Merlini a Saint Scrutinizes

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Gaspar del Bufalo

A Saint Scrutinizes a Saint

Depositionof Venerable Giovanni Merlini

in the Ordinary Process of Albanofor the Beatification and Canonization

of Saint Gaspare del Bufalo

Founder of the Missionaries of theMost Precious Blood

under the direction of

Beniamino Conti


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Table of Contents

Introduction to the English translation 7Preliminaries: The Witness 8

Chapter I - Priest 10

Birth of St. Gaspar 10

St. Gaspars Parents 10St. Gaspars Early Residence 10

Gaspars Youth 11

Clerical Status 13First ministries 14

An exemplary priest 15Canon of S. Marco 20

Chapter Two: A Witness to the Faith 21

The Oath 21The Exile 21

Piacenza 21

Bologna 22

Imola 25

Imprisonment in Lugo 28Heading toward Corsica 32

Firenze 32

Rome 35

Chapter III: Missionary 36The Method of giving missions 36

Works of Perseverance 42

Community life during a Mission 42

St. Gaspars Eloquence 43Fruitful harvests from the Missions 48

The Mission in Ancona 52Criticisms of that Mission in Ancona 53

Mission Expenses 55

Criticisms of the method of conducting Missions 67The Mission in Ascoli 58

Venerable Merlinis comments on the use of external ceremonies 63

Venerable Merlini recounts noteworthy events during the Missions and Retreats 65

The Mission of Teramo and in the diocese 81Other Missions 86

Venerable Merlini comments on hearing confessions during Missions 86


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Various observations concerning missions 92

Chapter IV: The Founder 97

The first house: San Felice in Giano 100

The Title of the Congregation 129

Gaspar, the founder 132The Rule of the Congregation 141

Other Foundations: Pievetorina 146

Albano 146

Houses in the Province of Marittima and Campagna 147

Terracina 150Sonnino 150

Sermoneta 151

Veletri 152

Difficulties in the Houses of Terracina, Sonnino and Sermoneta 153

Frosinone 159Vallecorsa 169

Benevento 170

Rimini 173

Nepi 174Cesena 174

Macerata Feltria 174

Rome 174Missionaries with moderation 175

Requests for Mission Houses 176Privileges of the Congregation 178

Three Popes Against 179

Defense of the Institutes title 186

Non progetti vescovati 190Gaspar interned in the Propaganda Fide 194

Underhanded maneuvers 198

Unfounded rumors - in favor of Brigandage 200

The Oratory at Teramo 203

The Vesture of the Brothers 211Bartolomeo Panzini - A Cross 267

Depite his own ... 218

Disagreement in the Ministry 220

Notwithstanding the econominic straits 223The Work is the Work of God 227

Chapter V: The Man 234

His Food 234

His clothing 240


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His living quarters 242

His relatives 250

Chapter VI: The Saint 255

1. An observer of divine and ecclesiastical laws 255

2. Faith 264Herald of the Faith 267

The misery of faith 270

The Blood of Christ 272

The Holy Spirit and the presence of God 274

The Eucharist 275Most Holy Mary 277

The Angels and Saints 279

Indulgences and various works 282

Respect for ecclesiastical authority 283

Concern about the Reform 285Prayer 292

3. Hope 292

Trust in the Precious Blood 294

The Last Things 295Hope demonstrated in his actions 296

4. Charity 305

a. Love of God 305Prayer 307

A well-ordered life 309Gleanings from his letters 311

b. Charity toward his neighbor 313

Spiritual Direction 316

Charity toward members of his Congregation 318Charity toward the poor and the brigands 320

Fatherly concern 324

Charity through the work of the Congregation 326

5. Prudence 329

Prudence in the care of his Congregation 331Prudence in his ministry 341

He sought counsel and gave advice 345

Modest simplicity 349

6. Justice 350A just superior 352

Justice in human relationships 354

Usurious contracts 357

The many aspects of justice 359

7. Temperance 362


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His self-control 363

Moderation in food 367Multiple penitential acts 369

8. Fortitude 374

Fortitude during his exile 374

Difficulties for the Congregation 3761821 376

1822 377

1823 379

1824 380

1825 3821826 386

1827 387

1828 390

1829 394

1830 3961831 398

1832 400

1833 401

1834 4021835 403

1836 404

1837 405The strong man 407

9. Chastity 41010. Poverty 411

11. Obedience 414

12. Humility 414

13. Prayer 42114. The works of mercy 422

15. Mortification 424

16. The heroic virtue 424

17. Crosses 429

18. Reputation of being a Saint when still alive 430contrary opinions 432

19. Special charisms 436

The gift of preaching 436

The gift of prophecy 436The gift of counsel 440

Bilocation 441

20. Extraordinary occurrences during his lifetime 442

21. His writings 448


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Chapter VII: The Glorious Death 452

The death 452The funeral in Rome and in Albano 458

His interment 461

Funeral Rites in other localities 461

Devotion increases 464Reputation of sanctity after his death 465

Extraordinary happenings 469

Conclusions 485

Index of the Names of Persons and Places


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INTRODUCTION TO THE ENGLISHTRANSLATION

In 1984 the Italian Province of the Society of the Precious Blood published a volume entitledGASPARE DEL BUFALO with the sub-titleUN SANTO SCRUTA UN SANTO (A Saint scrutinizes a

Saint). It is a volume of more than 700 pages containing the testimony of the Venerable John Merlini

during the process in Albano for the beatification and canonization of Gaspar del Bufalo.

The editing of this work was done by Father Beniamino Conti, presently the ProvincialDirector of the Italian Province serving his second term, who says in the introductory remarks to this

volume that whenever he had "to consult the deposition of Father Giovanni Merlini ... he found it

always to be thorough, precise and extremely interesting." This volume provides, as he points out,

both the "oldest" and yet the "newest" biography of the Saint.

It cannot be doubted that Father Merlini was a most qualified witness since he spent

seventeen years of his life working along-side Gaspar as Secretary General of the Congregation aswell as his companion in the ministry. He studied the Saint's activities from the first moment when

he "watched him from a window" as he was walking past the entrance to San Felice in Giano, to the

ultimate moments of his life "when I watched him die with a peace, a quietness, a very great serenityand tranquility, as one who is just slowly falling asleep."

This volume incorporates, in the words of Father Merlini alone, his own personal experiences

with the Saint, the reports that he gathered from other members of the Society, documents found in

the General Archives, and, of course, a generous use of St. Gaspar's correspondence. The volume

depicts not only the virtues of the Saint himself, but also the holiness of Merlini, who is making thisscrutiny.

In one of his statements, Merlini observes that in his opinion, "God did not wish to grant to

Gaspar an extraordinary type of sanctity, one that would arouse great fanfare and astonishment, butrather an example that would be able to be imitated by our group of ecclesiastical people" in the

fulfillment of our ministries.On different occasions, I was asked to bring this information to the members of the American

Provinces, so that we could come to know our Founder better. Consequently, with each issue of the

NEWSLETTER I hope to offer selections taken from this volume, and I leave it to the editor of the

NEWSLETTER to select his own heading for the series.1

There is no better way to initiate this project that by having the Venerable John Merlini

introduce himself to us just as he did to the panel of judges at that process of Albano for the

beatification and canonization of Gaspar.

Raymond Cera, C.PP.S.

1The monthly publication of Merlinis testimony continued from 1/20/1989 until 10/ 1/ 2000, having published the

first five chapters of this work, pp. 1 - 375) . The publication was suddenly discontinued without notice or explication,

leaving Chapters 5-7 (pp. 376 - 707) not published. Subsequently the rest of this deposition has been translated intoEnglish, and is available on CD only.


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PRELIMINARIES

The Witness

My name is Giovanni Merlini and I was born in Spoleto. I am around forty-seven yearsold. I

am the son of Luigi Merlini and Antonia Claudi, both still living. I am a missionary father of the

Congregation of the Most Precious Blood and, at present, the vice-general and general secretary of

our beloved Society.With the grace of God, I have always frequented the sacraments of confession and

communion and I have not failed to fulfill, each year at the prescribed time, my Easter duty. I always

ordinarily celebrate holy Mass, and I celebrated it again this very morning. The last time that I wentto confession was this past Wednesday.

To answer your question, nothing has occurred in my life, by the grace of God, that called for

an interrogation, nor was I ever accused of or processed for any crime.

By the grace of God, I have never been excommunicated or laden with any sort of

ecclesiastical censure.I have not been coached by anyone with regard to the manner of making my deposition nor

on how I am to conduct myself during this examination.

