorb the Houses, members and works of
the Grey Friars), and so on, could not consider these recommendations as fear. Also friends, like Abbot Savastano of
the Cistercians, Fr. Sordais of the Redemptorists, Fr. Peter, former secretary of father Lion Kirchels, and others,
advised Father General to be prudent, given the situation of the moment, because many communities were crying.
However, naturally, the young ones, in their inexperience considered the recommendations of Father General not as
prudence, but as fear. Soon they started to assume an attitude of true aversion towards Fr. Angelico
After one year from the beginning of the Visit, on May 1947, Fr. Angelico started to let everybody understand
that by then he knew all and everything, and that he intended to do things by himself. This made the Councilors upset
in such a way that they wanted to make a list of the disciplinary inconveniences and try to bypass him, having
recourse to higher authorities. The manifestations began to become so obvious that, Fr. Angelico, who was not blind
nor a fool could not but notice them.
At the end of May he decided to communicate to the three Councilors that the Council was dismissed; but
wanted to solve the problem through the Father General who, clearly, did not play along with him, bur pleaded the
three to calm down Fr. Angelico and express their reasons. Fr. Angelico sent them out in a bad way, also because he
understood, or had come to know, that they had gone already to some of his Superiors, Fr. Larraona or Msgr.
Pasetto.
And since Father General did not think of supporting them in this spirit of revolt, they did not spare, in their
conversations, noble titles for him, like that boor. Fr. Ippolito being the Superior of the House of Cavour Street,
started treating Father General as if he were a stranger not informing him of the vicissitudes of the Community.
Father General could only keep silence, swallow, and pray.
Since the school year was ending, Fr. Angelico decided to remove the three Councilors from Rome. Father
General tried in vain to calm him down and to convince the three fathers to assume a different attitude. Someone
tried to start a dialogue with him. Fr. Campanale asked him if he has to consider himself as a Councilor or not;
otherwise, why do not remove this title, like the title of Father General, which does not count anything. Fr. Angelico
lost his temper, sprung up and threw him out. Then he left raging with fury not wanting to listen to the others. In vain
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Father General invites him repeatedly to calm down and, at least, to listen to them, if they call on him.
In the evening Fr. Ippolito with Fr. Campanale went to visit him at Sicily Street. They only obtained to be sent
together to Oria. “By now, - Fr. Angelico concluded - I will do everything by myself, because by now I know
everything and everybody. I wanted to appoint Father General as my secretary, but he does not deserve it!”
Thus on July 31, all and three [Councilors] left for the House of Oria and with them all the Students, because the
house of Cavour Street, belonging to the La Salette Fathers, had to be closed. Father General personally delivered
the keys to Fr. Molinari. The same presence of Father General in Rome was not desirable, and therefore with several
excuses [Fr. Angelico] began to send him here and there. In Rome, at Varallo Street, only Fr. Drago, Fr. Coluccia
and some Brothers, who were following up the construction and the [ Anthonian Propaganda] Office, remained. In
front of these events, which did not save even the appearances, also these fathers showed discontent. One day, in
August, speaking to Father General, Fr. Coluccia burst out: “When will this monk [ referring to Fr. Angelico] let us
alone?” Father General kept silent. He would have liked to answer that we had first to taste until the dreg the
consequences of the imprudent revolt against the first Chapter!
In the meantime, things were becoming worse. By that time only Father General was left, turned into the role of
signing papers upon Fr. Angelico’s command and to carry his luggage. The situation was becoming unbearable. And
when at Varallo Street the first rooms on the upper floors were completed, Fr. Angelico clearly made it known that he
intended to dwell there permanently. This is - he said - what he had done in other communities. For example this he
did with the Fatebenefratelli. Among them he left no person in authority till the point that when there was the flooding
caused by the overflowing of the river Tiber, on the Tiberina island [ where one of the Hospitals of the Fatebenefratelli
is located], there was nobody who could take any emergency initiative, and they had to call him from Naples to give
the proper directives. Thus he did with the Congregation of the Most Precious Blood, where he had placed himself in
the general house located at ‘Via dei Crociferi’, and remained there for two years as the only authority, from which all
depended.

