1) Infirmities     

2) The Trials     

3) The Servant of Vocations     

4) The Spirit of Fr. Justin     

5) Memorable Days   

6) His Precious Death   

7) Fame of His Virtues

 

INFIRMITIES

Every spiritual director and counselor seems to agree that suffering is the seal of every virtue. Fr. Justin suffered both physically and morally. In the first part of his life, physical sufferings abounded; in the second part of his life, moral sufferings prevailed. Both physical and moral sufferings affected his health and hastened his premature death.

He was so tiny at birth that the doctors did not give much hope for his survival, and he remained extremely frail all his life. At the end of his first year of seminary, he came home sick. His aunt Michelina used to accompany him to the outskirts of town so that he could breathe healthier and fresher air in the open fields. On one of these outings, while conversing with his aunt, he met a Franciscan friar who improvised some popular verse: “You shall suffer plenty up to age fifty-five; but you shall do plenty of good for the church.”

At that time, aunt Michelina did not talk about the prophecy of the inspired Franciscan brother, but later on she revealed the episode to the first members of the Vocationist family.

Fr. Justin seemed to go from one crisis to another, but he always overcame them. At the beginning of community life, during the winter of 1922, he suffered an exceptional health crisis. One evening, as the aspirants went to sleep in the rooms above the church, Fr. Justin, not feeling well, withdrew to his room. Soon afterwards, two aspirants, who were sleeping in the room next to his, overheard him painfully utter, “O my good Jesus! Virgin Mother! O my St. Joseph!” Alarmed, they knocked at the door, and not getting any response, they entered his room and found him fainted on the floor.

Michael Fontana, who was only fourteen at the time, picked him up as if were a feather, placed him on the bed and woke up the others in the house. Fr. Sepe pleaded, “Let us pray that the Lord will not leave us orphaned,” and he started the litanies of the saints and all the students joined in with tears in their eyes.

They also called his mother, who understood the problem as soon as she saw her son. She whispered to him: “You must eat, my son, you must nourish yourself, dear son. I have endured so many hardships and pain to bring you to this point!” The crisis had been caused by excessive fasting and by the extra load of work he was carrying.

As time went on did not have more need for this type of mortification; instead he would be filled with bitter disappointments and pain caused by malicious slanders, misunderstanding and infidelities of vocations.

Another serious crisis was caused by heart problems in 1931. He had to spend a long period of rest in Baia, where he remained a guest of the Vocationist Sisters. He agreed to stay only as a result of the pressing insistence of the physicians. Later on, he wrote to his sister Giovanna that a similar case should never happen again, neither for himself nor for anybody else in the community.

Every crisis would cause consternation and panic in the community, in his family and in the town. He had several times repeated that there should be no need for alarm since he wouldn’t die before the Congregation would be solidly established.

One night, Bro. Salvatore Ricciardi was awakened by dense smoke and by an irritating smell of burning clothing. He got up quickly to inspect the place. The smoke was coming from the founder’s room. He forced the door and could clearly see that the founder’s bed was in flames and that he was lying in the midst of it. The fire had burned the mattress, the sheets, the blankets and even part of Fr. Justin’s pajamas and yet his body had not been touched! How could he have survived this fire? The stench of the burnt mattress infested the house for several days. The fire had been caused by an electric heater.

Confused and mortified by what had happened, Fr. Justin simply remarked, “Mercy, my Lord! How much damage I have caused !” Seeing the fire, someone rang the church bells to alert the townspeople – there were no firemen at the time. Many people ran to answer the appeal of the bells and then stayed for a special high Mass of thanksgiving. The Vocationist Sisters kept the burnt mattress and his burnt clothing as a special relic.

In 1936 he suffered his most dangerous crisis up to that point; he even asked for the last rites. Fr. Nicola Verde administered the Anointing of the Sick and the Viaticum. In his first sermon to the community after he recovered, he began with the example of King Hezekiah who, on his deathbed, with his tears had obtained from the Lord twenty years extension to his life. Everyone thought that Fr. Justin had made a mistake; they all knew that after that sickness of King Hezekiah the Lord extended his life fifteen years and not twenty (Cf. 2 Kings 20:6). The twenty years extension was correct for him! He died exactly twenty years later.

Fr. Justin was not easily impaired by his physical weakness. He always observed what he had written for the community: “The common sickness must be cared for without confining oneself to bed.” Two bishops who were concerned about his health and visited him on different occasions – one in Baia and other in Pianura – exclaimed with almost identical words: “Who is sick?  We are the sick ones.” This was not surprising for those who knew him. He seemed to be a master at hiding his sickness.

Shortly after his ordination, Fr. Justin was invited to partake in a funeral procession; it was a status symbol to have several clergymen march in a funeral procession. The priests and religious were given financial remuneration for such participation. He graciously declined because he didn’t feel well. Soon afterwards he was called to go and assist a dying person. He went right away, despite the fact that his mother tried to stop him. She said, “You just refused to go to the funeral because you do not feel well.”

Spontaneously he answered, “Mother this is not the case of earning two lire but of saving a soul.”

The spirit dominated the flesh, which could not resist the power of his will. He wrote: “Every sick member of our community must consider himself and be considered as a real treasure…. treasure for the whole community and for the people among whom we live… treasure for the apostolate of his sufferings in union with the Jesus crucified.” In this sense, Fr. Justin was a real treasure, a hidden treasure.

 

THE TRIALS

While in the army, on June 9, 1918, he wrote to his aunt Giovanna: “It is good you know that your internal status is very appropriate for the purification of the past, for the sanctification of the present and for the glory of eternity. If you are on the cross, do not try to descend from it before death and resurrection.” He was on the cross himself and his agonies used to last seven years each. Physical sickness would not have consumed him so quickly without the presence of moral trials. When crosses and difficulties were affecting his person he used to handle them easily. At times, he could completely ignore them, but when the Congregation was affected, he used to suffer and groan: “The sorrow in my heart is so great, it almost crushes me” (Mt.  26:38). In 1934, when the Congregation for the Religious forbade him to admit anyone else to the profession of the vows and to priestly ordination, he suffered the agony of a father who sees his child condemned to slowly die. He himself solicited the first two apostolic visitations of 1941 and 1946. He defined them as being “precious,” but he feared that they might alter the nature and purpose of the Congregation, which was not his.

Fr. De Rosa, returning to the Mother House of Pianura after preaching a course of spiritual exercises, was totally unaware of the second apostolic visitor. He reported to Fr. Justin about the results of his preaching and asked permission to go back to preach another retreat. Almost casually, Fr. Justin smiled and interrupted, saying, “By the way, I have no authority whatever anymore. We have an apostolic visitor who is also superior general, a Franciscan priest.” Noticing the astonishment on Fr. De Rosa’s face, he add, “This is a grace of God, a son of St. Francis will understand.” He was talking peacefully as if the happening concerned others and not himself.