Before I actually got acquainted with Canon del Bufalo, I had heard his name mentioned byFather Antonio Lipparelli, my friend and schoolmate, and presently my colleague in the ministry.

That took place in the year 1820 on the occasion when the Servant of God was located in San Felicein Giano, the first house of his institute. He was there to give a retreat for priests. Moved by reports

describing the blessing that God showered on his work in the ministry, especially in the Marche,

where he was considered to be a saint, according to what Lipparelli told me, I got together with

Lipparelli in order to take advantage of the opportunity of meeting Gaspar and of making the retreat,as was my usual custom. That is why the two of us decided to go to San Felice in Giano.

There, after our arrival, we met with Canon del Bufalo in his room. He received us very

courteously and warmly, so characteristic of him. I confess that I was overwhelmed by his acts of

kindness. He then asked us whether we were tied down by duties of residence, and later added that I,

along with Lipparelli, should become missionaries. He concluded by saying: "In the meantime, let usmake the retreat," which we then proceeded to do. Canon del Bufalo preached very convincingly and

reviewed the basic principles to live by.

Once the retreat was concluded, he asked me to remain in San Felice to conduct a retreat for

the seculars since he was due to go elsewhere for the ministry, and he assured me of the imminentarrival of Father Gaetano Bonanni, then a missionary and now the bishop of Norcia. I agreed to his

request, and as soon as Father Bonanni got there, I returned to Spoleto. When Canon del Bufalo

returned to San Felice in Giano, since he had an assignment of a mission to Montemartana, he

quickly sent word to me in Spoleto, urgently begging me to be there with him as a help or, ifI should

not be able, to please ask Lipparelli.


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Since Lipparelli was unable to accept, and I had learned that the Servant of God was going to

have to handle that mission alone, I, trusting always in God's help, decided to go. I arrived inMontemartana a bit earlier than he did. In the course of that mission, he spoke more than once of my

vocation to the Institute. Since he assured me that this was God's call, on the day of the Assumption

of that same year 1820, I made my decision. Having returned then to Giano, I remained in the

Institute. I have had the blessing and the consolation of having him close to me often and of speakingwith him as well as working with him in the ministry.

My admiration for the Servant of God began already from the time when Lipparelli spoke to

me of him in such glowing terms, as I stated previously. My esteem and veneration increased as soon

as I got to know him and speak to him. On one particular day, I admired something in him, I just do

not know exactly how to explain it, but it was while he was passing by the area of the porter's lodgeand I was watching him attentively from a window. Later, I continued to study his actions and

bearing with somewhat of a critical attitude, thus solidifying the good impressions that I had already

formed of him.

Indeed, upon re-reading something that I had written in Giano in 1830 or 1831, I discovered

that I had looked upon him as a soul truly belonging toGod and that the Lord, one day, would highlyhonor him. After his death, that devotion toward him grew in me. I still retain it and I recommend

myself to his special intercession for my needs, since he had been a spiritual director for me, as well

as for the needs of the Institute.

Officially, since I am vice-general and general secretary, as I mentioned before, I have, for theglory of God, planned for the promotion of the cause of the Servant of God, while adhering to due

form and observing the required precautions. I am presently encouraging it and expressing my desire

to see him beatified and canonized, always safeguarding the will of God and whatever God is pleasedto do. I have nothing else in mind than the glory of the Lord who is honored in his saints. I am ready,

as I have always been, to accept nothing other than what the Church will decide in this cause.I shall answer and I shall speak, insofar as I am capable, with sincerity and fidelity, knowing

full well that in a matter such as the one being considered here, it is not lawful to omit anything, even

though I may not have been asked a question, that would be applicable either to the advantage or

disadvantage of the cause. From every aspect, it is required that full knowledge be submittedconcerning the person whose beatification and canonization is being requested.


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CHAPTER I

PRIEST

Birth of St. Gaspar

From the public records, from the testimonies that I have read and from what the Servant of

God told me himself, I know that he was born in the city of Rome. From his baptismal certificate,which I have read and from what the Servant of God told me himself, he was born on January 6,

1786. Mrs. Paolina del Bufalo told me that at that time the parents of the Servant of God were living

in a house in the Monti area. I noticed in his baptismal certificate that he was baptized in the churchof Sts. Martino and Silvestro in the Monti area. I am not able to identifyprecisely the house in which

he was born, and, much less the very room.

St. Gaspar's Parents

I know that the Servant of God's parents were Antonio del Bufalo and AnnunziataQuartieroni. Antonio was a Roman, but I am not certain of her place of origin. Both of them,

however, made their domicile in Rome. In fact, right now, I recall with some certainty that theywere

both Romans. I made the acquaintance of his father, and spoke to him a number of times. I was

informed that his profession was that of a cook. But, it seems to me that at the time that I made hisacquaintance he no longer engaged in that profession. I discovered furthermore, that he had been a

cook in the Altieri household. I never got to know Annunziata since she had passed on into eternityseveral years before. The two of them lived together as husband and wife in a dignified manner using

the means earned by their work.

In reference to the opinions and reputation that were had of their conduct and uprightness oflife, I can say that the Servant of God told me that his mother was a saintly woman and an excellent

teacher. I heard this same description from Mrs. Paolina del Bufalo, the Servant of God's

sister-in-law, as well as from Fr. Biagio Valentini, the Director General of our Congregation. I know

that Antonio, the Servant of God's father, was a pious man, as I judged him to be, and that he showedthe greatest concern for religious matters. Just what the estimation of him was that existed in Rome, I

would not be able to state with exact precision; but I do know that the Servant of God used to speak

of him respect-fully.

Both of his parents were born in the Catholic religion, educated in it and persevered in it until

death. That I know from the records. The Servant of God used to tell me of the great concern hisparents had for his education as well as that of his brother Luigi. In a special way, he praised his

mother who, always attentive, directed him in every way.

He was baptized on January 7, that is, the day after his birth. On August 6 of1787, because of

his illness and the fear of approaching death, he was anointed with the holy chrism; this, I learned

from the Servant of God and, furthermore, I noted the same in the record of his baptism andconfirmation, which I have checked.


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St. Gaspar's Early ResidenceI was told that he actually lived in the parish of Santa Prassede, but, because it lacked a

baptismal font, the Servant of God was baptized in the church of Sts. Martino and Silvestro in the

Monti area. I would not be able to point out precisely the house in which they lived. I know that

shortly after his birth, his parents went to live in the palace of Prince Altieri on the Piazza del Gesu. Ithink that this move was made because his father had been hired as a cook by Prince Altieri. It was in

that residence where, together with his parents, the Servant of God spent his childhood and

adolescence in the manner that I shall subsequently relate. What I have said up to this point was

learned from Mrs. Paolina del Bufalo and one or the other item from Monsignor Santelli.At around two years of age, as I learned from one of those two people just mentioned, the

Servant of God contracted an illness that placed him in danger of losing his eyesight. His mother,

who was deeply devoted to St. Francis Xavier, recommended him to the Saint from whom he

obtained the prayed-for grace, for he retained his eyesight until the very last day of his life. Only

someone who would look very carefully would be able to see in his right eye a small, white markwhich, however, was not something unbecoming nor did it affect his ability to read.

Gaspar's YouthAs he advanced in age, he grew in simplicity of spirit. From his earliest years he showed a

strong inclination toward the priesthood as I was told by Maria Tamini, now a religious sister, from

whom I also learned that he was quite skilled in the construction of little altars, in singing hymns and

in play-celebrating Mass. He even set up a large chair after the fashion of a confessional so that he

could pretend being a confessor. Often he would climb on top of a chair and, having first arranged

others around him as an audience, he would summon his mother, begin preaching and repeatsomething that he had heard or was able to express. On occasion he gave special praise to St. Francis

Xavier. His talent for preaching appeared to be so exceptional that Maria Tamini's father was

compelled to say one day: "This fellow is going to be another St. Francis Xavier."All this was recounted to me by Maria Tamini from whom I also learned that Annunziata, the

Servant of God's mother, used to take her son to the church of Gesu. There, in imitation of his

mother, he too knelt before the altar of St. Francis Xavier where he prayed with great devotion.

When he was about six years old, he began to go to confession to Monsignor Marchetti who was incharge of that church. Around eleven years of age, he made his first communion at the Cappellette di

San Luigi.

