Founder of the Shrine of Pompei, Dominican Tertiary and Oblate of the Redemptorist Congregation
On Sunday, October 19, in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV presided over the solemn canonization of Blessed Bartolo Longo — layman, Dominican tertiary, and Oblate of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. The celebration, during which seven blessed men and women were raised to the altars, was a moment of deep joy and reflection for the Redemptorist Family and for the entire Church.
In his homily, Pope Leo XIV emphasized that holiness is not reserved for a few but is the vocation of every Christian. “We believe that God saves the world through love,” said the Pope, urging the faithful to reject fatalism and to respond generously to those in need. “We are called to be witnesses of the Father’s love, as Christ was for all — humble toward the powerful, just toward the unjust, and merciful toward sinners.”
Bartolo Longo, founder of the Shrine of Pompei and of the social works that continue today to be a beacon of hope for Campania and southern Italy, perfectly embodies this ideal of holiness. His life, marked by a profound conversion and tireless commitment to the poor, shows that faith must be expressed through concrete works of charity and justice. As the Pope reminded us, the new saints are not “heroes or champions of some ideal,” but “authentic men and women whose lives inspire us to live our Christian vocation with integrity and love.” “Their intercession sustains us in trials, and their example inspires us in our common vocation to holiness,” said Pope Leo XIV. “As we journey toward this goal, let us never tire of praying, for faith on earth nourishes the hope of heaven.”
These words resonate deeply with the Redemptorist Family, which accompanied Bartolo Longo along his spiritual and apostolic path. His witness invites us to rediscover the beauty of prayer, charity, and the proclamation of the Gospel, especially among those most distant from the faith.
The connection between the new saint and the Redemptorists was recalled by Fr. Gennaro Sorrentino, C.Ss.R., Provincial Superior of Southern Europe, in a letter written a few days before the canonization. The letter provides a valuable key to understanding the significance of Bartolo Longo’s canonization for the entire Redemptorist Family.
In his message, Fr. Sorrentino builds a bridge between history and the present, recalling how the life of the new saint was deeply intertwined with the Redemptorist charism, thanks to the guidance of three Redemptorist fathers: Venerable Emanuele Ribera, Fr. Giuseppe Maria Leone, and Fr. Antonio Maria Losito.
Through their spiritual direction, these three Redemptorists helped Bartolo Longo to discern God’s will and to translate his faith into concrete acts of charity and evangelization. As Fr. Sorrentino writes, their influence allowed the spirituality of St. Alphonsus to shape Longo’s inner life, preparing him for the mission that would lead him to found the Shrine of Pompei and dedicate himself to the poor and marginalized of the valley.
The letter highlights how the figure of Bartolo Longo remains a relevant and powerful model for lay people who embrace oblation within the Congregation, and for all who share in the Redemptorist mission. His affiliation with the Redemptorist Family as an oblate, approved in 1884, makes him a shining example of how holiness can flourish in lay life, when animated by unwavering faith and concrete love for others.
Fr. Sorrentino concludes by inviting the entire Redemptorist Family to rediscover the beauty of prayer, charity, and evangelization, following the example of Bartolo Longo, who united contemplation with action, and faith with social justice. His canonization, in this Jubilee Year, thus becomes an invitation to continue with renewed zeal the mission of evangelization and human promotion according to the charism of St. Alphonsus.
Letter from Fr. Gennaro Sorrentino, Provincial Superior of the Province of Europe South
Rome, 13 Sept. 2025
Dear Confreres, Redemptoristine Nuns,
Oblates of the Most Holy Redeemer, Lay Associates, and Youth of the RYVM,
On Sunday, October 19, the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, will preside in St. Peter’s Square over the canonization of Blessed Bartolo Longo, founder of the Shrine and charitable works of Pompei, Redemptorist Oblate, and a prominent figure in the history of the Church in Italy between the latter half of the 19th and the early 20th centuries. His canonization, taking place during this Jubilee Year, is a major ecclesial event that directly involves the Churches of the Campania region and, in some way, all of southern Italy, which continues to benefit today from his extraordinary works.
The multifaceted figure of Bartolo Longo is closely connected to the history of the Redemptorists, thanks to three of our confreres who accompanied him as spiritual directors during various long and complex periods of his life. With the help of Fr. Vincenzo La Mendola, I wish to recall them here, drawing from some of Longo’s autobiographical writings, so that all of you may come to know and appreciate this page of Redemptorist history—perhaps not widely known—which still speaks powerfully to us today, particularly in our commitment to the “new evangelization” and to the formation and promotion of the laity in the mission.
In the first phase of his conversion—after abandoning spiritism, of which he had even been consecrated a “priest”—the young Longo turned to Venerable Emanuele Ribera (1811–1874). In that period of searching, he found in Fr. Ribera welcome and understanding, as he recounts in his memoirs:
“As soon as I was introduced into his presence, I was captivated by his kind manner, his smile, his attractive gaze—all of which revealed in him the servant of God, the apostle of youth. He received me with such gentleness, such humility, that I was truly convinced he was a saint […]. I continued to visit him frequently, growing ever more attached to him, often going more than once a day […]. God used him to direct the course of my life according to the designs of His Divine Providence.”