In 1939, Fr. Justin had confided a mysterious dream to Fr. Saggiomo. The two of them had been caught in a tremendous storm of rain and wind; a whirlpool suddenly formed in front of them and was about to draw them down when a short, unknown priest freed them from danger and saved them; then, how strange it was! They had the impression that the short priest was a cardinal and that he was accompanying them to Rome, willing to present them to the Holy Father. Fr. Saggiomo wanted to make sure that others in the Congregation knew about the dream, and he shared it with them.

In 1945, Cardinal Lavitrano was appointed prefect of the Congregation for the Religious. A group of Vocationist went with Fr. Justin to visit Cardinal Lavitrano in his native land of Ischia. On the way back from that visit, in the presence of the other priests who were aware of the dream, Fr. Saggiomo asked the founder, “Is this the priest of the dream?”

“He is the one!” responded Fr. Justin. On April 10, 1947, the Cardinal personally presided at the general chapter assembly of the Society of Divine Vocations in which the founder was reelected superior general. The following year the Holy Father appointed Cardinal Lavitrano as “the Cardinal protector of the two Vocationist Congregation.”

An appropriate pruning always gives new vigor to the plant, but it is painful nonetheless. On September 22, 1953, the founder wrote to a confrere: “In this time of tribulation, let us share one another’s pains and let us find comfort only in comforting others. Remember, with the help of God’s grace we do not ever intend to renounce holiness, union with God! In this is our peace.”

The frequent and painful skin rashes, the serious circulatory disorders, the last malignant tumor are not strictly a physiopathological phenomenon. One day, Fr. Justin said to his secretary, “The doctors will never be able to understand or cure my sickness.” Many times he repeated that he always had St. Alphonse in front of him. It might have seemed an absurd pessimism. The sequence of events proved him right.

In the last year of his life he could have affirmed with the psalmist: “My tears are my bread day and night.” The abundance and the bitterness of the tears did not extinguish the flame of love that bound him to the Lord God, to the church, to the superiors, to his institution in general and to each one of its members in particular. The following statement may reveal the unlimited heroism of his obedience: “A martyr is not only one who confesses God before man, but also one who confesses man before God.”

At the entrance of a long, dark tunnel, a locomotive seems to be running out of gasoline. Will it get stuck and leave everyone in the dark? Fortunately, it seems to be on solid tracks and is guided by an alert and experienced engineer; it shakes and squeaks but painfully pulls the cars out of the tunnel, and exhausted, cannot go any further. In a dark moment for the community, Fr. Justin felt like he was coming to the end of his rope. Fortunately, he was on the track of the Divine Will and was guided by the Spirit of God; his firm and humble trust triumphed.

“I feel painfully alone,” he said. Surrounded by a dark fog, a man burdened by a heavy load of physical and moral tribulations keeps advancing toward the peak of an impervious mountain. As he ascends the mountain, the soil, weakened by underground tremors, gives away under his feet and landslides ragingly crash down into the valley. He is shaken by a dark premonition. Heaven seems to respond, “Keep going, keep going,” and as he continues to ascend the scary mountain, he hears voices of condemnation and unheeded excuses. Of himself he asks why the voice above orders, “Keep going, keep going.” Now in the darkest obscurity, he hears groaning and cries for help; he seems to distinguish some well-known and dear voices. Crying, he asks who it is and the Almighty God responds, “Keep going, keep going!” This seems to be the history of Fr. Justin. It would be foolishness to try to assign blame or responsibility for the destiny of the founder. We should repeat with St. Alphonse: “O how worthy of love are you, O Divine Will!”

 

THE TRIALS

While in the army, on June 9, 1918, he wrote to his aunt Giovanna: “It is good you know that your internal status is very appropriate for the purification of the past, for the sanctification of the present and for the glory of eternity. If you are on the cross, do not try to descend from it before death and resurrection.” He was on the cross himself and his agonies used to last seven years each. Physical sickness would not have consumed him so quickly without the presence of moral trials. When crosses and difficulties were affecting his person he used to handle them easily. At times, he could completely ignore them, but when the Congregation was affected, he used to suffer and groan: “The sorrow in my heart is so great, it almost crushes me” (Mt.  26:38). In 1934, when the Congregation for the Religious forbade him to admit anyone else to the profession of the vows and to priestly ordination, he suffered the agony of a father who sees his child condemned to slowly die. He himself solicited the first two apostolic visitations of 1941 and 1946. He defined them as being “precious,” but he feared that they might alter the nature and purpose of the Congregation, which was not his.

Fr. De Rosa, returning to the Mother House of Pianura after preaching a course of spiritual exercises, was totally unaware of the second apostolic visitor. He reported to Fr. Justin about the results of his preaching and asked permission to go back to preach another retreat. Almost casually, Fr. Justin smiled and interrupted, saying, “By the way, I have no authority whatever anymore. We have an apostolic visitor who is also superior general, a Franciscan priest.” Noticing the astonishment on Fr. De Rosa’s face, he add, “This is a grace of God, a son of St. Francis will understand.” He was talking peacefully as if the happening concerned others and not himself.

In 1939, Fr. Justin had confided a mysterious dream to Fr. Saggiomo. The two of them had been caught in a tremendous storm of rain and wind; a whirlpool suddenly formed in front of them and was about to draw them down when a short, unknown priest freed them from danger and saved them; then, how strange it was! They had the impression that the short priest was a cardinal and that he was accompanying them to Rome, willing to present them to the Holy Father. Fr. Saggiomo wanted to make sure that others in the Congregation knew about the dream, and he shared it with them.

In 1945, Cardinal Lavitrano was appointed prefect of the Congregation for the Religious. A group of Vocationist went with Fr. Justin to visit Cardinal Lavitrano in his native land of Ischia. On the way back from that visit, in the presence of the other priests who were aware of the dream, Fr. Saggiomo asked the founder, “Is this the priest of the dream?”

“He is the one!” responded Fr. Justin. On April 10, 1947, the Cardinal personally presided at the general chapter assembly of the Society of Divine Vocations in which the founder was reelected superior general. The following year the Holy Father appointed Cardinal Lavitrano as “the Cardinal protector of the two Vocationist Congregation.”

An appropriate pruning always gives new vigor to the plant, but it is painful nonetheless. On September 22, 1953, the founder wrote to a confrere: “In this time of tribulation, let us share one another’s pains and let us find comfort only in comforting others. Remember, with the help of God’s grace we do not ever intend to renounce holiness, union with God! In this is our peace.”

The frequent and painful skin rashes, the serious circulatory disorders, the last malignant tumor are not strictly a physiopathological phenomenon. One day, Fr. Justin said to his secretary, “The doctors will never be able to understand or cure my sickness.” Many times he repeated that he always had St. Alphonse in front of him. It might have seemed an absurd pessimism. The sequence of events proved him right.

In the last year of his life he could have affirmed with the psalmist: “My tears are my bread day and night.” The abundance and the bitterness of the tears did not extinguish the flame of love that bound him to the Lord God, to the church, to the superiors, to his institution in general and to each one of its members in particular. The following statement may reveal the unlimited heroism of his obedience: “A martyr is not only one who confesses God before man, but also one who confesses man before God.”