The Servant of God himself told me this. His mother, noticing her son's good qualities, did

not fail to use all the means at her disposal for his education. On one particular occasion, the Servantof God told me how she would gently train him to be orderly, exact and clean and to be careful evenabout little things. One day he related to me that if he had, for example, placed a chair without

observing the proper symmetry, his mother would call him and together they would place it in its

proper condition.

From his earliest years he began to show a love for penance. After puncturing some holes in

pieces of tin, he would gird them around his body in the form of a belt. He did not make too frequenta use of that instrument because, when it tore into his skin, he would bleed and he feared that his

mother might come to notice it. Maria told me this along with the information that he used to give

his breakfast to the poor. His mother, who watched him care-fully, soon discovered that, and she


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suggested that they give them something else. The Servant of God, however, refused her offer

courteously by saying that such a thing would not be as pleasing to the Blessed Mother.This same Maria Tamini also informed me that the young man had a desire to go out to

convert infidels and that he even attempted to put into operation a plan that he had devised, if only

no one would prevent him from doing it. She and Paolina del Bufalo told me about the incident in

Rome of the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary opening her eyes which occurred, if I am notmistaken in 1799. Around sunset, the Servant of God would go out to sing the litany in front of the

images of the Blessed Virgin that were displayed publicly on the street corners. Followed by others,

including his father Antonio, he would do this with devotion and fervor.

I believe it was also from those two women that I found out that he used to go, dressed in

surplice, to Tor de' Specchi where he would take part in the festivities in that church. The nuns therewere delighted when they saw him so composed and so modest.

I know further that he would spend long periods of time praying in front of the altar of St.

Francis Xavier in the Gesu. One day the Servant of God confided to Fr. Biagio Valentini that while

praying there one day he felt as though he had been swept away in rapture. He told me one time that,

as a young boy, when he viewed the Saint's depiction there in the Gesu, he felt a strong urge to goforth to do great deeds. He indicated this even more precisely when, one day, we had gone there

together and were standing in the choir area near the altar of St. Francis Xavier. He pointed to the

painting and said something like this: "Right here is where I, as a boy, felt my devotion to St. Francis

Xavier grow."I do not recall with precision from whom I learned that when he was at a tender age his father

obtained two teachers for him, one after the other. From the Servant of God himself I found out that

one of his teachers was Fr. Ludovico Ponzileoni. Then, later on, he went to do his studies at theCollegio Romano, though I would not be able to indicate precisely the time nor the persons by whom

he was instructed.I know that often along the streetways, he discussed with his classmates the subjects that they

were studying and that he had the serious task of composing papers about which the Servant of God

spoke to me from time to time. He frequented the Libreria della Minerva, as he himself mentioned to

me. From the layman who takes care of that Libreria, I learned that occasionally the Servant of God'sfather would go there in search of him. Likewise, from Monsignor Santelli, who used to visit the del

Bufalo household, especially in the evening when he would spend an hour or so in friendly

amusement.

I discovered that the Servant of God was averse to games and diversions and verycourteously

would excuse himself and go to his room to study. In order to have more quiet, he had obtained aroom that was more isolated. I was further informed by Paolina that at a certain time she would bring

him his supper, and, that he would say that he did not wish to be a burden for anyone, nor did he

want to be unsociable or impolite. If I am not mistaken it was Fr. Biagio Valentini who told me that

they admired his conduct: some called him another San Luigi, others, a venerable Berchmans.The Servant of God told me that while he was engaged in his studies, almost every year he

suffered from indispositions of health and that he even had some very grave sieges of illness.

Likewise, he related to me that his parents were constrained to send him outside of Rome where

there was better air with the hope for his improvement.

I know for sure that, one time, when we went to one of the castelli romani, we came to a


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church which we entered and he told me that he had given lessons in Christian doctrine there, though

he was not certain whether it was this very same church or another. Furthermore, I learned that whenhe was in Arsoli for reasons of health, he stayed with his uncle on his mother's side of the family, Fr.

Eugenio Pechi, who was a Cistercian monk and a holy man. There, too, he gave instructions in

Christian doctrine and frequented the church services. I discovered that he would have nothing at all

to do with companions who were dissolute, and that he preferred to remain with his father or withthose of good moral character.

I have never heard a single thing that would militate against the Servant of God, indicating

that he could commit something wrong or vicious.

I have heard only words of praise, since even at that time in his life, the Servant of God was

leading a completely virtuous life, as reported regularly by all that I heard. More than this I cannotsay, except that I learned from Maria Tamini, I believe it was, that he would receive the most holy

sacraments frequently in the Church of the Gesu. Paolina added that he also was occupied in giving

catechetical instructions in San Marco's basilica.

Clerical Status

I know that in 1800 he received his first tonsure, as I noted in the records which I consulted

myself, and consequently he embraced the clerical status in his youth while pursuing his studieswhich I referred to previously.

From his youngest years he had an inclination toward the clerical state as I learned from

Maria Tamini and others. What stimulated that aspiration, what advice or what authorities were

responsible for his embracing the clerical status is not part of my knowledge. The only thing I can

say, and this is something which the Servant of God told me himself, is that he was always moved bya desire for doing good works, for promoting the glory of God and seeking the salvation of souls.

Even as a simple cleric, he devoted himself to these ends, preaching in certain places in Rome, as

was reported to me by Paolina del Bufalo.

With regard to this, I can recall what I learned from Monsignor Cadolini, presently the bishop

of Ancona. When, by chance he happened to stop off in the church of Santa Orsola, near Tor de'Specchi in Rome, he heard the Servant of God, only a young man then, giving the discourse on the

occasion when they were distributing, as a reward, school texts to the poor clerics, during the Novena

in honor of the Immaculate Conception. Truly impressed by him, Cadolini entered the sacristy to

express his admiration to Canon Storace and told him to keep his eye on that young man who wouldone day succeed in being an excellent and outstanding orator, for such were his gifts of delivery and

ability to preach.I learned too, that he frequented the Congregation del Pianto, where he gave catechetical

instructions just as he used to do at his own parish church of San Marco.

He was ordained priest on July 31, 1808, after having been dispensed from the defect of ageand also permitted to be ordained extra tempore, as evidence in the document which I have seen. As

the Servant of God himself informed me, this was done because of the upheaval of the times; he said

that Pius VII permitted all of those who were deacons to be ordained because of the imminent

situation.

In preparation for his ordination, he made a retreat with the Vincentian Fathers in theMontecitorio section, and was ordained in their church on the feast of St. Ignatius. He celebrated his


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first Mass on August 2 in the church of San Marco, as I saw in a memorandum written in his own

handwriting. I am not able to say any more than this with precision.

First ministries

From Luigia or Paolina del Bufalo, I learned that the Servant of God, on the day after hisordination, gave the discourse on Providence in the church of San Pietro in Rome, as was the usual

custom. In that same year, he joined Fr. Gaetano Bonanni, who is presently the bishop of Norcia, and

Fr. Santelli, in order to establish in Rome a nightly oratory. To accomplish this, theysearched far and

wide for a church that they could use.One of the churches that they investigated was the church of Sant'Omobono under the charge

of a prelate whose name I do not now recall. The prelate felt inconvenienced by them and his servant

treated all three of them in a most discourteous way. They were brusquely dismissed by the answer

that he gave them in the name of his employer. It was, in fact, a veryfirm rejection. Both Fr. Bonanni

and Fr. Santelli were deeply distressed, whereas the Servant of God cheerfully comforted them andurged them to be brave, for God would provide in some other way. It was Santelli who told me all of

this. Indeed, Santelli added that God really brought them comfort when they were able to acquire the

church of Santa Maria in Vincis.

There, in the month of October, 1808, they initiated the nightly oratory with spiritualexercises, as I discovered from a letter,2 dated October 11 of that same year, written by the Servant of

God to Fr. Santelli, in which he speaks of the means that will be necessary to maintain the work, and

urged him not to become discouraged. This letter is preserved in the general archives of our

Congregation where there is also another letter,3

dated November 9, 1808, addressed to Fr. Bonanni

who was conducting a mission in Velletri. In that letter, after expressing his joy for the good workthat Bonanni was doing, he refers to the oratory and says:

"Let us allow those who disapprove of it to think what ever they wish. We shall not desist

from the work that God knows was assumed to increase the glory given to him and in every way

possible, to procure the salvation of souls."