14 - Fr. Santoro resigns

 On October 15, 1947 Father General, in agreement with Fr. Angelico went to Sacred Congregation in order to
ask the dispensation from the vows for a Coadjutor brother. For this purpose he had to meet with Fr. Larraona. He
seized the opportunity to present his problem to Fr. Larraona.
First of all Father General asked Fr. Larraona if he could give directions to his conscience afflicted because of
the situation of his Community. Fr. Larraona answered that he could not. Simple as he was, he added that he was
doing like this with all those for whom he was appointed as a Visitor, because once he had been accused to Pius XI
for continuing to confess some persons of whom he was also judge, persons, whom he was spiritually guiding
already before. Fr. Santoro then said to him more or less like this, ‘I would like to have your opinion on a decision,
than I feel myself compelled to take: to resign from the office, which has been given to me by the Chapter of the
Rogationists Fathers. On one side, it seems useless, because the Decree of Sacred Congregation practically has
removed from me the responsibility entrusted to me by the Chapter. However my Congregation, in which that Decree
has not been published, holds me responsible, and this situation deserve a clarification’.
Fr. Larraona answered: “The first statement is true, and the second is also true; but according to me, it would be
better for you to resign, because it would be more dignifying for you, and also because in this way you facilitate the
task of the Sacred Congregation which wants to settle all things”.
At these words, Father General answered: “If it is for this, I’ll do it immediately”. He went home determined to do
it as soon as possible without saying anything to anybody, much less to Fr. Angelico. To be frank in that moment it
seemed [to Father General] that the opinion [of Fr. Larraona] was not completely impartial, because of the influence
of the Sisters on him; and in fact later on Fr. Larraona will regret it. For Fr. Santoro, indeed, it was the opinion of the
legitimate and direct Superior; and that was enough to know God’s will. On the other hand, Fr. Santoro realized that
[the superiors] were intending to make a clean sweep of everybody, and thus it was truly more dignifying to resign in
order to exit from such equivocal position, which involved also one’s conscience.
Two days after, on October15, after the holy Mass celebrated this purpose, Fr. Santoro, who had prepared three
copies his resignation, went to Sacred Congregation, requested an audience with Fr. Larraona and delivered his
request in an envelope. Fr. Larraona read it, praised [Fr. Santoro’s] desire to go to missions, and placed it among the
papers on his table.
Immediately after Fr. Santoro went by tram to Sicily St., asked for Fr. Angelico and gave him the envelope with
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the copy of his resignation, since he was the Delegate ad omnia of Fr. Larraona, to whom he had already delivered it.
Fr. Angelico, seething with rage, was displeased that Fr. Santoro already submitted his resignations to Fr. Larraona,
and tried to inquire about hidden reasons. Fr. Santoro said that there were no other reasons than those expressed in
the letter of resignation. Beside, having presented a request, it did not mean that the Sacred Congregation had
accepted it. It was meant only for clarification and to get out of a misunderstanding. Things could not continue that
way. It was a matter of conscience and responsibility in front of God, the Church and the Congregation; and nobody
wants to live with this continuous suffering: or in or out!

15 - Consequences

Fr. Angelico, however, conserved his usual trust with Father General, informing him, at least for what he thought
fitting, about the process of the request to the Sacred Congregation. Therefore many news, even confidential, at least
indirectly came to be known by Father General, who, in prayer, was following up their development.
On October18, there was the first meeting of the persons in charge, about the request presented [by Fr.
Santoro]. Fr. Angelico, who attended it, presented his opinions; later on he went to Varallo Street to inform Father
General about the conclusions and, at the same time, he presented to Fr. General his intention to visit the Houses,
accompanied by Father General. Indeed Fr. Angelico sent him ahead to Trani with the Grey Friar, Bro. Pietro
Romano, who wanted to become a Rogationist, and he would have reached him there in a few days. In that occasion
Fr. Angelico said that they wanted to make him Visitor of the Grey Friars, but he had not accepted, or better, he had
put such conditions, that they were equivalent to a non-acceptance. In fact, he had said that he would have accepted