At the entrance of a long, dark tunnel, a locomotive seems to be running out of gasoline. Will it get stuck and leave everyone in the dark? Fortunately, it seems to be on solid tracks and is guided by an alert and experienced engineer; it shakes and squeaks but painfully pulls the cars out of the tunnel, and exhausted, cannot go any further. In a dark moment for the community, Fr. Justin felt like he was coming to the end of his rope. Fortunately, he was on the track of the Divine Will and was guided by the Spirit of God; his firm and humble trust triumphed.

“I feel painfully alone,” he said. Surrounded by a dark fog, a man burdened by a heavy load of physical and moral tribulations keeps advancing toward the peak of an impervious mountain. As he ascends the mountain, the soil, weakened by underground tremors, gives away under his feet and landslides ragingly crash down into the valley. He is shaken by a dark premonition. Heaven seems to respond, “Keep going, keep going,” and as he continues to ascend the scary mountain, he hears voices of condemnation and unheeded excuses. Of himself he asks why the voice above orders, “Keep going, keep going.” Now in the darkest obscurity, he hears groaning and cries for help; he seems to distinguish some well-known and dear voices. Crying, he asks who it is and the Almighty God responds, “Keep going, keep going!” This seems to be the history of Fr. Justin. It would be foolishness to try to assign blame or responsibility for the destiny of the founder. We should repeat with St. Alphonse: “O how worthy of love are you, O Divine Will!”

 

SERVANT OF VOCATIONS

“O my God and my all, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, here I am since you have called me! I adore the divine, eternal vocation with which you draw all souls and mine to you.”

“Not only once, but perpetually you have called me from nothingness to life, from among the living to faith, from among the Christians to religious life, to a state of continuous, higher holiness.”

“In your calling me I see the evidence of your adorable predilection, the proof of the inexpressible esteem that you have for me from among the possible, the living and the Christians.”

Vocations were the center and heart of Fr. Justin’s life; they were the secret of his holiness, the inspiration of his apostolate, the goal of all his activities. Life, faith and holiness are general vocations addressed to every living person. Priesthood, religious life, marriage, service to the poor, caring for the elderly, educating the youth, etc., are special vocations in the sense that they are not given to everyone. The more special vocations are added to the general ones, the more precious and meaningful one’s life becomes.

The appreciation for his own vocations automatically led Fr. Justin to have an “inexpressible esteem” for the vocations of others; this esteem, which becomes first veneration and then service, made him “The Apostle of the Divine Vocations,” as he was appropriately called by his first biographer, Fr. Mario De Rosa, S.D.V.

The love for vocations inspired Fr. Justin to coin new words, such as “vocationary and vocationist”; for the same reason he wrote The Clergy and the vocations, The Young Clergyman and the Apostolate, Piety of the Seminary and many articles in Spiritus Domini, in addition to the Ascension, Rules and Constitutions.

Love naturally leads to service; if we love, when we love we want to assist, to help; we want to be useful. It is this love for vocations that led Fr. Justin to become the Servant of the Divine Vocations.

With simplicity and love, Fr. Justin used to instruct the youngsters that were gathering around him; he prayed and  played with them. In the beginning of the community life, he also used to cook for them, serve them at the table and at night he used to patch their torn clothes. In addition to preaching, teaching and supervising them, often he would help his little friends with their homework.

One of my class mates, Fortunato Cioce of Pianura, had been told by the rector of the Vocationary in 1954 that he could not wear short pants. Fortunato kept telling his mother but the tailor took his sweet time. One day the rector, tired of seeing him in short  pants, put him out of the class. Fr. Justin happened to pass by, saw Frotunato and asked why he was not in class. On hearing the cause of his punishment, he simply smiled and invited the boy to follow him to his room; he gave the boy a pair of his own pants and sent him back to his class. Mrs. Cioce still keeps those pants as a special relic and as a proof of Fr. Justin’s love for vocations.

Fr, Justin gave undivided attention to any candidate, religious, seminarian  or priest that visited him. One diocesan priest said, “Fr. Justin greeted me with such great joy that I felt I was the most important person he ever received. Later I realized that everyone who met him felt the same way.”

When the vocationary was still in its infancy, every night Fr. Justin would pass through the dormitories, and often with the tenderness of a mother, he would fix the blankets and cover the little ones. Fr. Fraraccio recalled that many times Fr. Justin took the blanket from his own bed and gave it to whoever asked for it.

One of the first occupants of the vocationary recalled how his pastor introduced him to the vocationary: “Do you want to become priests? I know a saintly priest who accepts any boy desiring to become a priest at no charge. Completely free!”

When Fr. Justin received the pastor’s inquiry he simply answered, “Tell him to come at once!”

Another aspirant arrived at the vocationary without first receiving word that he was accepted. Fr. Ugo was explaining to the boy that the house was full and that there were no beds available; he was trying to convince him to return home and wait for notification of acceptance. Fr. Justin, overhearing the conversion, said “Look carefully, you will find another bed!”

“But, Father Justin replied Fr. Ugo, “where?”

Fr. Justin responded, “Dear Fr. Ugo, we know that at least two more beds could be made available, “…mine and yours.”

The vocationaries founded by Fr. Justin are special seminaries in which are gathered all who show signs of vocations, and through a life of prayer, study and sacrifice they are helped to ascertain their vocation first, and then they are assisted in selecting a diocese or a religious order. Fr. Justin was serving not only those who wanted to be Vocationists.

In 1927 he wrote: “So far the vocationary has sent some candidates to the Dominicans, Franciscans, Augustinians, Jesuits, Salesians, Saverians and the Priests of Charity … Oh, how we rejoiced to hear that the superiors are happy with them! Currently, at least fifteen are getting ready to follow them. We would like to present a larger group every year to each and every religious order! They are our greatest love.”

Fr. Pasquale Buccella studied in the vocationary of Pianura from 1925 to 1927. He left the vocationary to join the Salesians. When in 1982 he was asked, “why did you leave Fr. Justin to become a Salesian?” he answered : “In the vocationary we used to get many missionary magazines. I read them often and began to desire to be a missionary. At that time the process of beatification for Don Bosco was going on; Fr. Justin read to us the life of that servant of God with such enthusiasm that three of us decided to join the Salesians. Fr. Justin personally handled all the paperwork for us.”

Stressing the point that Fr. Justin did not feel disappointed when a candidate joined another religious community, Fr. Buccella stated: “Fr. Justin was really interested in cultivating vocations, but everyone was free to join any religious order. He was happy to present us to another religious family, and he used to help us in this.” Fr. Buccella concluded that he has never forgotten Fr. Justin and that often he went back to Pianura for visits and counseling. “With Don Bosco, Fr. Justin is always alive in me,” he said.