A bit later, in that letter, he adds:"In the meantime, God permits that the oratory is not attended by very many people at all

because he wants us to pray more and, with work and effort, to bring it to perfection. ... Do not forget

to look for some alms in Velletri, and if you see that nothing can be gotten, let us nevertheless place

ourselves in the arms of Providence and let us not be fearful."I noticed in the book of minutes for the Association of Santa Galla that the name of the

Servant of God was entered there in May of 1808 and that he was appointed to preach on Sundaysuntil October of that same year. I do not recall if it was at that same meeting or another that he was

placed in charge of giving three catechetical instructions in preparation for the feast of Santa Galla. I

also observed in that same book that in his own handwriting he states that he will be in charge inAugust of instructing the poor children, who were lodged there, in preparation for their first

2 Lett. n. 1.3

Lett. n. 3.


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communion. Also, that with the alms that he received, he would see that they were properly clothed

and would be provided with food for a period of time. I am not able to specify the time.From that same book, I discovered the notification that in November of 1809, he assumed the

task of putting their archives in order. In 1825, he looked after the distribution of bread to the poor

on the occasion of their visit for the Holy Year. In 1832, he had the job of secretary, but only for a

short while.After his ordination to the priesthood, he was regularly and exclusively involved in various

works of the ministry which now I would not be able to specify exactly, except to say that in general

there were spiritual discourses, catechetics to the farm people and the poor, and the recruiting of

evangelical workers to provide for those spiritual needs.

From a document preserved in the Vicariate of Rome, dated June 15, 1810, I discovered thatthe Servant of God was described therein as having excellent and exemplary gifts, as one dedicated

to the ecclesiastical ministries, as one often engaged in giving retreats, delivering discourses and

panegyrics and, after passing an examination on February 13 of that same year 1810, was approved

and became occupied in various churches in Rome to hear confessions with zeal and prudence.

An exemplary priest

For all the time that I was able to be close to him, I know and I declare from my very ownexperience that, with great devotion and exactness toward ceremonies, he would celebrate holy

Mass. He would force himself to make the required genuflections as best he could, despite his own

discomfort which may have interfered with his making them perfectly. Ordinarily, he made his

preparation for Mass before leaving his room, and his thanksgiving, made in a place set apart,

would be long or short depending on the demands made upon him by the ministry.In making his preparation for Mass and in his thanksgiving, done with devotion and

recollection, he edified and gained the esteem of others. At times, one would see him with his

attention raised to God and his eyes turned heavenward. Or, as I myself noticed occasionally, they

were fixed on the Crucifix or on the Blessed Sacrament, his face assuming a peculiar coloration.

Following the example of Blessed Leonard, he devoted part of each day to thanksgiving andpreparation, as I was informed by Fr. Biagio Valentini. I myself saw and observed that each time he

celebrated Mass, he did so with the profoundest devotion, I am firmly convinced that he always did

so.

As far as I know, the Servant of God fulfilled precisely everything that was prescribed by thesacred canons and the ecclesiastical sanctions pertaining to the way of life and the dignity of the

clerical and ecclesiastical status. He kept himself removed from secular interests and dealings to suchan extent that he became exceedingly cautious about committing even the least failing. He went

about clothed in the vesture proper to his station and avoided places or contacts of amusement, as I

witnessed and noted all the time that I was acquainted with him.Whenever a question arose dealing with the administration of the Houses of the Society, he

would always gently but insistently recommend both to me and to other members of our

Congregation that we follow in all things and in every way the sacred canons and ecclesiastical

sanctions.

Now, to get down to particulars, as far as I have seen, recognized and learned, the Servant ofGod was a man of precious qualities, exemplary life, one versed in the sacred sciences and in


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metaphysics. He lived a frugal and upright life. His particular concern was for the things pertaining

to God, for the sacred rituals and for the ministry. He made good use of the little that he possessedand was accustomed to say that if he had a penny left over, he knew exactly where to put it to use,

namely, in something that would contribute to the glory of God. He was opposed to luxuryas well as

filth. Anyone who looked at him carefully could observe his propriety, politeness, decorum,

cleanliness in every aspect. All of this was completely natural to him, free of all affectation, as hewould avoid anything that smacked of superfluity or vanity or whatever might be construed as the

spirit of the world. He was reserved in his glances, a person of composure, stately in his walk,

modest in his dealing with others, decisive in his principles, beneficent in his manners.

As for his speech, even in circumstances that made energetic demands upon him as he tried to

pursue a good work, I have never seen, witnessed or heard him use improper or impolite manners orwords. He, if possible, would rather pardon the individual declaring that either lack of thought or

maybe an error of judgment was the cause. Never did I hear, see, learn or recognize him to be

involved in any matters that he himself could not approve, but rather I know that, as a matter of

principle, such things were alien to him.

For all the time that I was acquainted with him, I know that he lived in Rome with hissister-in-law, Paolina, and his niece, Luigia. I came to know these women very well, starting back in

1820. I always found them to be women of good conduct and upright living. Furthermore, I know

that he provided for their sustenance since they lacked goods of fortune. Also, I know that with a

gentleness all his own he had habituated them to total dependence upon him. Paolina and Luigia bothtold me one time that the Servant of God gave them this reminder, namely, that whenever he was

outside of Rome, they should consider him still present there, and, this was something that they

faithfully observed, as far as I know.From all that I know, have seen or learned, he would never travel with women present. As a

matter of fact, he recommended this very same thing to us and has left this as a reminder to us.Whenever he had to stay somewhere overnight, insofar as it was possible, he preferred to stay in

religious houses, avoiding, as often as he could, staying in private homes. When engaged in the

ministry, he had the practice, which he has left to us, of not admitting women to look after us.

I do not know that he ever had an interest in hunting, nor have I seen him take any otherrecreation than a bit of a walk in out-of-the-way places, and this he did only occasionally. When he

was in Rome, as I observed, his walk usually took him to some monastery in order to go to

confession or to some church or another place where he had duties to carry out.

When he was in the Mission Houses, I noted that he would abstain from visiting places out of

curiosity, content as he was to visit the shrines. One time, I do not precisely recall where, when apriest pointed out to him some antiquity or rarity, he gave the impression of looking at it, but, as I

noted, it was just a fleeting glance. I am not aware of his ever having carried either offensive or

defensive weapons. I know that he would never have carried them since he was by nature quite timid,

solitary and pleasingly condescending.I know, furthermore, and this is something which is very, very well-known by everyone, that

he prescribed for the members of his Congregation the wearing of the cassock, even inside the house,

and that they should maintain priestly sedateness, decency and seriousness. He wanted other priests

likewise to wear the cassock and he rejoiced when he heard that Leo XII had made the same

recommendation for priests.


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In regard to the handling of church properties, in addition to what he said and recommended

in general dealing with the observance of the sacred canons, with great and unusual concern hewould get down to even the smallest particulars. The Servant of God, himself, gave me very minute

instructions about the practice which he had acquired when he served as Canon in San Marco in

Rome. I read the documentation of emphyteusis drawn up by him dealing with all of the properties

relative to the benefice of San Bartolomeo which he possessed at that time. In order to be relieved ofthat benefice, so that he could be engaged in the ministry, he renounced his status of Canon. In that

documentation, I observed the very greatest diligence and accuracy.

In Sonnino, he did not want to permit the renting out of the terrain that adjoined our House.

That area had first been assigned to the Passionist Fathers and was handed down to us after they

renounced it. He did not allow that to happen since it would have been contrary to the regulationsdealing with sacred properties. The same thing occurred in Giano. Likewise, in Sonnino, he refused

to accept a simple benefice which a certain person there wanted to grant to our Mission House. He

refused that because the individual wanted him to use the income to pay off a sentence of a monetary

fine. I think that the Servant of God was fearful that this transaction would smack of simony. It might

be pointed out that the amount involved, as I was informed later, was small and the advantagemediocre.

In Frosinone, when it came time for paying off an emphyteusis and for setting up an annuity,

upon receiving money granted by a priest for that final payment, which was also to be set up as a part

of his patrimony, the Servant of God insisted that all due permissions were to be sought withdiligence and exactitude. Also, in Frosinone, when the construction of the new church of San

Francisco Saverio was considered, they were supposed to use an area burdened with the payment

annually of twoscudi,which he hoped he would be able to pay. But then that area was granted to aneducational institute and he made every effort to get rid of it, following required procedure, precisely

because it was untransferable property.In Vallecorsa, when the need of funds arose in order to advance the building of a Mission

House there, he sought and obtained the required permissions to make use of one-hundred-fifty scudi

which were to be re-invested for a Mission-legacy.

