On 18 December, on the anniversary of the transferring of the mortal remains of Father Giuseppe Maria Leone and the first anniversary of the promulgation of the Decree of Venerability, a study day was held in Trinitapoli, the birthplace of the venerable, in which, once again, the Marian spirituality of the redemptorist father, in relation to his fruitful relationship of spiritual direction towards St. Bartolo Longo.
A Eucharistic celebration brought together the devotees of Fr. Leone in the parish church of St. Stephen. In his homily, the celebrant, Fr. Vincenzo La Mendola, archivist of the Province Europe South and scholar of Fr. Leone’s spirituality, outlined the meaning of the title of venerable, conferred by the Church on the servants of God who have exercised heroic virtues. The celebrant also pointed to Fr. Leone as a model of Christian life, especially for his love for Jesus and the Church, in the exercise of the Redemptorists’ mission, as a true son of St. Alphonsus, among the abandoned of his time and grappling with the ecclesial emergencies of his era: the rebirth of consecrated life in southern Italy and the restoration of the life of the Redemptorist communities.
The meeting that followed the celebration was attended by Rev Nicola Grosso, a passionate scholar of Fr. Leone’s writings and spirituality and editor of recent editions of his works, and Father Vincenzo La Mendola, historian of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer and member of the Historical Institute.
Both developed the theme of the Venerable’s Marian spirituality in relation to the life and works of St. Bartolo Longo, founder of the Shrine of Pompeii, who was recently canonised.
In his speech, Rev Grosso focused on the Marian spirituality of the Venerable, emphasising, through a historical excursus, how Fr Leone, from childhood, was always accompanied by a filial and intense love for the Mother of God, whom he called “Mamma mia”. The spiritual richness derived from the religiosity of his native land was the foundation on which he built his own spiritual edifice as a future missionary, preacher, and Marian writer.
Father La Mendola focused in particular on outlining the Marian profile of the venerable, in his role as spiritual guide and inspirer of the couple: Bartolo Longo and his wife, Countess De Fusco. Through some categories identified in the Father’s writings, Fr Vincenzo outlined the cornerstones of Marian spirituality transmitted by Fr Leone to his two illustrious penitents, defining it as a Christocentric, ecclesial and practical spirituality, with effective positive repercussions on the spiritual life of the lay missionary, who was also an oblate of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. For the Marian Shrine of Pompeii and for the spiritual movement that derived from it, Father Leone was an enlightening guide, particularly with regard to the works of charity that arose around Marian devotion and in that spark of faith that he had ignited in the ecclesial movement on the definition of the dogma of the Assumption, which found its beginning in St. Bartolo Longo, under the insistent will of the venerable Leone.
The study table was led by Rev Mario Porro, vice-postulator of the venerable Father Antonio Maria Losito, from Canosa, and historical collaborator of Leone’s cause. He introduced the proceedings and masterfully linked the two reports, bringing out the relevance of Fr. Leone’s spiritual message.
The conclusions were entrusted to the parish priest of St. Stephen’s Parish, Rev Matteo Losapio, who drew the attention of those present to the link between spirituality and the earth. Secondly, he recalled the importance of the laity in Fr. Leone’s ecclesial vision. In this way, he pointed out to those present two aspects of the relevance of Fr. Leone’s figure for the journey of the Church.
The reading of a letter from the provincial superior of the Redemptorists of Southern Europe, Fr. Gennaro Sorrentino, addressed to the vice-postulator Fr. Stefano Sarcina, confirmed the spiritual communion that has always linked the community of Trinitapoli to the congregation of St. Alphonsus, to the appreciation of those present.
The study day was attended by priests working in Trinitapoli, many faithful and also some people from neighbouring villages.
Don Sarcina, vice-postulator, invited the priests to share a moment of conviviality and priestly fraternity. It was a fruitful day and a moment of spiritual deepening and knowledge of some aspects of the life of the Venerable, hitherto little investigated, which opened up new avenues of study. Trinitapoli still feels a keen desire to continue to learn about the spirituality of its fellow citizen Giuseppe Maria Leone.
Even today, in fact, the signs of Father Leone’s passage can still be felt in the city’s believing community. At a difficult time for society and the Church, due to the political and social changes of the late 19th century, Father Leone was able to inflame the hearts of his fellow citizens through Mary, the sweetest Mother, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He taught his spiritual sons and daughters to entrust everything to her, because a Mother cannot fail to listen and intervene to give relief to her children.
The event sparked new interest in the multifaceted figure of Father Leone, who we hope will be the subject of other similar cultural events in the near future.
Father Leone is alive and his presence continues to inspire and accompany the life of the Casale community and those who have chosen him as a friend and travelling companion.
Rev Nicola Grosso