The first name chosen by Fr. Justin for his religious family was “Servants of the Saints,” and saints for Fr. Justin are all people, every human being, because he believed that everyone is called to holiness, and that is why in addition to being the “Apostle of the Divine Vocations” he also became the “Apostle of Universal Sanctification and Divine Union.” Priests, brothers and sisters are instruments and promoters of universal sanctification and Divine Union.

In a prayer to the Blessed Trinity, Fr. Justin described his vocation: “O adorable Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! You make me understand that you want souls very loving and faithful to you, who will dedicate themselves to convey and explain your vocations to faith, to holiness and, in a special way, your divine vocations to religious life and to the priesthood.

“You want loving and faithful servants, who out of pure love will dedicate themselves to gather, grow, form, educate and sanctify the chosen ones of the divine vocations entrusted to them, as you entrusted the child Jesus to St. Joseph and to Mary, the Virgin Mother.”

“Here I am, O my Lord; send me to promote, gather, form and sanctify the chosen ones of your divine vocations to the priesthood and to religious life, O Adorable Trinity!”

“In your pure love, you will unite me to you, O Divine Spirit Sanctifier, in consecrating and transforming each chosen one of the divine vocations into another Jesus.”

“Unite me to you, O Jesus! With you, in you and for you, O my Jesus, I embrace this cross of fire, which is the work of the divine vocations, with all the bitter disappointments caused by incorrespondences and incomprehensions.”

“Grant that I may be only an insignificant veil through which you, O Lord, are with them deal with them, let them grow in your heart, and form them with your own work and mission. Amen.”

To better understand this “cross of fire” I would refer the reader to “Spiritus Orationis, chapter VI, titled “Tears,” Only God knows how many tears, how much sweat, how many humiliations, sleepless nights and agonies afflicted this Servant of the Divine Vocations.

In an outburst of confidence to God, he said: “Now I cry, you know it, because I am tired… because I am so poor … so lonely in this world… and a cold like that of death closes my heart to its life.

“Now I cry, you know it, because I see dying in me and around me so many things that I loved, so many people without whom I could not survive, and all my being is mined all over by death!”

“I cry, my Lord, because I would like to be for them a living proof and symbol of your love and relationship with them. Oh! How I would like to be for then an effective, irresistible stimulus to untie them to you, but I do not succeed!”

“But they do not know and do not understand and with  the poison of sin separate themselves from your soul and heart and mine, O Jesus- Love, trampling over us after having cut us to pieces.”

“These tears that I am shedding, my Lord, seem to be of blood!” Tears of blood were shed whenever a vocation was betrayed. The new Constitutions of the Society of Divine Vocations express thus the teachings of the founder: “Imitating the mercy of  the Good Shepherd, the Congregation intends to rehabilitate in the divine love each and every inactive priest and former religious.”

Indescribable sufferings were caused to the founder by his effort  to bring back to the love of God, to their consecrated life and to their ministries those vocations that had gone life astray. Dozens of ex-priests and ex-brothers have passed through our communities. At least thirty of them have been rehabilitated with great joy for the good father. I myself have been taught by three priests who had been rehabilitated; one of them was my spiritual director for a long time. While most of the rehabilitated priests and brothers went  back to their dioceses or religious communities, some of them preferred to be Vocationist. With particular veneration I personally recall Fr. Petruzzelli, who after several year of prison on account of a serious crime committed while he was a member of another religious order, was conquered and redeemed by Fr. Justin’s charity. I can still visualize this frail, elderly priest, with the rosary beads in his hand, smiling at everyone and projecting an aura of humility and inner peace. The rehabilitation of  Fr. Petruzzelli, on account of his notorious past, greatly upset some of his former confreres, especially one who was occupying a very important role with the Congregation for the Religious in the Vatican; hence, a lot of negative static, numerous, unpleasant innuendos and some persecutions.

Another well-known case is that of Fr. Ciaolino, who after having killed the provincial of his order and after many years of prison had become the object of numerous articles and some novels because of his licentious life. Every Italian has heard or read something about this scandalous ex-priest. Somehow Fr. Justin got hold of him and brought him back to the Father’s love, even though the priest was never rehabilitated to his priestly status. He was sent to our community in Gorga (Rome) where he was known as “Professor X.” He was an excellent teacher, exemplary for his life of prayer and mortification. The people of Gorga held him in high esteem and after his death considered him a saint. For many years, lay people went to pray on his grave and adorned it with flowers, without ever knowing the real identity of “Professor X.”

 

EMBLEM OF THE VOCATIONIST FATHERS

The emblem summarizes the spirituality and apostolate of the vocationist Fathers: service to God’s people in Parishes, Schools and Missions, and continuous ascension to the Blessed Trinity (triangle), with the Holy Family (heart, star and lily), in the Triumphant, Militant and Suffering Church (circles).

 

THE SPIRIT OF FR. JUSTIN

It may be humanly impossible to penetrate his soul. You look at the bright point and it looks like a star; you look at it better and it appears as the center of a system; you look at it even better and you discover a metropolis of stars.

Fr. Justin affirmed that the Venerable Catherine Emmerik was his sister, the twin of his soul. Only those familiar with the German mystic can perceive the real content of this statement. He has taken with him to eternity the secrets of his soul.

In his book Spiritus Orationis, after listing the supreme charisms granted to the saints, he asked for them for himself with this condition: “That no one will ever find out, neither before nor after my death. I am happy that it will not be known, not even in heaven; I know that you can do it in such a way that only you and I know about it. Even better, grant that not even I be aware of it, neither in time nor in eternity, as long as you grant them to me and I may render a greater glory to you, since what I really want is to honor you and please you.”

Those who will study with dedication and persistence his writings may be able to reveal, at least partially, the wealth of an unexplored world. Those who desire to have an idea of his spirit should examined the emblem of the Society of Divine Vocations in which are evident three triads; the Blessed Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), the Holy Family (Jesus, Mary and Joseph), and the Holy Triumphant, Militant and Suffering Church. He summarized it thus: “Perpetual ascension to the Divine Trinity with the Holy Family within the Church.”

The Catholic Church, the Holy Family and the Blessed Trinity were the unique and triple center and axis of his interior life and his apostolate – devotion and obedience to Mother Church, imitation of the Holy Family, union with the Most Holy Trinity.

The ever growing desire for most intimate union with the Blessed Trinity led him every night to kneel before a confessor, even if this were the most recently ordained priest, to receive the purifying and invigorating absolution.

In the first and greatest mystery of our faith is found the soul of his life of prayer, of his preaching and of his work. He wanted to build a temple to the Divine Trinity and he left a design for such a building in which one can admire the originality of his imagination and the unusual grandiosity of the project. To the Blessed Trinity he has directed the perpetual adoration of the community. In honor of the Blessed Trinity in every community Mass the Vocationist sing, “Holy, Holy, Holy,” and to the Blessed Trinity they offer daily hours of meditation, religious study, and ministry of the Word of God in its catechetical format.