In Sermoneta, he allowed them to take possession of a small legacy left to them in the will ofa deceased Scatafagsi, but with complete regularity in observance of all the canonical forms, even

though he had been told that, in accordance with the practice of that town, some expenses could be

spared.

He would not permit at all the cutting down of trees in the surrounding areas of our Houses

nor in other rural foundations.Whenever it would be useful or there was a need for this, a need that was fully verified, he

wanted the proper permissions to be sought. In this matter, he was most particular and exacting so

much so that he would review the situation again and again in order to be completely assured of

regularity; I, myself, saw him do so in those circumstances. He stressed the need for a writtenagreement so that they would be properly maintained and improved. I know this to be the case

particularly for the Mission Houses in Sermoneta and Pievetorina. In Sermoneta, wanted them to

draw up a written agreement precisely because there had been a small cutting made there without the

permission of the bishop, and he did not cease insisting on it until he saw this carried out.

In our surroundings here in San Paolo of Albano, where some of the trees were poorly


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watered and in danger of being lost, I saw him to be quite solicitous in having something done about

it. In Vallacorsa, a small piece of arable land had been rented out, I do not recall whether it was forthree or more years. It inadvertently had been done without the due permissions. What is certain is

that he wanted that contract to be voided and declared null. In Giano, more than once, he directed me

to examine the documents dealing with small matters issued in favor of the Mission House and to

diligently check to see whether all the agreements had been observed.In Macerata Feltria, when the question of the payment of a tithe for a given piece of land had

arisen, he did not permit the one in charge of the economy to make that payment until he had

checked the facts involved. He pointed out that that area at one time belonged to the Franciscan

Fathers; that it was possible that some involuntary misunderstanding could have arisen because of

the upheavals of the time and that we could not be careless in handling a pious locale.Even here in Albano, on many occasions, he had to make efforts to defend the rights of our

church, our cloister and its surroundings. He accomplished all of this with wonderful fortitude, as is

so well-known to all. The same thing was true for some of our other houses.

A certain religious priest, who had obtained secularization, wanted to set up a Mission-legacy

for his own home-town to be conducted by members of our Congregation at a specified time, wastold decisively by the Servant of God that he could not do that until the man obtained the special

faculty to do so. He was confirmed in his judgment when he discovered that the aforementioned

secularization stated specifically "safeguarding the vowsquoad substantialia". When that individual

showed his displeasure, the Servant of God advised him to consult others, but that as far as hehimself was concerned he did not intend to accept that legacy unless the man got the special faculty

to do so. Later the man, having become docile and convinced, did obtain the due permission and set

up the legacy which the Servant of God then accepted with the agreement that he make known thatitwas he who first advised him to the contrary so that there would be no misunderstandings arising

afterwards.In dealing with ecclesiastical properties acquired during the time of the upheaval, he was

accustomed to check whether the required permissions had been obtained; whenever they had not

been obtained, he insisted that it be taken care of quickly. On these matters, I often had discussions

because of our ministry. Generally speaking, I know that I obtained a sanation for a particularlystrange matter dealing with our Congregation. More precisely, I recall that in that House in

Pievetorina, when an emphyteusis had come due for a pious locale, at one-time the possession of the

Passionist Fathers, I noted that the person responsible for handling its consignment was not in a

position to cover all of the damages stipulated in the document. The Servant of God permitted and

wished that the due sanation be obtained. I believe that even he himself made a contribution for therequest submitted to the Congregation of Bishops and Regulars.

In a more precise case, I point out that in the Mission an emphyteusis held by Sebastiano

Morelli House of Pievetorina, came due. As a result of a decision made by me, on the occasion of a

visitation of that House assigned to me by the Servant of God, a decision that was communicated toour companions as well as in consultation with the most reverend Archbishop on September 4, 1832,

it resulted in being condemned. Morelli was made responsible for the repairs to the terrain as well as

to restitute 40scudifor a pair of oxen, a scudofor a couple of pigs and the cost of five rubbiaand

fourcoppeof seed-grain. When the Servant of God discovered that Morelli was in financial straits,

he wished to grant him, as well as the Missionaries, a bit of relief. It would be quite difficult to


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recover all that Morelli owned, or, at least it could be done only with a great deal of persistence and

hard work, not to mention feelings of bitterness.So, I believe that, upon my insistence, on January 25, 1837 a sanation was obtained from the

Congregation of Bishops and Regulars, including an exemption for the most reverend Archbishop of

Camerino, who subdelegated his vicar, Fuschi, to administer the sanation on April 11, 1837 as can be

verified in the archives of the episcopal chancery of Camerino,Rev., Lib. Div. Suppl.,1837 QuadernoXXX. In regard to this affair, I note that the Servant of God, in writing 4 to our now-deceased

Missionary, Fr. Tommaso Meloni on August 9, 1832, said: "In reference to Sig. Morelli, it is as far as

I can see, that he could give the morally impossible, animal etc. Therefore, we should be thinking

about ways and means, et cum facultatibus, of doing so and of freeing ourselves of him. You keep on

looking into the situation".Then, on September 24th,5 he said: "Unfortunately, it is necessary to wait for things to run

their course in this matter dealing with Sig. Morelli, just as everything else; for, otherwise, we could

find ourselves in trouble". In writing to the most reverend Archbishop on August 20, 1836, he said:

"The petition for the Morelli absolution has been sent to your Reverend Excellency; I am handling

this case, titulo charitatis. The Sacred Congregation is awaiting information from you. I shall alsosend you a Missionary".

These and many other facts, which I do not recall now with precision, show how the Servant

of God applied himself and how he showed matchless persistence.

But, with a bit more precision, I can add here that in every House, he wanted a particulararchive set up in which copies of all the documents would be preserved and necessary memoranda

made available. Likewise, that there be a regular check of things in the general archives also so that

everything could proceed with the greatest exactness and in keeping with canonical regulations.He was accustomed to say that the sanctions of the Church are holy and that one must

observe them with every bit of diligence. Woe to anyone who contradicted him; that individualwould receive an immediate, fully reasoned-out response, indicating that there are those who are not

altogether thoughtful and hence fall short.

He desired especially that we adhere to the old way of doing things in as much as the

circumstances of the times, the places and the people would allow, directing everything toward thebetter and to do so without innovations. I can say that whenever there was question on the sacred

canons, you could almost read his inner thoughts in his face, so great was his reverence for

ecclesiastical sanctions.

Then, too, I must not be silent about the fact that these concerns of his were directed not only

toward the laws of the Church in general, but also toward synodal regulations. While with him out inthe ministry, many times I heard him ask about synodal matters and how he wished to know

precisely which laws were in force. He urged all of his men to follow that procedure as he did also

for me at the time when he sent me for the first time as the director of a Mission. Furthermore, in all

of our Houses, he wanted the Synod itself to be held, or, at least that there be a record of everythingthat had been put in force, and, he stressed its observance. He likewise wanted to be up-to-date with

those laws so as to govern his own activities as well as to be able to instruct others. I know that he

followed this method particularly for our own Houses in Pievetorina and Sermoneta, as I mentioned

4 Lett. n. 2395.5

Lett. n. 2411.


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elsewhere. I am completely certain of these facts, simply because these things passed through my

hands and also because of being commissioned by the Servant of God as the secretary of ourCongregation.

Finally, I must add that he was never, very sensitive about the laws issued by the Sacred

Office. Thereby, in certain cases he would find in practice reasons for obtaining dispensations from

denunciations, for procuring required permissions, for facilitating in that way the work of theministry, as I experienced in having discussions in general with him.

In regard to his respect for the Holy Office, I add the following. One of our Broth-

ers-in-service heard a sermon given by a certain one who was not one of ours. He ranted against acts

of witchcraft. The Brother was scandalized and describing it to another who in turn passed it on to

others, the opportunity offered itself for jesting about it. However, with a serious face, he was madeto understand that he was obliged to make a denunciation. When the vicar of the Holy Office was

informed he gave signs of accepting the denunciation, but not in writing. The Brother was totally

upset by what had happened to him and the Servant of God was on hand for the visitation. When he

learned from one of our men what had happened, he immediately had that vicar summoned and

energetically bawled him out for the abuse he made of his position, telling him that one is not tomake fun of the HolyOffice. Later, he gave another good bawling-out to the one who, with the other

three, had started the whole joke. I found this out casually from two of our members as well as from

the Brother himself. The latter told me that he was called into the sacristy and the vicar told him to

keep all in mind all of his words for, in the same way, he would have to repeat them before thesuperior tribunal. For the sake of honor, I shall not name the place nor the persons involved;

however, I am very sure of everything that I mentioned.

