life of luigi gentili

122 Pages·2009·3.25 MB·English

by  Q3 -

W SPECIAL EDITION
ITNESS
NUMBER 24 JUNE 2009
A JOURNAL FOR THE
MEMBERS AND FRIENDS
OF THE INSTITUTE OF CHARITY
C
ONTENTS
A Brief Life of Fr. Luigi Gentili ........................................................3
Introduction......................................................................................4
Chapter 1: Early Years......................................................................8
Chapter 2: Meeting with Blessed Rosmini......................................15
Chapter 3: Novice and Novice Master at Calvario ........................38
Chapter 4: Mission in England at Prior Park, 1835-1839 ..............47
Chapter 5: Mission at Grace Dieu, 1840-1842 ..............................60
Chapter 6: Mission at Loughborough, 1842-1845..........................69
Chapter 7: Itinerant Missionary, 1845-1848 ..................................83
Chapter 8: Mission in Ireland, April – September 1848................100
Rosminian Views..........................................................................109
A Small Taste of Tanzania ............................................................110
Mother of Sorrows, Mother of Joy ..............................................113
Mother Maria Giovanna Antonietti of Baceno ............................116
With thanks to Joe Breidenback, David Tobin and P.M. Rodrigues
for their help
All editorial correspondence to:
A Belsito, Rosmini Centre, 433 Fosse Way, Ratcliffe-on-the-Wreake,
Leicester, LE7 4SJ – Tel. [phone]; Mob. [phone]; e-mail:
[email protected]; website, www.rosminicentre.co.uk
A B L
RIEF IFE OF
F . L G
R UIGI ENTILI
A D
POSTLE AND ISCIPLE
OF
B A R
LESSED NTONIO OSMINI
I
NTRODUCTION
At the recent General Assembly and of the whole Institute of
of the Institute of Charity there Charity. He is a powerful source
was some trepidation about the of inspiration, both in his life as
decision to amalgamate into one a Rosminian religious and in his
the three English speaking approach to apostolic work.
Provinces – USA, Ireland, UK;
there was, however, unanimous He was one of the earliest
agreement about the name of the companions of Blessed Antonio
newly constituted greater Rosmini, and had the fortune of
Province: it was to be known as being “formed” into the
the “Gentili Province”. religious life by him. It was
Blessed Rosmini who nurtured
It seemed appropriate and fitting his vocation in the Institute from
that such Province should take the beginning, encouraging him
its name from Fr. Luigi Gentili. to develop his exceptional
Even from his early days as a spiritual gifts, and demanding
theology student in Rome, from him far more than he
Gentili had received a pressing demanded from others. Their
invitation to evangelise America correspondence is a classic
from the Bishop of New York example of sustained spiritual
Mons. Dubois. He valued the direction: robust, open,
invitation, but he could not challenging, severe, yet informed
accept it since Divine Providence by profound spiritual love and
was guiding his steps, through fatherly concern. Fr. Gentili
obedience, to the immense venerated Blessed Rosmini, even
apostolic work in Great Britain though the difference in age was
and in Ireland. His name, slight; he saw in him a true man
however, constitutes a powerful of God, a holy Founder, a most
symbolic link of the three old persuasive philosopher and
provinces into the unity of the theologian. Blessed Rosmini
new Gentili Province. grasped immediately the huge
potential to holiness of the smart
But there is another reason why lawyer who had left everything
the figure of Fr. Luigi Gentili is to pursue the Will of God in the
of great importance to the religious life with all his energy
members of the new Province, and talents.
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ABRIEFLIFEOFFR.LUIGIGENTILI
Fr. Gentili died at the age of 47, catholic, apostolic Church, and
consumed by his apostolic he succeeded, with the grace of
fatigues and by the severity of God, in bringing to the
his ascetical life. The obedience of the faith thousand
circumstances of his death of people. Conversions to the
provoked extreme admiration, Catholic Church remained an
and the word ‘martyr’ was important dimension of all his
spontaneously applied to him by apostolic endeavours, and his
the people, and by many of the missionary success was
bishops, priests, and religious acknowledged and quoted, by
who knew him well. Bishops in England and in
Rome, as evidence of the
Fr. Gentili never committed the “Second Spring” of the Catholic
mistake of dissociating the faith in Britain.