on condition to be given the faculty to suppress them within six months. Naturally, neither the Cardinal nor the others
could agree with that exaggeration.
On the 24 Fr. Angelico arrived at Trani by with Fr. Cusanelli, whom he had summoned by phone from Oria. He
asked Father General if he had received a letter of the young Students of Assisi, imploring him to withdraw his
resignations and to remain in his office. Fr. Santoro said that he received it, but that he had answered in the way he
was answering all, and told them to pray.
 In truth, Fr Angelico seemed much impressed and grieved, above all because the resignations had been already
presented to Fr. Larraona. He conditioned also the fathers of Trani and Bari, who strongly complained with Father
General for the decision taken.
Father General answered always, obviously, that asking did not mean acceptance. The answer was up to
Sacred Congregation, to which he was even more willing to obey, whatever obedience meant. Nevertheless, it was
indispensable for all, including him, a clear vision of the duty that everyone had to accomplish.
Fr. Angelico was taking advantage of all the occasions to find eventual hidden reasons, using all confreres, who
were even bothering the poor Father General. He did not abandon and did not deflect from his long-time-reflected-
upon line of action because he had never been after the position that had been imposed to him, but after the
obligation of his conscience, which he wanted to know clearly.
Even the three Councilors confined at Oria complained sharply with him for that premature step. To all Fr
General answered infallibly that he had done only his duty, as the one in charge of the Institute, that he did not have
any other way to choose for the supreme interest of the Institute itself.
Also in Sicily, in Messina, Fr. Tusino was lively complaining with him, even saying openly that he did it just
against Fr. Angelico, just in that [so difficult] moment. Father General protested against this interpretation and
repeated also to him that a request does not mean acceptance, but necessity of clarity. Even some young religious
ingenuously started moving against Father General; when he explained to them the reasons more clearly they said,
“If it is like this, Your Paternity has made this decision too late; it had to be taken before”.
Fr. Angelico tried to involve also Fr. Vitale, to speak to Father General. The dear old man, in his armchair, was
scared. Distressed he was saying, “What will happen now?”
Father General devoutly answered him: “Nothing tragic will happen. If the Sacred Congregation thinks that Fr.
Santoro must continue, they will impose it to him, telling him clearly what he must do. And he will know the limits of
his powers in front of the Confreres. If they will want another, they will say, and all will know that this is the will of
God. Thanks God, in spite of everything, the spirit of faith is still alive in the Confreres. In any case, all will have wide
satisfaction, especially some and the good Sisters. Things will be settled. The Congregation belongs to the Lord”.
Unfortunately, there were among the youth some weak in virtues, who were showing to be very much discouraged,
and it was hard for Father General to encourage them and to let them understand that all this was for the best.
112
After this tour of propaganda, on October 31 Fr. Angelico with Father General returned to Rome. He was
surprised to find Fr. Ruggeri who had come from Assisi, and who in the previous days had invited the Superiors of
the Daughters of Divine Zeal to visit the construction in Asti Square and they had exchanged sweets and gifts. He
was terribly upset up to mention his resignation and that it was a matter of few days more.
On November 3, Father General blessed and celebrated for the first time in the very modest Chapel, already
approved by Msgr. Cecchetti of the Vicariate, for the small apartment destined to the Sisters of St. Francis De Sales
who would have taken care of the domestic chores of the new house. And it was the first hearth of Jesus in the new
building.
On November 4, as agreed upon, Msgr. Traglia, Vicegerent, went to bless and to celebrate for the first time in
the premises destined to become the small external church. At the Gospel he said wonderful words on the Father, St.
Anthony and the Rogate, which manifested his perfect acquaintance with our reality.
Some days after, Father General went to thank him for the honor and the encouragement given with his
celebration, and requested some faculties, which the amiable Vicegerent generous granted.
Thus, even in the middle of thousand thorns, the Lord planted the Rogationist fire of mercy and charity, in the
Alma city of Rome, so much longed for by the Father.