Canon of S. MarcoI know very well that the Servant of God obtained a position of Canon in the Basilica of St.

Mark in Rome, first, as a coadjutor Canon and then as a full Canon. That occurred in the year 1807. I

know from reports that he was diligent in attendance at choir and I heard it said that throughout the

time of his position as Canon, nopuntatura (criticism?) was ever discovered; this is the report of Fr.,Biagio Valentini.

What is known to me with complete clarity is that he renounced his position as Canon in

order to be free to undertake the ministry, as I have mentioned before, and this occurred in 1815,

while he still retained a stall of honor. His reason was clearly that he wanted to be more deeplyinvolved in the aforementioned ministry, as far as I was able to gather from the various conversations

that I had with the Servant of God. In that way, he made it possible to do the good work that he wasinspired to promote.


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CHAPTER II

A WITNESS TO THE FAITH

I myself know very well, and it is also an exceedingly well-known fact, that the Servant of

God was exiled at the time of the public upheaval. However, I do not know many details relative to

his deportation. Still, I shall narrate what I remember having heard from the Servant of God himself,as well as from others, and specifically what I have gathered from the letters written by him from the

places of his exile - letters given to our general archives by the people to whom they were addressed.

The OathIn the first place, I learned from Fr. Biagio Valentini and from others that he was called in to

take the oath of fidelity to the Emperor Bonaparte and that he refused to do so with intrepid zeal,

astounding by his force of reasoning whoever made the demand of him. It was the Servant of God, orperhaps his father, who told me that the Lord granted him at the time a very firm spirit. Since he

refused to take the oath, he received the order to depart for the city of Piacenza. I was not able to say

who it was that asked him to take the oath, until from Monsignor Santelli I found out that it was a

certain man by the name of Olivetti and that the Servant of God had presented himself before him in

the Borromeo palace.One day, while speaking to Antonio, the now-deceased father of the Servant of God, I was

told by him that he had accompanied his son at the time and that he heard his reply given with the

greatest frankness and decisiveness. Outside of that, he gave no further precise details. But he also

mentioned that one of those who were conducting the interrogation turned to him (the father),advising him to persuade his son to take the oath. He (the father) answered that he would muchrather willingly face death than do anything of the sort.

The exileFrom Paolina del Bufalo, I learned that for the Servant of God, it was quite a painful thing to

be separated from his mother. From Fr. Biagio Valentini I found out that when the time came for her

to bid farewell to her son, the mother kissed his hand and told him that she would never see him

again - which is something that indeed occurred.Therefore, resigned to the situation, he left father, mother, sister-in-law Paolina, the wife of

his brother Luigi who had died already, and his niece Luigia. He then got into the coach with two

other canons from San Marco, also joined by Fr. Francesco Albertini, the canon of San Nicola inCarcere. This I learned from the Servant of God himself. He also informed me that, once they had

left the city gates, the aforementioned Albertini began to encourage his companions by assuring themthat their return under other circumstances would not be long in coming. The others, not desirous of

looking at things too exactly, listened in silence. This event took place in 1810 and, if I am not

mistaken, it was in the month of June.

Piacenza

They arrived in Piacenza where they stayed until around December. During this period of

time, as I heard the Servant of God relate to me several times, he was stricken with a grave illnessfrom which he was eventually given relief through the merits of the most Precious Blood and


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through the intercessions of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, whose statuette he kept close to his bed. Ina

letter,1

which he wrote to Sister Maria Tamini, dated August 5, 1810 and mailed from Piacenza, Idiscovered that he was paying eight scudi as a rental charge. In that same letter he also pointed out

that the price of things was very high and that he was doubtful whether the climate ofthe area wouldever be healthful for him. He adds, however; "But my sins deserve much more"; and, a bit later in the

letter: "Have prayers said for me, a pilgrim in this world, so that I may live in conformity with the

divine will."

In another letter,2

dated November 11 of that same year and addressed to the same Sister, Iobserved that he expressed himself in these words:

"By divine mercy, I am presently feeling well; but I can also tell you (in secret, however) that

from the very beginning I have suffered from the illness of which I am now, as a matter of fact,

relieved. It was due, I think, to the change in food and the diversity of climate. Still, I thank the Lord

wholeheartedly and I ask you also to thank him for me and never cease to beseech his divine mercyfor me through your prayers. May God be forever blessed, both in prosperityand adversity, and let us

always try to live in conformity with his holy wishes."

In a letter3 he wrote from Bologna to Monsignor Santelli, dated January 18, 1811, I noticed

that he said the following:"The rather lengthy sickness, by its nature fatal, afflicted me for almost three months during

my stay in Piacenza"; a bit later in the letter he says: "I wanted to conceal the knowledge of my

sickness in order not to add more afflictions for both my family at home as well as for those who

have been so kind to me; but, it was not possible to carry out my desire, in spite of even doing

violence to myself in keeping from writing."I am unable to provide any further precise information concerning his exile to Piacenza. Just

what the spirit was that animated him at that time, beyond what I could gather from his letters, I

learned from a fragment of a letter4 that the Servant of God had written to Fr. Gaetano Bonanni,

postmarked from Piacenza. After acknowledging the receipt of Bonanni's letter on the feast of theAssumption, which he was spending in the silence of his room, he then adds that he used that letter

as a source for his meditation. He then asks him to pray a lot for him, a miserable sinner. He asks

him to do the favor of asking his fellow workers at the oratory to recommend him to God, and that

the same be done by the poor of Santa Galla in whose prayers he places great confidence. Finally, he

expresses himself in these words: "In hearing about the progress of the work in Santa Galla, I was soconsoled that because of that feeling of consolation I kissed those few lines and was unable to hold

back my tears. May God accept my sincere desires and may his most holy will be done."

1Lett. n. 8.

2 Lett. n. 11.3

Lett. n. 13.4 Lett. n. 9.


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Bologna

Having been sent to Bologna by order of the government, he wrote several times to MariaTamini. In one5 of the letters, dated December 12, 1810, he expressed himself as follows:

5Lett. n. 12.

"Presently, I am in Bologna since, by order of the government, two hundred deportees have

been assigned to this city from Piacenza because it was too much of a burden for them there due to

the lack of supplies. I am very happy to be one of the two hundred because from Bologna it is mucheasier to have contact with Rome. However, I would like the Lord to deign to have me returned

home soon so that I will be able to take care of many things relating to his glory. ...

"Let us always be conformed to the divine will which permits all for our own good, and let us

continue using the few days of pilgrimage here fervently serving our good Father."


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In another letter6 dated January 24, 1811, he tells her that he is living with some members of

the Congregation of St. Philip who are in charge of the church. Later, I learned from MonsignorSantelli that he had taken up residence with one of the servants of the Countess Bentivoglio. This

was arranged because Canon Albertini who had taken on the spiritual direction of the Servant of Godand was living in the house of the Countess, wanted to have him close by so that they could more

easily converse of things pertaining to divine glory.

I might point out here that the Servant of God, as he told me himself, first made the

acquaintance of Albertini in Rome, but never dealt closely with him - only a nodding acquaintance. Ifmy memory does not fail me, he may have spoken to him one or the other time. However, on the

occasion of their exile, he got to know him as an excellent spiritual director and placed himself under

his care. I know that he never withdrew from that relationship. Furthermore, I know, because I heard

him say so, that it was from Albertini that he learned what God expected of him, something that was

eventually fulfilled.Concerning the time that he spent in Bologna, I was told by Monsignor Tanara, archbishop of

Urbino, that he gave unmistakable examples of kindness and that even though he was merely in the

budding years of youth, he led a very regulated life and displayed an ardent zeal for the glory of God

and the welfare of souls.It was while he was in exile that the letter announcing the death of his mother arrived.

Anyone can imagine what grief he experienced. The Servant of God, however, accepted from the

hand of God this shocking news and, with resignation, offered it to God. I got this information from

a letter7

written from Bologna to Maria Tamini dated November 2, 1811 in which he says:

"Among the other tribulations which it pleases the Lord to visit upon me, there is now addedone that is the hardest of all to bear, the loss of my holy and incomparable mother.

"Conformity to the divine wishes does not exclude from my human feelings the great grief

that I feel with this loss. Patience!

"I shall not dwell at length on this point for the hurt is still so very real. I only ask that I beable to do much in suffrage for so blessed a soul.

"Please be kind enough to obtain many good works for her; have all the school and all the

girls you are educating receive communion for her; have other pious persons do likewise; write, or

have others write, for this same purpose to all the schools of your institute, to offer suffrages - the

Sisters and the students alike."