 

MEMORABLE DAYS

Pianura is a large village separated from the City of Naples by the mountain of the Camaldoli; it is very close to but out of sight of the sea, situated in the crated of volcano, and is part of the City of Naples. It could never have anticipated the memorable days and glory that it would experience through the work of its best citizen, Fr. Justin. Once Fr. Justin began his Christmas midnight message with the text of the Prophet Micah: “… And you, Bethlehem, are by no means the least town in Judah”; he applied it to his native town, which he always loved, and, stressing God’s blessings for his town, he predicted its future glory. The star of the Society of Divine Vocations was shining over Pianura, and to it people shall come.

On many occasions the life of Fr. Justin and of his institution was deeply intertwined with the life of the town. Of particular significance to the community and to the town were happenings such as ordinations, the opening of new missions and special visits.

In 1926, the first two Vocationist priests, both from the town of Pianura, were ordained priests – Fr. Salvatore Polverino and Fr. Giorgio Mele. Twenty- two floats provided the greatest parade up to that date in Pianura. The whole town was invited to share the excitement and happiness of the two former farmers – laborers elevated to the dignity of the priesthood. Throughout the streets of Pianura every group would joyously shout to the newly ordained, “Best wishes of holiness,” while people were showering them with a dense rain of confetti and rice.

Similar celebrations were repeated in 1928 for the ordination of Fr. Giuseppe Di Fusco, in 1929 for Fr. Saggiomo, in 1930 for Fr. Palmieri and Fr. Basilio, and in 1931 for the ordinations of Fr. Diodato, Fr. Fontana, Fr. Vivenzio, Fr. Baiano and Fr. Ciro.

On March 19, 1928, Pianura with the Vocationist community celebrated the opening of the first residence of the expansion. The people were proud of them, and in saying good-bye to the new community, they blessed them and sent them on their mission as heralds of the congregation and of the town. Later on, on April 29, 1950, the town united itself with the first three Vocationists to leave on a mission to Brazil – Fr. Fraraccio, Fr. Torromacco, and Bro. Prisco. After having participated with the community in the liturgical celebration in church, a large crowd of people, filled with veneration and admiration, escorted them to the Port of Naples, where three Vocationist embarked for their new mission… a mission that would make known the town of Pianura, cradle of the Vocationist Fathers and Sisters.

Of particular significance for the whole town were the visits of Cardinal Lavitrano and Cardinal Alvaro Da Silva. The visit of Cardinal Lavitrano caught the town almost by surprise on a cold and windy day, April 10, 1947. The town of Pianura understood the importance of the occasion and improvised a great reception. Mr. Vincezino Marrone, interpreting the feeling of the people with a fiery sermon, put together the red cape of the Cardinal and the black mantle of the founder of the Vocationists.

In 1953 Cardinal Alvaro Da Silva, Archbishop of Bahia in Brazil, was overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of the people and conquered their souls with his kind personality.

April 14, the feast day of Fr. Justin, was celebrated as a local holiday in the town of Pianura.

On April 14, 1948, at 4:30 in the morning, while Fr. Justin was celebrating Mass for the novices, over fifty students from the vocationaries of Perdifumo and Mercato Cliento entered the chapel. Mass had already started; noticing the long line of young boys walking into the church, the founder understood what was going on and tears filled his eyes. After the Gospel he addressed them, saying “You have come very early wearing your best uniforms in order to make this feast day more beautiful; on account of our poverty we cannot wear this uniform every day, but our Lord has clothed us with the precious habit of His grace, and you must take every effort to wear this habit every day without ever changing it, because it is the most beautiful one. It dresses us with the candor of the angels whose smile you are…” Soon after Mass he received them in his room; his eyes were clearly showing his happiness; he embraced and covered with his mantle Fr. Anella, who had given him such a pleasant surprise, and was deeply touched when the youngest of the boys offered him a small lamb. In the afternoon, the children ascended the stage and entertained the founder, the local community, and many friends and benefactors. One of the folk songs they had improvised and practiced on the truck on the way to Pianura went like this:

“We have come from Cilento
On a speedy 26
Out of love for you
Who are our father
We have left at midnight
Without any hesitation
So that we could see you here
On the Tabor of the altar!”

At the end of every line the audience would join in singing enthusiastically: “We are valiant young men – loyal and dear to you, O father; the Lord has called us – to follow you to heaven!”

The example became contagious. All the other houses of the community admired the initiative and it was repeated and enlarged every year.

Busses brought to Pianura priests, sisters, students from the vocationaries and friends, admires and faithful of the parishes staffed by the Vocationist Fathers. The streets and squares of Pianura, beautifully decorated with posters, banners, and flags, were so crowded that all traffic to the city had to be stopped. Congratulatory notes, cards and telegrams, flowers and gifts kept piling up in the room of the founder.

The town of Pianura kindly allowed the community to celebrate the founder’s feast during the day, reserving the evening for their celebration. On the eve of St. Justin’s day, the parish used to have a holy hour of adoration. Approximately twenty priests would hear confessions of parishioners who were preparing themselves to receive Holy Communion knowing that this was the greatest gift they could give to their saintly pastor. On the feast day of St. Justin, the parish liturgies were celebrated with great solemnity, as on a major holy day. In the evening, once the workers had come back from farms, factories or offices, they formed a parade with musical bands and banners of all religious and civic organizations. They moved toward the vocationary and from there they escorted Fr. Justin to the parish church, amid songs and the applause of the beloved people. Hundreds and hundreds of torches lighted their way and artificial fires brightened up the skies.

Even though Fr. Justin was not keen on external manifestation of esteem for himself, on this occasion he would please the people and join them. He concluded the day by imparting a spiritual message and Benediction from the steps at the entrance of the church, since it was not large enough to accommodate the exceptional crowd.

 

 

HIS PRECIOUS DEATH

During the spring of 1955, the Vocationist Fathers and the parishioners of Pianura noticed an extraordinary increase in the activity of Fr. Justin. Even though he was sick with sores all over his body, he dragged himself from one street to the next distributing catechisms. “Carry it in your pocket as you carry the rosary. Read it in your free moments. Teach it, kiss it.”

He reserved for himself the daily Lenten sermons and the devotional months of May and June. At times, people noticed him leaning exhausted on the altar, but he kept on. The people perceived that some kind of calamity was about to come upon Pianura; they felt that the good pastor was trying to propitiate the Most High; they had witnessed so many crises, so many ups and downs in the health of Fr. Justin, that they were in no way expecting that the end was so near.

In December of 1954, Fr. Justin was affected by a very severe case of shingles, causing skin rashes, lacerations and boils all over his body, even on his head. He never recovered from this illness. In June, 1955, his health further deteriorated with excruciating stomach pains and an enlarged spleen; edema developed on both feet, making it very painful for him to wear shoes or to walk, the right foot being much worse than the left. His physician and friend Dr. De Simone kept insisting that he should be hospitalized, but his constant answer was: “I am okay, I am okay.” Only in order to please and obey his doctor did he agree to consult the well – known Dr. Cataldo at the beginning of July.