16 - Laborious conclusion

It lasted the whole month of November 1947 and great part of the month of December. Some might wonder that
issues which appear so simple, in the highest levels become complicated. The wonder stops when one considers
that especially in the highest levels, with the greater responsibility, remains always the poor humanity with its limits.
The famous saying of the experienced ambassador of the Venetian Republic to his son new to the career came back
to mind.
Father General could know what was happening among the officers of the Sacred Congregation about his
resignations only as they were mirrored through the complains, vents and outbursts of Fr. Angelico, who, it must be
said, had a particular character. The poor Fr. Angelico could not stop recriminating with Father General for the
sudden decision carried out without him knowing it.
On November 7, a fuming Fr. Angelico went to Asti Square to speak with Father General. He said that he was
feeling bad, but above all that that he was distressed by the contrasts that had had to endure in the Sacred
Congregation. “I am becoming sick”, he was saying.
In fact, in the following days he pretended to be sick. For some urgent problem Father General went to visit him
at Sicily St., near the Curia of the Capuchins. Fr. Angelico was complaining against Fr. Ruggeri and Fr. Drago; that
the devil had put its tail in the matter [= an Italian expression meaning that things were going in their worst direction] ;
that there are so many curious; that the matriarchate of the Sisters must end, and so on. Father General used to
listen, pray, and make pilgrimages to pious places, like to the charming Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Tre Fontane.
This lasted until November 18, when Fr. Angelico communicated confidentially that the final reunion had been
held; that the Cardinal knew everything, also about the debts; that he was favorable to some; that he had insisted for
the Chapter but Msgr. Pasetto was against it, because the Rogationists did not deserved it, because they had always
given too many troubles to the Sacred Congregation. And the conclusion had been that all the perpetually professed
Fathers will send by mail to the Sacred Congregation a ballot with the names that they wanted. Later, the Sacred
Congregation will make the Decree of appointment.
He was in agreement with Msgr. Pasetto. Perhaps after this fact – he said - Fr. Larraona will resign; then we will
thing of the Sisters. “The fighting is against me, he added; the Sisters have eliminated four Visitors”.
Father General observed that Fr. Larraona had in his hand the Decree of Papal appointment, and therefore also
the Cardinal must respect it. But he answered that Fr. Larraona had said: “I quit” and during the discussion had
walked out. The Cardinal had sent Fr. Angelico, to trace him; but he did not succeed in finding him.
The ballots, the Cardinal said, must be signed by each voter, and addressed to Msgr. Pasetto.
After this talk, Father General printed the ballots according to the pattern prepared by Fr. Angelico; and sent
them to all the Fathers, also to Fr. Tursi in America. Some confreres who expected some other very, was surprised
by the way chosen, complaining with Fr. Angelico. But Fr. Angelico did not give them satisfaction. Fr. Angelico began
to speak with enthusiasm of Fr. Tusino, clearly manifesting that in his mind Fr. Tusino had been chosen as Father
General! Poor Fr. Tusino!
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He insisted however, on behalf of Msgr. Pasetto that all would be done according to justice.
On December 1, from Sicily Street Fr, Angelico summoned Father General (let us call him still like this) by phone
about some pending transactions, but it in reality it was to deal about the elections. He asked Father General what
was his opinion about being made Vicar General of Fr. Tusino as Superior General.
Fr. Santoro entrenched himself in a very simple position. He was ready to any obedience, but if his opinion was
requested, it could be only negative. In vain Fr. Angelico appealed for the good and peace of the Institute. It would
have been only an illusion. Had they chosen him at least as a Councilor, it could be; but if this did not happen, as Fr.
Angelico himself had asserted, then all, supporters and adversaries, will say that the Sacred Congregation has done
everything, without taking into account the result of the ballots. They will endure in spirit of obedience, but they will
not be contented. Perhaps the confreres weak in virtue will yield to resentments and the longed for peace will be an
illusion. Those who had chosen Fr. Santoro as Father General will be displeased and commiserate him for his
apparent humiliation; those who did not think of him and see that he is beside the General will be displeased, thinking
perhaps that he will condition the activities of Fr. Tusino, even if this will not happen. Unfortunately Fr. Tusino will
have to also make some unpleasing decisions, and they will attribute them to Fr. Santoro’s influence. Even humanly
speaking Fr. Santoro will not create a good impression, because all will say that he has been sweetened with this
position, in order to content him.
Fr. Santoro added: “I am tired with these miseries and I want to be out of all this at any cost as soon aspossible!
However I am a poor religious, ready and faithful to any obedience, also hardest, if I am obliged by those who have
the right to do it”
This frank speeking impressed Fr. Angelico. In the afternoon of the day after, he summoned him again. He
appeared very depressed, but he insisted with his proposal, receiving the same answer. He told Fr. Santoro that in
the Sacred Congregation in the morning there had been a storm, a kind of struggle. On one side the Cardinal and Fr.
Larraona, on the other side Msgr. Pasetto and him. Unintentionally he vented out a terrible expression: “I fear that
this time something serious will happen in the Sacred Congregation”. He said that he was sorry because he could it
could not speak about this issue, but the reality was such that he was getting sick. In saying this, he was not aware
that he was already saying too much.
 The conversations with Father General in the following days were turning around this issue, even when strolling
in Villa Borghese. Thus he said that the on December 4 also Fr. Larraona was to the sick and that would not go to the
Congregation, although the Cardinal had personally assigned him to prepare the Decree about the elections.
However he always appeared upset and continued to reiterate his strong complains with the usual refrain about the
sudden decision taken of making the well-known resignation without having informed him beforehand. “You too did
not understand my work” he said. And this tune lasted for the days 7, 8, 9 and 10 of December. He always insisted
that Msgr. Pasetto wanted him to say that all had been done according to justice, even if some name were new and
will create some wonder.
On December 11, Fr. Angelico summoned again the - by that time - former Father General, to give him the letter
from the Sacred Congregation of the Religious, in which the new Superiors elect were communicated: Father
General: Teodoro Tusino, Vicar: Fr. Carmelo Ippolito, Councilors: Fr. Luigi Cusanelli, Fr. Mario Bellini and Fr.
Giuseppe Cassone. Treasurer: Fr. Carbotti Giovanni.
Fr. Santoro, who was expecting it since a long time, exclaimed: Deo gratias! And returned to Asti Square in order
to read it to the small Community and then to transmit it as the Circular No. 3 to all the Houses. In the meantime he
made immediately a telegram of congratulations to Fr. Tusino in Messina.
Fr. Angelico feared that some of the elected would not accept. Instead all triumphantly, except someone who
appeared much displeased, arrived in Rome from the different houses on the December 14, in order to assume the
new responsibility. Fr. Angelico was so happy. His human way of thinking however did not leave him perfectly calm,
thus he still provoked Fr. Santoro to speak. Fr. Santoro remained silent, needing only to be left alone and to go away
from Rome as soon as possible.
On December 15, in the evening, Msgr. Pasetto himself came to introduce and to install the new the Superiors,
making a sermon and giving the solemn blessing with the Blessed Sacrament. Later on there were and pastries. But
the joy of the heart was visible only in some.
The new Council gathered immediately; and Fr. Angelico started his job. He called only Fr. Tusino, then
summoned the Council, organized a visit to Assisi, and assigned Fr. Carbotti to prepare the tickets. Upon returning
they were enthusiastic, but the new Councilors were very angry for the continuous intromissions of Fr. Angelico and
of his talks only with Fr. Tusino.
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In fact, after some day, for a council’s decision which Fr. Angelico did not approve, they refused to budge: this
way or nothing. They let him realize that they were ready to resign their mandate to the Sacred Congregation all
together. On the phone, Fr. Angelico shouted, but he had to swallow. He practically realized that his role was over.