6Lett. n. 14.

7 Lett. n. 24.

Fr. Biagio Valentini informed me that, from time to time, the deportees were called in to take

the oath of allegiance, and the Servant of God always refused. Monsignor Tanara, archbishop of

Urbino, wrote me that he had learned that it was a fact that while the Servant of God was deported inBologna he was distressed to hear that one of his companions had taken the oath and that if he could

have been there in time he would have made every effort to keep the man faithful.


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I am not able to say with precision why or how he was placed in the prison of San Giovanni

in Monte nor give the exact date. This I do know, from a letter to Monsignor Santelli, that he wastaken prisoner at night and locked up. From Canon Pietro del Frate from Marino, I found out that

they had been together in that prison and, it seems to me, confined in the same cell. I recall particu-larly that he told me that the Servant of God had eaten, with great delight, that wretched soup that

was customarily given to prisoners. From that same person I learned that his conduct and that of del

Frate himself. I believe, was so edifying that they were referred to as the two chosen souls of San

Giovanni in Monte. He also related how they were accustomed to chant theMiserere- something, itseems to me that he added, was forbidden. Finally, that he used to give conferences on moral

questions.

From an Oratorian Father in Bologna, Giampietro Bianconi, I learned that when the Servant

of God was taken prisoner, the wife of the servant with whom he lived wept copiously and that he

consoled her as he left promptly and cheerfully to the place where they conducted him.I shall add here what the Servant of God wrote8 to Bonanni on December 15, 1812:

"I am writing just these few lines in order not to burden the one who censors our letters. I will

not go into detail about our present situation, for it is probably already known by you.

"May you recommend me more and more to the Giver of every good gift and give him thanksfor me for so many graces that he deigns to shower upon me; also, ask other pious persons toprayfor

this same intention to my spiritual advantage. I wholeheartedly recommend to you our good works

there which constitute for me, even though far distant, the delight of my poor soul. With fervor and

zeal encourage our workers; maintain the spirit that was evident from the very beginning; especially

see to the continuation of teaching Christian Doctrine to the poor, for you know how much they areneedful of it. In my poor prayers I never forget all of this and the Lord knows how far the desires of

my heart extend."

He had written a similar letter9 to Monsignor Santelli which bears the date, January 18,

1811: "My very dear Santelli, if you love me, take care of Santa Galla and the oratory. I await ananswer to this letter, giving me details concerning the status of those good works."

Proceeding, then, in reference to the oratory, he begs him to be present there, to regulate and

govern it, should a certain Giovanni be remiss, and adds that this favor should not be denied him for

the love that he has for Jesus. He asks this same thing in other letters. In one,10

dated February 19,

1811, after having read with pleasure the details concerning those pious institutions, he adds:"May giving Christian Doctrine lessons in Santa Galla be something close to your heart. Alas,

I feel that it may almost be falling into total failure. On Sunday, there isn't anyone even to have

benediction. What do you suppose is going to happen to the rest? Try, at least, my dear Santelli, to8 Lett. n. 31.9

Lett. n. 13.10 Lett. n. 16.


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go at night to preach to our poor ones who are so in need of instruction.

A bit later: May Jesus be with us and may we suffer with him so that we can enjoy the holyparadise what has been promised to the one who voluntarily carries the holy cross with him in this

life.In writing a letter11 from Bologna to Luigi Gonnelli on April 14, 1811, he is consoled and

praises the good work being done by Santelli with the poor and he urges Luigi to be the same,

begging him to strengthen them in their faith and teach them that ejaculatory prayer of St. Francis

Xavier: Mother of God, pray for me.To continue with details dealing with the deportation of the Servant of God, according to

what I heard from his own mouth and from others, and particularly according to what I have found in

the letters written by him and later donated to our general archives, I must not be silent about what

the Servant of God wrote12

from Bologna to Monsignor Santelli on February 19, 1811:

"I am delighted that you are enjoying good health, but I am sorry to learn that you areconsidering going to Toscana. Patience! In all things, it is necessary to do the divine will and thus be

sanctified in carrying it out:Voluntas Dei sanctifcatio vestra. Confortamini in Domino et in potentia

virtutis eius. By divine mercy and as the fruit of your prayers, I, too, am well, but I certainly have no

inclination to go out to see the celebrated antiquities and monuments located in this area, eventhough this is the province of our origin. I simply do not care to travel about. Truly, I prefer the

solitary life, and the only thing I ask of you is to recommend me to the Lord so that he will grant me

the grace to be able to draw profit from everything to the benefit of my soul. Be mindful of me

especially in the holy sacrifice. Do not ever be forgetful of our pious works there, for which, even

though far away, I do whatever I can.In this regard, God will accept my good intentions as well as the tears that, from time to time,

I am unable to withhold from my eyes. Yes, in all things, may the will of God be done. Oh! How

often, particularly in Piacenza when I was close to death, did I call out to you in spirit as I lay on my

bed, so as to greet you again with tenderness! How often I spoke to you, just being content to bethinking of you! Oh, Great God! How inscrutable are your judgments! You kept me alive so that I

could provide the last rites in charity to my good companion Gambini, and to assist him in his final

moments, only to have him breathe his last, right before my very eyes. All the deportees offered a

Mass gratis for him; they sang the Mass and office, and on that day, if not all, at least a good number

of them accompanied him to the place of burial, while carrying candles with exemplary and salutarydevotion."

From Fr. Giovanni Mimmi, prior in Aquasparta, who was confined with the Servant of God

in the San Giovanni in Monte prison, I discovered that, while there in prison, the Servant of Godused to conduct learned conferences on moral questions which were received by all of the deportees

with the greatest satisfaction; furthermore, that by order of the government, he (the Servant of God)was transferred on January 12, 1813 to Imola, causing him (Mimmi) to shed tears because of that

separation.

11 Lett. n. 19.12 Lett. n. 16.


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Imola

Then, from a memorandum, I learned that he arrived in Imola on January 14th. I am not ableto say how or why he was transferred from Bologna to the prison in Imola. I found a letter13 written

to Maria Tamini from Imola on February 21, 1813, in which he states:

"In the greatest hurry, I am writing you a couple of lines only to ask you to offer prayers and

solicit the prayers of others for the fine priest Fr. Del Sole, a very close friend of mine, who died inCorsica. I do not know how to express to you how much this loss has grieved me, but, may the

divine will be done. Pray, also, for Canon Carboni who likewise died in Corsica, and for another

person about whom I am concerned. It is more than a month since I have been transferred to this

prison with a few others. I am in good health and resigned to the will of the Almighty. Pray for me

and give my regards to the other sisters there."From the Countess Lucrezia Ginnasi, a very religious woman, I found out that when the

Servant of God was in the Imola prison, he changed the life-style of the deportees there into aregulated community-style, for he had set up a daily schedule for himself and for his companions

who were comforted by his zeal. Furthermore, I learned from the same lady that the people of Imola

provided the necessities of the deportees and were in admiration especially of the Servant of Godwho, even though lacking almost everything, was still reluctant to accept even the smallest thing, yet

did so only to please the donors. From Mrs. Teresa Scandelari I learned that, on a particular occasion,

the Servant of God spoke to her compassionately and stated that for him, being there was not like

being in a prison but in a palace with every convenience, and that the ugly soup that was served tothem, was manna sent from heaven.

Among the letters, preserved in our archives and written by the Servant of God to Monsignor

Anibale Ginnasi, there is also a letter that came from the now-deceased Fr. Pier Francesco Muti,

addressed to Monsignor Ginnasi and mailed from Bologna. Dated February 3, 1813, it says:

"Eight of my companions, deportees, have arrived there in that prison. I recommend them toyou so that they will be provided with necessary sustenance. Above all, I am concerned about Canon

del Bufalo, a man of learning and sanctity. I hope that with your assistance he will not be lacking in

anything: for this, I give you my thanks in advance. I ask you to inform del Bufalo of the death in

Corsica of Canon Carboni so that he, as well as the others, will be able to offer Mass for him, as is

their practice."In a letter14 of February 20, 1813, written to Monsignor Ginnasi, the Servant of God

expresses his regrets on hearing of the death of Fr. Del Sole and adds that the latter will pray in

heaven for his salvation; he hopes one day to see him again. Then he adds the following:

"I leave it to you to imagine what such a loss has meant to me and how deeply I have felt itand (in order not to deprive myself of the merit of being in conformity with the divine will) with

what violence I had to restrain the resentment that was suggested by my human feelings;Holocausta

medullata offeram tibi- these are the words of the prophet which I shall continue to repeat. Also, in

the desolation of my heart, I shall not cease to adore the heavenly wishes of the God who disposes allthings for our own good. Let us, therefore, be concerned in the meantime to offer suffrages, as much

13 Lett. n. 36.14 Lett. n. 34.


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as we are able, for that blessed soul; and, let us pray to the Almighty for each other so that he will

also grant to us a holy death, precious in his sight, and that we too may reach the lot of the just inblessed eternity."