On June 9, which was the Feast of Corpus Christi, he insisted on participating in the traditional procession, carrying a rather heavy monstrance through the streets of Pianura; the joy of carrying Jesus was hiding his pain, but those who knew him noticed his fatigue.

Dr. De Simone visited him on July 16 and spoke to him at length, suggesting absolute rest. On that day, Dr. De Simone diagnosed for the first time that Fr. Justin was suffering from advanced leukemia. The good doctor was so concerned about Fr. Justin’s health that he felt the need to call the Vicar General, Fr. Ugo Fraraccio, who was in Rome. With a voice choked by tears, Dr. De Simone said, “Fr. Justin has only fifteen days to live.”

Fr. Justin was preaching a week- long retreat to the Sisters of the Sanatorium in Naples. Fr. Fraraccio related that he waited for him on the evening of the seventeenth, and seeing him get out of the car with great pain offered him his arm. Fr. Justin quickly said, “No. No, thanks; I am alright.” They had a rather long conversation and Fr. Fraraccio recommended that he rest and take care of his health. The founder humbly asked Fr. Fraraccio’s permission for the last trip of his life: “At the end of the spiritual exercises, I would like to go for a short while to Mercato Cilento where I could enjoy some fresh mountain air and at the same time, maybe, I could be of some help to our students.” (The novices were in Altavilla Silentina and the professed members were on vacation in nearby Laureana Cilento.)

Fr. Fraraccio answered him, “if you think that that will help you, go as soon as possible, but should you notice any deterioration in your health, please, come back as soon as possible. You know well the lack of good medical services in that area.”

On July 20, escorted by Fr. Castiglione, Fr. Justin left for Altavilla. His stomach pains must have been more excruciating than ever, since on that same day he wrote a letter to Dr. De Simone revealing the intensity of his pains. He spent some time with the novices and the sisters in Altavilla, and on Thursday, July 21, he proceeded to Mercato Cilento. The healthy mountain air of Mercato Cilento helped him and he spent a week there.

On July 27, he went to visit the philosophy and theology students who were on vacation in Laureana with Fr. Di Pierno. The students welcomed him with extraordinary joviality and Fr. Justin was extremely amiable with all of them; he allowed all the students, and even the sisters, to kiss his hand, which was very unusual for him.

He must have felt the end was near; on the twenty-eighth he decided to go back to Pianura. He insisted on passing through Cava to greet the Vocationist Fathers and Sisters at the Annunziata and then went on to Naples; but before going to Pianura, he insisted on visiting the Parish of Bellavista and then the Vocationist residence in Via Manzoni to greet all the religious of those communities. The events of the following days confirmed to all the religious of these communities that the founder had purposely gone on this last trip to say his good- byes to all of them.

The confreres of the house of Pianura , seeing him such a poor state of health, immediately called his brother Dr. Michael Russolillo, and Dr. Cataldo; both of them insisted that he should be hospitalized . Fr. Justin, however, humbly but persistently asked them to do whatever they could there in the religious house. A blood test was taken on July 31 and Dr. De Simone’s diagnosis was officially confirmed: Fr. Justin had leukemia.

On August 1, Fr. Albert De Fusco asked Fr. Justin if he would consent to go to a hospital. Fr. Justin answered, “If it is really necessary, I will.”

Fr. De Fusco and Fr. Mancuso hastened to get in touch with Dr. Russolillo with news that Fr. Justin would go to the hospital if asked to do so. Dr. Russolillo answered; “Now it is useless. Fr. Justin is practically already dead.”

Aware of his condition, Fr. Justin allowed Fr. Castiglione to remain at his bedside on a chair close to his desk. During the night, around 2:00 a.m. on August 2, Fr. Castiglione awakened and noticed Fr. Justin sitting on the bed. He asked if he needed anything. His answer was, “Last night you did not give me absolution, do you remember? Give it to me now!”

Around 9:00 a.m. on August 2, Fr. Justin said to Fr. Esposito, “Today is St. Alfonso’s feast day. Please go in my place to wish a happy feast day to the Bishop of Pozzuoli.”

Since Fr. Justin’s physical condition kept deteriorating visibly moment by moment, from Pianura the priests called Rome to inform the Vicar General and the other confreres of the situation. The Vicar General and Father Di Pierno left immediately and arrived in Pianura in the evening.

Dr. Russolillo tried a blood transfusion. Fr. Alfieri, who was present, tried to distract Fr. Justin with some jokes; Fr. Justin allowed them to do whatever they wanted but was becoming delirious. At a certain point, he turned to his brother and asked, “Why should you continue to torture me this way? It is all useless.”

In the small room of the founder were gathered the Mother General of the Vocationist sisters, who was also his blood sister; Sr. Concetta and Sr. Angelina, and several Vocationist priests. Fr. Fraraccio recalled that Fr. Justin’s very last words were: “I bless you all, sons and daughters.”

Around 6:00 p.m. he entered into agony, and from then on he didn’t give any signs of hearing and did not respond to any question.

His breathing became more and more labored. To alleviate his pain he was given an injection, but there was no visible relief.

At 8:30 p.m., Mother Giovanna Russolillo said to Fr. Fraraccio, “What are you waiting for to give him the Anointing of the Sick? Don’t you see that he is waiting for that?

Fr. Fraraccio related that he started the sacred rite after having tried to get the attention of the servant of God. “I don’t think he heard me. He was in deep agony. When I touched his eyes for the anointing, he opened them immediately. His natural modesty reacted at the touch. He saw – he understood. I whispered with my lips, ‘Extreme Unction.’ He smiled, gave a light hint of approval and closed his eyes again. In opening the palms of his hands in the proper position for the anointing. I had the impression that he was accommodating me. After the sacred rite and after the recitation of the prayer for the dying, Fr. Adinolfi pleaded aloud several times, ‘Fr. Justin , bless us.’ Then he placed a crucifix into Fr. Justin’s hand and moved his hand in the form of a blessing.”

At 9:00 p.m. Fr. Justin seemed to relax and rest and his breathing became smoother. His face regained its usual tranquil and smiling look. He died peacefully at 9:10 p.m. on August 2, 1955.

The first news concerning the worsening of his illness reached the people almost simultaneously with the news of his death. On the evening of August 2, 1955, as the toll of St. Giorgio’s big bell started to spread the sad news of his death, the people were deeply shaken and almost instantaneously they turned off their radios and closed the stores and recreation centers. A crowd of heartbroken confused parishioners moved toward the vocationary. The noisy town of Pianura had suddenly become silent.

The Vocationist Fathers could hardly lock the gates; they had to ask the help of the police to control the crowd. The silence was suddenly broken by the people’s cries: “We want to see our pastor.” The police were having difficulty trying to contain the crowds.

To avoid possible disorder, in a few minutes the Vocationist Fathers prepared his body and displayed it in the church of the vocationary. Men and women, young and old alike mourned for him as one mourns a father, brother or friend.