17 - Farewells

The new Council assigned to Fr. Santoro the direction of the House of Trani. Being about to leave he wanted
first to greet friends and acquaintances. He began with Fr. Larraona, the most authoritative and more interested in
the events.
He visited him in his room at the upper floor of the St. Callisto palace, where he dwelled with the small
community of confreres, who assisted him. Fr. Larraona welcomed him with immense kindness and was very pained.
He clearly said, against his usual prudent reservation, that Fr. Angelico had bypassed him and excluded him; that
even his advice to make a letter of resignation had served Fr. Angelico’s plan; and he was not aware of it; that Fr.
Angelico had done everything swiftly, saying that Msgr. Pasetto had appointed him as his Delegate; that he had the
Papal Decree, but he had not availed and does not avail of it in order not to displease that poor old man, and in order
to keep the good harmony in the Sacred Congregation . He concluded begging him to go to the Cardinal, in order to
obtain the end of the interference of Fr. Angelico, and speaking about all that clearly and unfortunately he knew.
Fr. Santoro went to bid farewell also to the Cardinal, who was dwelling then, at the San Francesco College. The
Cardinal received him to with his habitual kindness. Fr. Santoro beyond the greeting said something of what Fr.
Larraona had suggested him to say. But quickly the Cardinal asked if he had spoken of this to Msgr. Pasetto. Fr
Santoro answered no, because it would have been useless and harmful, because Msgr. Pasetto and Fr. Angelico
were just one. The Cardinal agreed and confirmed this judgment; but he insisted that it was necessary to press on
Msgr. Pasetto, because the Visit was ended and Fr. Angelico did not have any more reason to meddle in the
transactions of the Institute. [He asked] therefore Fr. Santoro to write down everything, even without signature, and to
deliver the paper personally to him.
 Father Santoro greeted him, but felt uneasy to write. He went to report Fr. Larraona the outcome of the audience
and said that he did not like to write, because it was too much annoyed by the matter; those who were responsible
should do it.
Fr. Larraona insisted that he did what the cardinal had said, but Fr. Santoro asked him rather to avail of his
Papal Decree, which was a means somewhat proper and respectable, which also Msgr. Pasetto could not avoid. He
stated that he did not want to do it without provoking discord. But then, if Fr. Angelico was not his Delegate, and if, as
the Cardinal said, the Visit was ended, why was this Delegate still taking care?
It seems unbelievable that men of that value get lost thus in front of such simple and linear reasoning!
Fr. Santoro bid farewell, because he did not like in his smallness to be used by the maneuverings to exit that
impasse. It would have been useless. But the Divine Providence intervened. Shortly after that Msgr. Pasetto was
promoted Patriarch of a titular church in the East [NT Patriarch of Alessandria dei Latini] and left his place as
Secretary of the Sacred Congregation. The amiable lay Brother Serafino, who had always assisted him in Rome, a
giant capuchin friar, said displeased, “They made him Patriarch, in order not to make him Cardinal, as he deserved”.
He withdrew in his religious province of Padua, where he lived his last years as an edifying capuchin; such was his
poverty that Fr. Tusino had to provide him with clothes.
He was replaced by Fr. Larraona, who became the Secretary of the Sacred Congregation. The new situation
was not any more favorable to Fr. Angelico. He appeared still for some years in the directory of the Consultants of
the Sacred Congregation, but did not carry out anymore assignments. He withdrew in his province of Alexandria,
where it seems that he had assignments of government. When the mother died, he wrote to Fr. Santoro in Trani
asking for prayers. After that, no more.
After greeting the Mother General of the FDZ Sisters and other less important farewells, Fr. Santoro was on his
way to Trani.
Thus ended the sad vicissitude of his Government, which destroyed his liver, for which later he had to undergo a
major surgery from which he recovered, we can say, only by a miracle.

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 Chapter VI

TOWARDS THE LEGAL NORMALITY

1 - The Government of Fr. Tusino

The extraordinary decision of the Sacred Congregation of the Religious, provoked by Fr. Angelico d’
Alessandria, had created a new [General] Council ad nutum Sanctae Sedis, without time limits.
The life of the Institute thus took a normal rhythm of development and progress. This was favored by the fact that
the miseries of the past competitions were being forgotten, and, by renouncing any animosity, everybody started to
collaborate with commitment for the greater good of the Institute. Thanks God, if the confreres had acted out of
ignorance and in good faith, the effort for the virtue never had never lessened.
The new [General] Council, in which Fr. Angelico, notwithstanding his loathing upon seeing that Fr. Santoro did
not want to accept, had included Fr. Ippolito as the only surviving member of the previous Council, put all its effort to
remove the annoying continuous interference of Fr. Angelico. This was easily possible because of the new situation
within the highest authorities of the Sacred Congregation.
Fr. Tusino, after overcoming the first small unavoidable storms, had a calm and fruitful government. The internal
Bollettino, which after the decisions of Fr. Larraona for the Sisters had become the official publication only of the
Congregation of the Rogationists, recorded faithfully the vicissitudes of his mandate. It is enough to browse the
collection of the years 1949-1956 to have a clear idea of this and therefore we are spared from giving all the details.
The important facts were the following:
- The solemn celebration in 1949, of the XXV of Priesthood of the first Fathers of the Work, one of them was the 116
Father General in charge, and the other the Father General who had renounced.
- The passage to eternity on Decembers 8,1950, the night of the Immaculate Conception, of the saintly Fr.
Vitale, at the venerable age of almost 84, mourned by all Rogationists, Daughters of Divine Zeal and faithful.
- The commemoration of the Centennial of the birth of the Founder, on July 5, 1951, with the exhibition of his
memorabilia and the solemn commemoration in the male and female Institutes and also outside, through the initiative
of priests and admirers.
- The missionary thrust of the foundations in Brazil, in Passos, on October 18, 1950, in Bauru on August 18,
1951 and in Criciuma on March 24, 1954, which spread to all the members of the Congregation a true fire of
missionary ardor, which today unfortunately seems extinguished. This provoked the emulation of the Daughters of
Divine Zeal, who oriented themselves also towards Brazil before and towards North America and later Australia.
- There were several foundations also in Italy, in Desenzano del Garda on August 20, 1949, almost as a
spontaneous conclusion of the previous negotiations; in Palermo on January 20, 1950; in Padova (Tiziano Minio St.),
on November 13, 1951; in Florence on April 21, 1952; beside the Institute for Deaf and mute “Di Francia”, in Messina,
(in its actual compound) when the Orphanage, or better, the Community, which was living there, was able to transfer
to the new building which today is the Orphanage “Christ the King” and previously, during the war, was used as a
military hospital.
- Moreover, Fr. Tusino, taking advantage of his great talents as writer and expert of the writings of Father
Founder, compiled a series of Circular letters on the spirit of the Father, which constitute a true small library on the
topic.
Perhaps some of those Circulars was inopportune, because it rekindled the animosities of the Daughters of
Divine Zeal, who with the new Superiors had set aside the ancient conflicts. In fact, the first cause of conflicts had
been the administrative issues, which were in common; and these had by now taken the proper direction also in the
details of the St. Anthony’s Propaganda, which each Institute was managing by itself.
Also the effective consistency of the Confreres, which during the just two years of the previous Government had
increased from 39 to 56 Fathers and from 23 to 27 Coadjutor Brothers, during the six-year mandate of the
government of Fr. Tusino, reached the number of 74 Fathers and 45 Coadjutor Brothers.
 In spite of everything, with the blessing of God and Fr. Founder, and for the virtue of its members, gradually, the
Congregation was growing in number, Houses and various works.