contemplative life from the
apostolic life. He remained a But he soon came to the
“contemplative” all through his realisation that conversions
religious life, even in the midst needed the fertile soil of a truly
of his most pressing apostolic lived Catholic faith by the
endeavours, for he knew that the Catholic community, and
apostle, to be such, must be truly without losing sight of the first
a man of God, whether in the objective, he dedicated all his
secrecy of his cell or in the energy to the evangelisation of
pulpit. He was immersed in his Catholics, to “convert” them to
work of personal purification, a revival of their ancient faith, to
intense life of prayer, tender love help them re-discover the beauty
for God while, at the same time, and the power of worship, of the
instructing, preaching, Sacraments, of ethical obedience,
organising, leading people on the of the pursuit of holiness. In this,
way to discovering the source of he was immensely successful,
their faith in the depth of their reaching out to priests and
heart. religious by means of private and
public retreats, and to parishes
Yet, he was cast in the mould of all over the country by giving
the great Apostles of the Church, Missions.
Paul, Francis Xavier, Augustine
of Canterbury. His burning Retreats and Missions had a
desire, when he first arrived in special place in the heart of
Britain, was for the conversion Fr. Gentili, as the privileged
of Protestants to the one, holy, means for renewal of the
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ABRIEFLIFEOFFR.LUIGIGENTILI
Catholic faith. He often behind the enthusiastic
reminded Blessed Rosmini of the agreement on the name and the
providential fact that Sacro figure of Fr. Luigi Gentili.
Monte Calvario, the cradle of the
Institute of Charity, had been for Fr. Gentili was a faithful disciple
centuries, before the foundation of Blessed Rosmini, and a great
of the Institute, a place for Apostle. As a disciple, Fr. Gentili is
Retreats and for Missions. apowerful example of a life
committed to the daily purification
Fr. Gentili’s first missionary of conscience and to the pursuit of
efforts in Britain were dedicated virtues, through poverty, austerity,
to the educational establishments humility, obedience, intense love of
at Prior Park. He saw in this God, and of neighbour. He loved
calling the hand of Divine community life, and he longed for
Providence, indicating to the it whenever his duties made it
Institute the huge value of the impossible for him to be with his
education of young people. He brethren.
responded with great generosity
at Prior Park, and for seven years He was also a great Apostle,
the Institute sent many religious burning with a holy desire to
from Italy to the College, bring people to the full
working tirelessly for no financial knowledge of Christ and of His
remuneration. It was Fr. Gentili Church and to rekindle in the
who believed so firmly in the hearts of the Catholic population
special calling of the Institute to the power of the faith received at
intellectual charity in the field of Baptism, in obedience to the
education, that he put pressure Church, by way of the
on Blessed Rosmini for the Sacraments, through worship,
building of Ratcliffe College, in and traditional devotions.
Leicestershire.
Fr. Gentili was at the same time
This issue of Witness is on Mount Tabor and on Mount
dedicated to Fr. Gentili, on the Calvary, to use one of his
occasion of the formation of the expressions: a contemplative and
new Gentili Province. It was an apostolic man, fulfilling at the
Divine Providence that guided same time the two
the Institute towards taking this commandments of JESUS: “Love
important decision, and is God with all your heart, mind
guiding now the members of the and strength; and love your
Province to discover the signs neighbour as you love yourself”.
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ABRIEFLIFEOFFR.LUIGIGENTILI
What are the providential signs to (Adoration, processions), and
be gleaned from the life of to Mary, the Blessed Mother
Fr.Gentili? We may perhaps like to of God;
reflect on the following landmarks,
to guide us on the journey of the 5 Interest for and nurturing of
new Gentili Province: vocations, following the
example of Blessed Rosmini
1 Profound personal with Fr. Gentili, and of
commitment to holiness, Fr. Gentili with Frs. Furlong,
through the contemplative Hutton, Lockhart, and many
and the apostolic life, Tabor other.
and Calvary at the same time;
This issue of Witness celebrates
2 Intellectual charity, through also the bicentenary of the birth
the evangelisation of culture, of Sr. Giovanna Antonietti of
and through the formation of Baceno, the first Mother General
young people in Catholic of the Sisters of Providence. Like
education; Fr. Gentili, she was a faithful
disciple of Blessed Rosmini, as
3 Pastoral shift towards more we learn from the article written
universal forms of spiritual by Sr. Maria Michela Riva.
charity: Retreats, both private
and public, to clergy, religious,
and lay people; and Missions
in parishes, with the express
purpose of reviving the faith of
the Catholic people through
instructions, meditation, and
the celebration of the
Sacraments, especially
Confession and the Eucharist;
4 Re-discovery of traditional
forms of devotion: to the
Blessed Sacrament Blessed Antonio Rosmini
NB: For ease of reading, all references to quotations have been
omitted. They have been taken from the short list of books listed in
the Bibliography on page 108; for more detailed information please
write to the Editor.