The committee for St. Giorgio’s feast day had an emergency meeting and decided to suspend the traditional feast in honor of their patron saint and spend the money they had collected for the funeral of their pastor.

On the morning of August 3, telegraphs, telephones and radios spread the news out of Pianura, and then began the procession of people coming from every town and city of southern Italy.

The parish church was decorated for the occasion, and on the evening of August 3 welcomed the body of the one who had been its pastor for thirty-five years. The church was not large enough to accommodate the flocks of people who wanted to contemplate the man of God in the serenity of his death. Lines had to be formed and people were only allowed to pass by.

As people were passing by, many of them were touching his body with handkerchiefs, rosary beads and other devotional items that they wanted to keep as a relic. For two days and two nights the flocks of people kept growing. Bishops, senators, assemblymen, authorities, sisters and brothers, well known and simple people paused reverently by his body to show their love and respect and to be reminded once more that only holiness lives forever and makes people great.

On Friday afternoon, the city traffic came to a complete stop; there was no possibility of admitting any more busses or private cars into the town – so many had come from near and far for his funeral. Over one hundred policemen helped to control the crowds as the procession with the open casket slowly advanced through the streets of Pianura. The saintly pastor, dressed in purple vestments and with the chalice in his hands, passed through the streets of the town for the last time.

Was it a funeral or a triumphant procession? The precious drapes that decorated every window and balcony, the continuous outpouring of flowers thrown form the balconies onto the casket, and the kisses that grown-ups and children threw to his body gave much more the idea of a triumph than a funeral.

Who had given orders that the bells should ring festively? No one! The young men from the bell tower had the impression of observing the most exciting feast and the three bells kept ringing joyously; on the streets the tears of his spiritual children, the funeral notes of the band, and the banners at half mast expressed the harsh reality of the event. In the small, neat cemetery of Pianura everyone was hunting for flowers. There were fifteen garlands of white flowers; not one flower was left by the end of the funeral. His body was buried temporarily in the local cemetery and was later transferred to the church of the Mother House on April 14, 1956.

 

 

FAME OF HIS VIRTUES

The people of Pianura, as well as the Vocationist Fathers and Sisters, enjoyed special treatment by professionals, politicians, clerks and business people on account of their relationship with Fr. Justin. People used to envy them because they had such a saintly pastor and father! The fame of his holiness, which was widespread during his life, is now much larger after his death.

The following are only a few of the extraordinary of miraculous happenings that took place through the intercession of Fr. Justin.

In 1949, Annamaria Longobardi was seriously ill. Four doctors gave discouraging diagnoses. Finally, a fifth physician, Dr. Angarano, was called in as the last hope. Visiting the poor child, this doctor said, “It is too late! It is capillary bronchitis; in twenty- four hours she will either be over it or dead.”

“You mean there is nothing at all that can be done?” pleaded the parents.

“We may try the aromatic bath; if the baby reacts, we will save her, otherwise…” The child did not react. At 2:00 p.m. she went into a coma.

In desperation the child’s father ran to Fr. Justin. He pushed past all those trying to stop him and directly to the founder’s room. “Why are you so alarmed?” asked Fr. Justin, before he could talk.

“Annamaria dies!” the father chokingly cried. The two went together to the house. The people who were crowding the room made a path by the bed so the two men could get closer. Fr. Justin with his finger tickled the chin of the young girl, who started to smile and move her hands. Fr. Justin said a prayer, left a miraculous medal under her pillow and walked out.

On his way out, Fr. Justin noticed a statue of St. Anthony with a light in front of it and said, “On some occasions you should not ask God’s favors through saints who are already in heaven, but through those who are not there yet. They may be more interested and more sympathetic.” The next morning the girl was completely healed.

Sr. Martilde Della Greca was sent to Mercato to better recover from a long sickness. However, instead of recovering, she took an unexpected turn for the worse on account of bronchial pneumonia. Friday night she was given the last rites. The priest who had administered the sacrament, convinced of the imminent transition, did not move from her bed. On Saturday afternoon, Sr. Agnes had the idea of sending a telegram to Fr. Justin informing him of the situation and asking his blessings for the dying sister. The telegram was not delivered until Monday morning! The relatives and the other sister shared the long agony of the dying sister. Suddenly, on Monday, July 26, 1942, at 9:00 a.m., Sr. Matilde regained consciousness; she sat up on the bed, made the sign of the cross and began the song of the Blessed Mother: “My soul magnifies the Lord…” It was the exact hour in which she had been blessed from a distance by the founder.

Apolito Alessandrina, also of Mercato Cilento, gave birth to a set of twins. The boy died soon after birth and the girl was barely surviving. Alessandrina’s friends urged her to bring the baby to Fr. Justin and let him bless her. She overcame her initial hesitation and shyness and, after wrapping the baby, who weighed less than a pound, she went to Fr. Justin.

The poor mother was embarrassed and ashamed because she knew that the deterioration of the baby’s health was due to the fact that she was unable to nurse her; at that time and in that place baby formula was unheard of. With the baby in her arms she approached Fr. Justin and pleaded, “Father, please bless this creature of mine who doesn’t take milk.”

Very quietly and smilingly he paid a compliment to the mother and then breathed three times on the baby. Then he added, “Go home and nurse her. The Lord has granted you the grace.” The mother went home and for the first time was able to nurse the child, who continued to be breast- fed until she was twenty- two months old.

There are many prophecies uttered by Fr. Justin which have already been proven true. During the war, Fr. Justin provided serenity and peace to many families. There were so many people approaching him for information about their dear ones that someone in the house felt the need to have a special book in which were summarily taken the information of the missing person and Fr. Justin would put some special signs or remarks next to each one.

Once, a young boy went to the church of Mercato very early in the morning. “My mother asks that you say a prayer for my two brothers who have not given any news from the front for a long time now,” he said.

Fr. Justin placed his hand on the boy’s head and asked,

“What is your name?”

“Vincenzo Cerone.”

“Did your receive Communion this morning?”

“No”

“Then receive Holy Communion and offer it for their souls.”

The innocent boy was happy to deliver the message – which naturally he had not understood – to the mother who understood the sad reply and began to cry. Not long afterward the mother was notified that both of her children had died.

Mrs. Assunta Rispoli asked Fr. Salvatore Polverino to go purposely from Cava to see Fr. Justin and ask news of her son. Fr. Justin listened and then answered, ‘Get a piece of paper and write: ‘‘You will be getting some happy news.”

A month passed by and the good lady was beginning to lose hope when a friend of her son came home and gave her a very short handwritten note from her son, written on a piece of paper bag: “ Mother, in a few days we will have the joy of embracing each other. Your son, Vincenzo.” Assunta, in haste, informed Fr. Polverino and fainted at his feet.

“I see them,” Fr. Justin explained. “Why shouldn’t I give some consolation to so many desperate mothers?”