2 - The preparation to the 1956 General Chapter

The Constitutions governing our Congregation were always still those approved in 1926 by Msgr. Angelo Paino,
Archbishop of Messina; therefore the Congregation, in its canonical status continued to remain always of diocesan
right. The application for pontifical recognition started by Fr. Santoro had run aground practically, during his short
government, and had remained such also during the government of Fr. Tusino.
Now, those Constitutions foresaw the duration of ten-year mandate for the Government of Father General, with
its Council; but it could not be applied to the Council of Fr. Tusino, which had been appointed by the Holy See as it
pleased them, with the legal expression ad nutum Sanctae Sedis. Fr. Tusino knew all this; as he knew that Fr. Vitale,
also ad nutum Sanctae Sedis, had governed not just for ten, but for thirteen years (1932-1945); but he also knew that
ordinarily the Holy See, without special reasons, would not mean ad nutum to exceed the six years term.
Therefore, when the end of his six years mandate was approaching, on August 6, 1953, Fr. Tusino presented
this problem to the Sacred Congregation of the Religious. On September 5, 1953, the Congregation answered
through its Secretary, Fr. Arcadio Larraona, that the General Chapter could be held, determining some norms to be
followed. Fr. Tusino started to prepare the Chapter, and with his Circular Letter dated July 5, 1954, convened it for
the following August 5, 1954, prescribing, as usual, directives and prayers for it.
But some ominous rumors must have reached the Sacred Congregation of the Religious, perhaps from some
Major Superiors. Therefore the same Sacred Congregation, through the same Secretary, Fr. Larraona, with a letter
on July 24, 1954, felt the duty to “suspend the Chapter General currently being celebrated”, adding “at the same time
this Sacred Congregation invites Your Paternity [Fr. General] to contact the Most Rev.d Fr. Gaudenzio Barlassina,
Procurator General of the Consolata Missions Institute of Turin, to whom this Sacred Dicastery has delegated the
proper faculties for a conscientious preparation of the Chapter to be celebrated at a proper time in compliance with
the Sacred Canons and Constitutions.
117
Signed, Fr. Arcadio Larraona, Secretary”.
Fr. Tusino went to ask for explanations about the letter; and Fr. Larraona answered with the following
declaration, authorizing its publication: “After several years from the bitter experience of 1945, the Sacred
Congregation had thought of trying the celebration of a Chapter according to the rule. Unfortunately we had to realize
that the Rogationists are not yet mature for it”.
Fr. Tusino forwarded both the communications the Houses, even though it was somehow humiliating.

3 - The mission of Fr. Servo Goyeneche C.M.F.