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C O
HAPTER NE
E Y
ARLY EARS
“My parents were saintly parents, to
whose care, vigilance, and good
example I owe everything under God.
May He reward them for the good they
have done me, which I did not deserve”
(Fr. Gentili)
EARLYYEARS
Luigi Gentili was born in Rome through the years of his primary
on 14th July 1801, on the feast- and secondary education. The
day of St. Bonaventure, a Doctor prize he won in 1815 – at the
of the Church noted for the depth age of 14 – was explained thus:
and beauty of his philosophical “Luigi Gentili is a young man
writings, and for his great with a bright future, of strong
devotion to the Virgin Mary. intellectual ability, passionate
about his studies, and endowed
His mother, Anna Maria with great love for honesty and
Gnaccarini, was a saintly woman integrity”.
of Roman origins. Luigi was the
first-born of her 12 children. His The young Luigi was a man in a
father, Giuseppe Gentili, was great hurry. He was admitted at
from Citta’ Ducale, near Naples, the Sapienza University in Rome
and had qualified in Rome as a at the age of 16, to study civil
lawyer with the help of his and canon law, and although he
uncle, a zealous priest and was the youngest member of his
lecturer of theology at the class he outperformed everyone
Roman College, by the name of with his power of thought and
Giuseppe Marconi. The success the strength of his application.
of Gentili’s practice guaranteed a He was 21 years old when he
comfortable existence and a obtained, summa cum laude, the
good education for the children. double Doctorate in civil and
ecclesiastical law. His wider
“Luigi Bonaventura Francesco academic interests had also
Camillo” was baptized the day gained him membership in the
after his birth; one of his two prestigious Academies of
godparents was a Francesco Roman society, the Roman and
Brunatti from Rovereto, the the Arcadian, the first centred on
birthplace of Antonio Rosmini, a Italian Literature the second on
fact which the mature Luigi archaeological studies and
interpreted as an early research. He had a profound
providential sign of his future life. understanding of Dante and
knew by heart nearly all of the
He had a happy and carefree Divine Comedy.
childhood, naturally open to
beauty, friendship, and love of He worked for two years in well
learning. His exceptional known legal practices in Rome,
qualities and diligent application gaining experience and making
allowed him to win top prizes all important contacts in the
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EARLYYEARS
profession. He then opened his profession. He took the drastic
own legal studio, soon acquiring and extraordinary decision of
a good reputation for a series of quitting altogether the legal
highly successful legal victories. career, to the astonishment of
But he was ambitious and family and friends alike.
forward looking and succeeded in
arousing the interest of the most His brother, Antonio Gentili,
powerful and influential writing a few years later, tried to
ecclesiastic of the day, Cardinal explain this unpredictable
Ercole Consalvi, the Secretary of decision, providing, at the same
State of Pius VII and well known time, an insight into the mind
leader of the Sacra Romana Rota, and heart of Luigi. The
the most important ecclesiastical successful young lawyer was
tribunal of the Church. very conscious of his many
talents and gifts, and burned
Luigi began a thorough study of with the ambition of reaching
all of Cardinal Consalvi’s legal the top in all his endeavours.
cases, producing tables and He was determined, and had
annotations of the various little patience; and even failure
arguments and identifying the did not deter him, he simply
wisdom running through each looked for alternative routes to
case right up to its successful reach the summit. It will be this
resolution. The study, which was “ruthless” quest that will drive,
meant for publication, involved at a later stage, Fr. Gentili to
meetings with the Cardinal embark with all his energies and
himself, who became so talents on the way to personal
convinced of the outstanding holiness and to offer himself
skills of the young lawyer that without reservations to the love
he promised him the post of of God and neighbour in his
judge at the Sacra Romana Rota. apostolate.
Luigi was about 23 years old,
and it looked as though he was One of these alternative routes
about to fulfil his dearest led Luigi, on this occasion, to
ambitions. lock himself up in his room for
one whole year, immersed in the
The sudden death of Cardinal study of three modern languages,
Consalvi, however, brought to Spanish, French, and English.
an end all his legal projects and His family and friends worried
his dream of becoming rich and about his mental stability, but he
famous by means of the legal came out of it at the end of the
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