Especially extraordinary is the case of a woman from Lustra; she went to Fr. Justin to ask news of her husband who had been classified as missing in action for several years already. Fr. Justin, without even seeing the lady, sent this message: “Go home quickly because your husband is on his way there.”

On her way home the lady was met by her children who were looking for her. “Hurry home, Mother,” they said. “Dad has arrived.”

Even more amazing is the case of a lady from Vatolla who, after receiving a telegram announcing the death of her son, had gone to the vocationary to make arrangements for the funeral. She wanted to consult “the saint.” Fr. Justin simply sent this message: “Her son is alive and is about to come home.”

The poor soul, heartbroken at the message she had received, bitterly and facetiously remarked: “What a saint!” The reality confirmed Fr. Justin’s prophecy; instead of a funeral, a Mass of thanksgiving was offered.

One day, Fr. Justin was explaining to his sister the reasons that had forced him to expel a professed member of the Vocationist Fathers; Sister Giovanna, who had in vain pleaded with him several times to expel a sister from the community, saw a parallel between the two cases and, while externally listening to him, internally she was regretting the denial given to her. He interrupted himself and rebuked her sternly, “No, it is not the way you think. The case is totally different.”

While preaching a week- long retreat to the Sisters of the Infant Jesus in Sezza Romano, he helped one of the sisters to overcome a serious spiritual crisis; the sister kept desiring the rosary beads that the founder was wearing around his neck, which were part of his religious habit, but she was too shy and embarrassed to ask. At the conclusion of the retreat, saying their good- byes, the sisters all kissed his hand he said to her, “Do you want my rosary beads? Here they are.” He removed it from his neck and gave it to the sister, who blushed because her secret thoughts had been made known, but was happy for receiving it.

The husband of Christina D’ Angelo died suddenly in an accident on his job. The wife accepted the reality and kept trying to resign herself to the will of God. However, she was constantly tormented by this thought – was he saved? Did he have time to invoke God’s mercy? One afternoon, while walking on Miano Place, Fr. Justin saw Christina, who, on that particular day was tortured and depressed by those thoughts; they greeted each other and then Christina began, “Father, a bad thought…”

He interrupted her quickly and resolutely: “Stop. Don’t even say it! When one dies in an accident, the Lord is more merciful. He is okay. God bless you.” Christina remained confused for a while but greatly consoled.

Stories of miraculous healings have been constantly reported since Fr. Justin’s death. While prudence may counsel us not to talk about these events, the hope nourished by these very facts delights our hearts.

Carmen Di Costanzo, three old, in September, 1955, suffered excruciating pains in the right leg. Soon she became feverish and her leg became contorted. The x- rays showed osteomyelitis of the fibula. She was brought to the hospital and her leg was put into a cast. On the cast the worried parents tied a handkerchief that had belonged to Fr. Justin. Waking up the following morning, the little girl said, “Mother, Fr. Justin loves me.” They didn’t pay too much attention to those words. Thirteen days later, for financial reasons, they took the baby home and once again, waking up in the morning, the girl said, “ Mother, Fr. Justin loves me; last night he told me that my leg is okay.”

The mother simply retorted, “You don’t even know who Fr. Justin is.”

Without hesitation, pointing her finger at Fr. Justin’s picture hanging on the wall, she said, “He is that one.”

The mother, surprised and touched, asked, “How was he dressed?”

Carmen looked around but did not seem to see what she was looking for. Suddenly, she ran to her bed, removed the covers and, pointing to the white sheets, she said, “Like this.”

They took off the cast and with great joy discovered that the leg was completely healed, notwithstanding the fact that vivacious little Carmen, against all the recommendations of the doctors, had kept walking and jumping on it.

A little boy, also three years old, Pasquale Di Vicino, Playing near a big and deep pool of water, fell into it. Luckily enough, his uncle happened to be passing by at that very moment and was able to rescue him from the water. The child was anything but scared. As the saying goes, bad news is carried by the wind. The mother had been informed of his fall into the water before the rescue was accomplished and ran in a state of shock toward her child and embraced him and said, “My child, the shock alone could have killed you!”

Pasqualino promptly answered, “I was not afraid. Fr. Justin was holding me.” The little boy, who had seen Fr. Justin passing by and had received some candy or holy cards from him, had deeply engraved in his mind what Fr. Justin looked like.

We have been hearing about many miraculous healings that have taken place through the intercession of Fr. Justin. He has been particularly effective in helping young children and victims of cancer.

Particular impressive is the story of the healing of a young girl, Elena Galdi, whose father was a professor of mathematics at Howard University in Washington, D. C. Elena had been between life and death for two months as a result of an internal infection and a hole in her lungs. The doctors decided to try surgery although they felt there was little or no hope. It was at this point that Professor Giovanni Paolo Galdi decided to go to Fr. Justin’s tomb. Recalling that day, he said, “It was on a Monday, August 27, that I went with my wife and my other two children to Fr. Justin’s tomb. There I explained the situation to my family. We all cried and pleaded aloud for a miracle from Fr. Justin. On the way out of the church, my son asked me, ‘Daddy, when will the miracle take place?”

“Without any hesitation I answered, it has already happened.”

On August 29, Dr. Mori closed the small tube they had inserted in Elena’s lungs; He expected her lungs to be crushed and that the girl would die of suffocation! Instead, she regained consciousness and mobility, showing signs of comfort and relaxation. More x-rays were taken and, miraculously, her lungs did not show any imperfection; they were totally healed! Elena grew into a peaceful child, happy to live in God’s grace.

Concetta Vasallo wrote that after serious surgery she was bleeding profusely from her throat and mouth. She was terrorized, and in her panic she prayed with faith, through the intercession of Fr. Justin, to be freed from the dreaded sickness. That night in a dream she saw Fr. Justin, who smiled and touched her throat with his finger, saying, “ The cause of the bleeding is here; relax.” She woke up immediately and told her mother about the vision. The next morning Dr. Fussolillo and Dr. Fumo could only marvel at the miraculous healing!

Olga A. de Aciar of San Juan, Argentina, was in intensive care and rejecting the blood transfusions and vomiting continually. Fr. Pugliese, S. D.V., sent her a holy card of Fr. Justin, suggesting that she ask for his help. While her doctors had given up all hope of recovery because of complications with her colon and liver, she continued to recite the prayer written on the back of Fr. Justin’s picture! She recovered quickly and completely to the amazement of her physicians. “Since then,” Olga said, “I have been enjoying good health. I continue to ask Fr. Justin for his help so that he may help me to do God’s will.” Her story has been verified by Dr. Gayetano M. Berenguer.

As we look forward to the happy ending Fr. Justin’s process of canonization, we can only pray with this favorite formula: “O my God and my All! Father, Son and Holy Spirit; May your will be done, your love may reign, your glory shine always more in me and in everyone, as in yourself, O my God and my All!”

 

Source:

Caputo, Fr. Louis, SDV. A Servant of the Divine Vocations: Fr. Justin Russolillo. Copyright 1998. U.S.A. Pg. 82 – 124