The General Chapter therefore was temporarily suspended, and the Government of Fr. Tusino continued
regularly for two years more. In the meantime Fr. Barlassina should have prepared the Chapter; but this did not
happen. He knew us, because he had intervened in Assisi, on behalf of the Sacred Congregation to settle the
relations between the male and the female part of the Serafic Institute for Blind, Deaf and Mute of Assisi, which was
just one Institution, when the Sacred Congregation entrusted to us the male Institute, but had retained the Grey
Sisters for the female section, which had always been theirs. For reasons which we do not know, after few months,
Fr. Barlassina renounced the mandate entrusted to him.
Consequentially the Sacred Congregation entrusted the same mission to a scholarly canonist, very good,
prudent and experienced religious, Fr. Servo Goyeneche, confrere and colleague of Fr. Larraona in teaching and in
working at the Sacred Congregation. It was a grace.
The good father knew already our Institute, since Fr. Santoro, in his approaches in Rome, not finding Fr.
Larraona, instead, was able to meet him. From him Fr. Santoro asked advises about how to obtain a legal recognition
from the Holy See, so as to avail of the directives of the Agreement [Concordato] and obtain an acknowledgment of
the Italian State for administrative purposes. The good Fr. Goyeneche listened with interest the presentation of the
state of the Congregation and its works, and wondered why we still did not have the decretum laudis, like ours co-
sisters, the Daughters of Divine Zeal. He, in fact, in the Sacred Congregation was taking care of this field of the
approval of the new Institutes, and had a unique experience in this field.
 Thus, somehow, he knew us. He quickly toured the Houses, testing, interrogating, examining, according to the
Instruction, that he had received from the Sacred Congregation, in order to see if there were the conditions to make a
regular General Chapter. He examined the Constitutions, and as a competent made his observations, highlighting
what should be examined by Chapter, and what instead was to be changed immediately.
In a short time, serene and effective, with legal mentality, he was convinced that the Chapter could and had to
be done; and for this he proposed to Sacred Congregation of Religious opportunity and convenience of proceeding
with the celebration of the Chapter.
Fr. Goyeneche himself, after receiving the consent and the necessary faculties, forwarded the Circular of
convocation for the 2nd General Ordinary Chapter of the Rogationists Fathers, to be started on July 5, 1956,
anniversary of the birth of Fr. Founder. The Circular letter was dated June 18, 1956, and determined the modalities
for the choice of the Members of the Chapter, according to the praxis of Sacred Congregation, derogating the
corresponding norms of the Constitutions, which did not correspond to the new real situation of the Institute.
The capitular hall of the Retreat House of the Passionist Fathers beside the basilica of St.s John and Paul in
Rome was chosen and granted as place for the Chapter’s assemblies. It was equipped and set for this kind of
Capitular Assemblies. Our House of Rome did not have still proper facilities for this purpose.
Fr. Goyeneche wanted the Chapter to begin absolutely on July 5, 1956, to implore the presence and protection
of Fr. Founder, though the Fathers Labarbuta and Indelicato arrived from Brazil the following day.
The chapter was carried out, from the beginning to the end, under the alert supervision and the prudent and
legal assistance of Fr. Goyeneche. And it was a very great benefit for our small Institute. He wanted the Chapter first
to discuss the affaires according to the formularies which had been sent previously to all, and then proceed to the
elections of the Major Superiors. The Acts recorded by the Chapter and the Abstract later published in the special
issue of the Bollettino, reveal how wise and effective his assistance was.
One of the most beautiful and appreciated fruits of Fr. Goyeneche’s assistance was that the examination and the
proposals discussed in Chapter, about the revision of the articles of the Constitutions, examined by a capitular
committee elected under his direction, were presented by him to the Sacred Congregation of Religious. The
Congregation accepted, examined and formulated them and, according to them approved the modified Constitutions.
Having accomplised the legal process, on February 15,1958, the Congregation was granted the Decretum laudis and
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thus become of “Pontifical Right”.
Fr. Goyeneche now enjoys the fruit its good works; but the Congregation of the Rogationists owes to him eternal
gratitude, after Fr. Founder and the Co-founder, Fr. Vitale.

4 - The Government of Fr. Appi

The 1956 chapter, so well prepared by Fr. Goyeneche, elected Fr. Luigi Luca Appi as Superior General. Fr.
Goyeneche wanted the election be done on the day of Our Lady of Carmel, on July 16. The votes turned on Fr. Appi
who was the youngest and most enthusiastic among the old ones, with the perspective to merge the two renowned
factions. For this purpose, with the fullness of faculties which he had from the Sacred Congregation, Fr. Goyeneche
made the proclamation, dispensing from all the canonical impediments which could be contrary to it.
Given to the wise and serene formulation of Fr. Goyeneche, the Government of Fr. Appi began and was carried
out under the banner of the tranquility and fraternal understanding. The Chapter had placed next to him, with regular
secret voting, Fr. Santoro as Vicar and 1st Councilor, Fr. Drago as 2nd Councilor, Fr. Pietro Campanale as 3rd
Councilor and Fr. Carbotti as 4th Councilor and General Treasurer.
Fr. Goyeneche concluded the Chapter with wise and devout exhortations, and guided the first steps of the new
Government, till it obtained, as we said, the Decretum laudis.
The government of Fr. Appi lasted from 1956 to 1962. The internal Bollettino recorded its sad and joyful events,
and it is sufficient to consult the Bollettino’s collection of those years to know the events and their details. For this
reason, we do not report them here.
It may be enough to point out, or better to list, the more important events. They were the following:
- The direction of the internal Bollettino was transferred from Messina to Rome, where by then the Curia
Generalizia, the heart of the Congregation was;
- Father General, accompanied by the Secretary, Fr. Pietro Campanale, made a visit to the Houses of Brazil
and to the residence of Fr. Tursi in North America;
 - The House of St. Demetrio (L’Aquila) was founded on November 17, 1956, and that of Matera on September
19, 1958. The Parish of San Giuseppe (Taranto) was accepted on October 1, 1961; the donation of Magnano
Anzalone was accepted for the construction of an Orphanage in Francofonte (Siracusa).
- In the centennial year of the apparitions of Lourdes in 1958, [Father General] organized with some Confreres
chosen as representatives of all the Houses, a great pilgrimage of devotion to the sanctuary on the Pyrenees.
- In the Congregation the number of the Fathers increased from 75 to 98, while the professed Coadjutor
Brothers had a small decrease from 49 to 47.
- A car accident came to sadden the Institute in 1962, the last year of the mandate, causing the death of Fr.
Mario Umberto Bellini, Director of the Institute for Deaf & Mute of Messina.
After a day of intense work, in the early afternoon of January 27, Fr. Bellini had gone by car to get some fresh air
on the solitary mountains in the vicinity of the Sanctuary of Campo Italia. Perhaps blinded from the afternoon light of
that splendid winter sun, on a curve of the solitary road, he did not notice the 100 meters deep frightful ravine ahead,
just marked by a small wall for few meters. The car, after hitting the small wall fell into the ravine rolling violently on
itself with its driver. The companion of Fr. Bellini, one of the assistants of the deaf and mute, vas thrown outside of
the car over an embankment. Though seriously bruised, he survived and crawling on all fours strived to reach a
solitary road calling out for help. A passerby, who finally happened to come to that solitary area, realized was had
happened and alerted the nearby Sanatorium. The rescue operation was eventually organized even during the in the
ensuing night, availing even of military lights. The body of Fr. Bellini was pulled out from a water puddle
approximately 130 meters lower than the road by the firefighters. The car was abandoned, because it was a total
wreck.