In another letter,15

February 22, 1813, addressed to the same person, he writes that he wouldlike to initiate spiritual pacts with him, similar to those that he had with Del Sole, namely, to make a

special memento of each other each morning at Mass and, at the elevation of the chalice, to

recommend each other's soul to the eternal Father. He asks him to pray to God so that he may

become holy as he ought. To this same person, he writes a number of spiritual letters, among whichthere is one which seems to be a sequel to the letter refereed to above. He says:

"We continue to realize with what devotion we ought to dedicate ourselves to perfection and

to virtue, and consequently with what zeal we must follow the loving invitations of grace."

Some spiritual reflections ensue in this letter, as in others, in which each one is urged to be

holy in his own life as well as to lead others to sanctity.In a letter,16 dated February 27, 1813, the Servant of God urges Monsignor Ginnasi to offer

suffrages for two deceased deportees. He adds that he is sending him an image of St. Francis Xavier

which he can place in his breviary, and then asks him to look into the letters of that saint which he

would be glad to place at his disposal. He requests from him a memorandum indicating the date ofhis birth and the date of his first Mass, because (as he writes):

"Del Sole and I always remembered these dates in a special way, that is, on those days we

offered even more fervent prayers for each other to the most merciful God.

"The book that we used for meditation was Avancino's Vita et doctrina Iesu Christi. I cannot

express to you how beautiful it is. I am sorry that I have only one copy; otherwise, I would willinglygive it to you. In the meantime, let us seek only the greater glory of God; let us fervently encourage

each other in doing good works; let us always live closely attached to the Cross of Jesus and let us

never doubt his loving assistance in every moment of our lives. He wants us to be wholeheartedly

generous, abandoned to his divine will and zealous for the sanctification of his name. Let us cultivatethese holy principles by serving God cheerfully."

In a postscript, he says that he will with pleasure read or listen to anything regarding St.

Cassiano in whose honor he recites an Our Father. He adds that if he would like to have

L'Avancino,he will figure out a way for him to get it immediately.Among those letters donated, as I have said, by Monsignor Ginnasi to our general

archives, there is one17 in the Servant of God's handwriting to the Countess Lucrezia Ginnasi

which says: "Please deliver to Monsignor Annibale the following list of half-hours that we allhave selected in devotion to the Sorrowful Mother. He begs her insistently to fill out the

schedule entirely by selecting other persons who will take part in this good work! Among

those listed is the Servant of God who chose the half-hour from ten to ten-thirty of GoodFriday.

15 Lett. n. 37.16

Lett. n. 40.17 Lett. n. 58.


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In this letter he also mentions that he is sending twelve booklets that he spoke of before

as well as three leaflets to be used for the devotion to the Sorrowful Mother.Then, too, he mentions that all has been taken care of with regard to the mattress.The Servant of God is also sending18 to Monsignor Ginnasi the names of those who have

been enrolled in the union of Pisa and in that same letter, having no date and no address, he

says: "For us, here at present, there is nothing new. I am fearful about the future, but,everything win redound to the greater glory of God. The crosses will come but my confidence is

entirely in Jesus, our Redeemer, and with Paul I repeat: Omni a possum i n eo, qui me conf ortat;superabundo gaudio in omni tribulatione

In a letter19 of April 29th, he says to this same Monsignor Ginnasi that he recommends

himself to his prayers in a special way.

"For this upcoming month of May, so dear to most holy Mary - that through her help and

intercession, she may obtain what is necessary for our eternal salvation. So, in addition to our usualspiritual pacts, let us multiply at this time our supplications for each other's reciprocal well-being and

let us dispose ourselves for receiving soon the divine Holy Spirit who will fill us with his holy,

divine love.

Imprisonment in Lugo

I am not able to say how or why the Servant of God went from the Imola prison to the one in

Lugo. I know that among the letters received by the oft-mentioned Monsignor Ginnasi, which arepreserved in our general archives, I find a letter20 from the Servant of God to him in Imola, written,

as he himself says: "From the prison in Lugo, May 17, 1813." In it he states:

"The orders that govern us here, just as they are commonly applied to our confreres there, can

be reduced, in short to the following: first, we are not permitted to celebrate Mass; second, we arenot permitted to receive foodstuffs; third, we are not permitted to communicate with outsiders, but, if

necessary, that is done with an attendant present. We are situated in the same room, provided with

beds; and, after the main meal we are allowed to take a short walk.

"Extend our sentiments of esteem to all the people in Imola whom we have had the pleasure

of meeting and give them our warmest greetings."To the same Monsignor Ginnasi, although without mentioning the place, but from what it

contains it seems to be written21 from Lugo, he says:

"Having examined the paragraph in your last most welcome letter regarding the granting, by

the reverend Vicar General, of the faculty of erecting an altar for the celebration of holy Mass (or atleast that one might attend it). I have observed that perhaps the Vicar may not have fully considered

the situation. Since we are in prison, he, indeed, can freely grant the erection of an altar in a decent

place, inspected by any person whom he may care to appoint. Please read Liguori, in his large work,

in particular his treatiseDe eucharistia, page 298, doubt number four, where he treats of the place for

the celebration of Mass. You will see what I have mentioned to you and you might bring this to theattention of the Vicar in the way that you think would be most proper. As a consequence to all this,

we will be able to enjoy the full faculty that we are hoping to get, since the place that we have

18 Lett. n. 59.19 Lett. n. 60.20 Lett. n. 69.21

Lett. n. 71.


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selected for setting up our chapel is quite appropriate for that purpose. It would be perfectly all right

if I were to be deputed, or any other of our confreres here, for the usual blessing, thus, notinconveniencing another priest from the area."

In another letter22

of June 30, 1813, likewise without a mention of the place but addressed toImola, the Servant of God asks Monsignor Ginnasi "to be insistent" - and those are his words - "with

Monsignor Vicar General that they be able at least to attend holy Mass, since it seems quite evident

that he has assumed the entire responsibility." A bit later, he adds:

22Lett. n. 72.

"Every Saturday we have adopted the practice of praying the holy rosary for all of ourdeceased, for if it should be pleasing to the Lord, during these times, to call someone to eternity and

the news does not get to us because of the difficulties involved with letter-writing, at least we will

offer these few suffrages in place of our most laudable practice of applying the holy Mass, which we

are not permitted to celebrate.

"My health is excellent, thanks to divine mercy, and I can assure you that it has always beenso in this place, with the exception of a small, occasional nervous distress which has become

somewhat habitual since my recent illness in Piacenza.

"But, let us cling fully to the cross of Jesus, my beloved Monsignor. Let our delights lie there;

let that be the heritage of this present life, our sustenance in these times of tribulation, our comfort intrials; in short, let it be our ladder to paradise: Mihi autem absit gloriari nisi in Cruce."


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In another letter,23 written from Lugo on July 16, 1813, the Servant of God sincerely thanks

Monsignor Ginnasi for the interest and concern he has shown in dealing with the question of thecelebration of Mass. He says that up to that time nothing new has occurred. He then proceeds to give

him the following information:"You probably already know about the unexpected transfer to Bologna of Father Tori, as a

result of aperquiratur, a procedure commonly experienced by others."

I pointed out that thisperquiratur(investigation), as I learned from Fr. Giuseppe Bacchettoni

of Spoleto who was one of the prisoners held there in that prison, was not a formal one. He said thatat that time they often would have sudden visits, searchings and investigations made by a guard. He

told me that when he arrived at that prison, which happened two days after the arrival of the Servant

of God, they had likewise experienced similar torture.

The letter of the Servant of God to Monsignor Ginnasi continues:

"From the very beginning and from everything else that occurred during this operation, onecould see them probing the aforementioned subject who, as a matter of fact, is completelyignorant of

the charges which the government is holding against him. This occurrence has caused quite a

disturbance for all of us because of the unexpected separation which has turned out

Documents

Merlini a Saint Scrutinizes