After much prayer, Fr. Ribera indicated to the young lawyer the vocation to which the Lord was calling him: “Do not become a religious; remain as you are—otherwise, the designs of God will not be fulfilled.”
From their very first encounters, Longo entrusted himself to Ribera’s guidance, convinced that “he had foresight of the future.” Indeed, Ribera had prophesied to him: “The day will come when lay people will lead religious missions and preserve the faith within families. The Lord wants great works from you!”
Ribera introduced Longo to the writings of St. Alphonsus Liguori and Blessed Gennaro Maria Sarnelli. Historians note that among all of Longo’s books, the works of St. Alphonsus are the most underlined and annotated—a sign of long and deep engagement.
The second Redemptorist who profoundly marked Bartolo Longo’s life, over eighteen years, was Fr. Giuseppe Maria Leone (1829–1902). Longo wrote of him: “He had a hidden yet most effective role in the completion of the Shrine and the founding of our charitable institutions, as well as in some of the decisive events that became milestones in the development of the Christian-social work of the Valley of Pompei.”
Longo felt he had met one of the living saints of his time: “From the first time I dealt with the Servant of God, I began to form the conviction that he was a man of extraordinary virtue. This conviction grew stronger through the many years in which I turned to him, both for my personal spiritual needs and for the numerous works that, with God’s help, I carried out under his moral guidance and influence.”
After Fr. Leone’s death, Longo painted a vivid portrait of him in a commemorative article: “With the counsel of an upright man, with continuous prayer before the throne of the Lord and the Virgin Mary, and by the example of a life of charity, zeal, and sacrifice, he enlightened us in difficulties, sustained us in struggles, consoled us in moments of discouragement, and urged us to begin works and movements for the greater glory of Mary, even when human prudence advised otherwise. He powerfully instilled in us that humble yet unshakable trust in Providence so necessary for those who are called to found and direct new works of God, beyond human strength.”
On his deathbed, Fr. Leone himself indicated his successor as Longo’s spiritual director (and that of the Countess, his wife): “Go and confess to my confessor, Fr. Antonio Maria Losito (1838–1917).”
After fifteen years under his direction, Longo wrote of him: “History will tell of his heroic virtues, his reputation as a wonderworker, and his unheard-of sufferings borne with the patience of a saint.”
He also highlighted his deeply human qualities, describing him as: “The image of God’s goodness—generous in hospitality and charity toward all […]. He always gave, he gave to all the poor, as though his heart were an inexhaustible mine.”
Finally, Longo referred explicitly to Fr. Losito’s guidance regarding the works of Pompei:
“We weep for him as the angel given us by Providence to direct our spirit for the last fifteen years—often in very difficult times. He was our light and our strength. Free from harshness or stern imposition, his words flowed into the soul like a wave of sweetness. He comforted us by reminding us of the Blessed Virgin, who had deigned to choose us as humble instruments of her mercies. In life’s storms, he showed us our safe harbor—the great harbor of God’s Providence. And after revealing to him with childlike simplicity all our troubles, anxieties, and sorrows, we would leave his little cell consoled and moved, saying to ourselves: ‘He is a saint who forgives us, a saint who blesses us.’”
These autobiographical testimonies offer a complete picture of the spiritual and pedagogical influence exercised by these three confreres—each recognized for their holiness—in the journey of the founder of Pompei. Through their guidance, the spirituality of St. Alphonsus helped shape the interior life of Bartolo Longo, preparing him for his mission among the people of the Valley of Pompei. From this perspective, his experience is entirely in harmony with the Redemptorist charism.
His life—now officially recognized by the Church through canonization—stands as a constant invitation for us Redemptorists to form consciences, remaining both faithful and creative in applying the moral and spiritual teachings of St. Alphonsus.
Bartolo Longo thus becomes a relevant and inspiring model for lay people who choose to live their Christian commitment through oblation in our Congregation, sharing in our mission as lay associates. His affiliation to the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer—encouraged by Fr. Leone—was approved by Fr. Emilio Jacovetti (1834–1918), Provincial Superior of Naples, and confirmed by Fr. Matthias Raus (1829–1917), Superior General, in early August 1884, thus making him part of our religious family, in which many lay people have discovered and lived their Christian vocation.
His testimony as a layman deeply engaged in the mission and attentive to the signs of the times makes him a shining example for all lay persons who wish to dedicate their lives to evangelization and human promotion according to the charism of St. Alphonsus.
We entrust our mission—and that of our lay collaborators—to the Saint whom the Church is about to proclaim, continuing our united prayer with the Holy Father for justice and peace for all peoples.
Fr. Gennaro Sorrentino, C.Ss.R.
Provincial Superior