5 - The 1962 General Chapter

Except for this sad event, the Government of Fr. Appi was calm and serene. The expiration was approaching on
July 16, 1962 according to the new Constitutions approved by the Holy See with the decretum laudis. Father General
began the preparation of the normal Chapter. 119
Also this time Fr. Appi invited Fr. Goyeneche as adviser, because of his renown competence; but he declined
the invitation. Thus he looked for advises from Fr. Agustino Pugliese, a Salesian, employed at the Sacred
Congregation of the Religious. Fr. Appi asked him indeed to prepare the Chapter with a course of spiritual exercises
for the Members of the Chapter, immediately before, and then to follow up the works of the Chapter as an
independent adviser. Fr. Pugliese accepted gladly. And Fr. Appi, on March 19, 1962, feast of St. Joseph, issued the
Circular letter of convocation, in which he determined the usual modalities for the choice of the delegates and the
prayers to be done. In agreement with his Council, he chose as place of the spiritual exercises and for the sessions
of the Chapter the Center of the Movement for a Better World in Rocca di Papa. Fr. Rotondi [the director of the
Movement] was very happy to host such a chosen group, also because hoped from this an impulse to the vocational
issue in holy Church, an important goal for the activities then carried out in the Center.
The 1962 General Chapter, whose Acts as usual are recorded in our internal Bollettino - thus we do not have to
delve on its details - elected as Superior General Father Carmelo Drago, already in his seventies, somehow slightly
as a reaction to the previous Government, which had seemed young and remissive. Fr. Drago at first did not want to
accept and took time, being determined to present his difficulties also to the highest authorities of the Sacred
Congregation. However, the following day because of the insistences of the Confreres, and also upon counsel from
the authoritative Fr. Adviser, he accepted.
The details are recorded in the special issue of the Bollettino and in the official Acts.
Also in this Chapter we followed the wise advice of Fr. Goyeneche to make first the discussion of the affaires
that had been already communicated previously to the members of the pre-capitular committees, which had to study
them in particular and then present them to the Chapter. Only later on, on July 21, Saturday, there was the election of
Father General, with the vicissitudes that we have said.
On July 23, after the acceptance of Fr. Drago, the Chapter appointed as 1 st Councilor and Vicar General Fr.
Santoro, as 2nd Councilor and General Procurator Fr. Ruggeri, as 3 rd Councilor Fr. Tusino, who remained always
General Postulator, as 4th Councilor and General Secretary Fr. Giuseppe Leo, as General Treasurer Fr. Filippo
Donvito.
 On July 24 the Chapter ended its last session with the ritual formalities of thanksgiving to the Lord in the
beautiful round Church of the Center for a Better World.

6 - Conclusion

[By that time] the Congregation had entered a regular and juridical form of government. With regard to the
Government of Fr. Drago and the more recent events, they are already part of our chronicle, known also to the young
Rogationists, and faithful reported in the internal Bollettino.
Therefore, we too put an end to this short draft of the history of the Congregation. It had the only purpose to
make known how the Lord, through varied events, even disgusting and which could destroy everything, and by
means at times of people of little capacity, has always granted progress, even though laboriously, to our
Congregation till the actual situation.
This demonstrates that He wanted us to understand that this is His work and that He wants to realize the
charism entrusted to His faithful servant, Canon Hannibal Mary Di Francia, according to the admirable plans of His
Providence, which are not measured by the measure of time, since in front of Him a day is like a thousand years, and
a thousand years are like a day, which passes on the horizon of His eternity.
If therefore the Congregation is a work of God and if many times the Father, whom we call Founder according to
our the human way, a title which he never wanted, and indeed in a written way or by voice many times he accepted
only the modest one of Initiator; let every Rogationist, in spite of the difficulties and even of the storms, remain faithful
to his vocation, which is a gift of God, and will have the merit and the honor to collaborate to the adorable designs of
the Divine Founder, who is, and always remains, the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, according to
the idea and the absolute conviction of the Father.
May this be, notwithstanding our miseries, a reason for an unshakable trust, which will never let the Work of God
perish.

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