Companions in Holiness

Perhaps because of the relatively small size of the Passionist Congregation, or perhaps simply because holiness is contagious, we can notice how often saintly Passionists lived together in the same community or received spiritual guidance from other saints of the Congregation.

Here is one example of what we might call a ‘chain of holiness’: As a young man studying at the Collegio Romano (the forerunner of the Gregorian University), Blessed Lorenzo (Salvi) of Saint Francis Xavier was influenced by the preaching of Saint Vincent Mary Strambi and joined the Passionists. As a Passionist, he met Blessed Dominic Barberi, who was vicar (vice-rector) of Saint John and Paul in Rome when Lorenzo was rector. While Blessed Dominic was living in Rome, he met a former Anglican priest, George Spencer, who encouraged him to bring the Passionists to England. George Spencer later joined the Passionists in England and, as Father Ignatius of Saint Paul, became Provincial after the death of Blessed Dominic. Shortly after becoming Provincial, the servant of God Ignatius Spencer visited the Passionist student community in Belgium where he met for the first time Blessed Charles Houben, who would later live with him in community in England and, after moving to Ireland came to be known as Father Charles of Mount Argus.

We find another example in the life of Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows, one of whose classmates in the novitiate was Blessed Bernard Mary (Silvestrelli) of Jesus; the Vice-Master of Novices was the venerable Norbert (Cassinelli) of Mary, who was Saint Gabriel’s spiritual director in his later years as a professed Passionist and who assisted him at his deathbed. Thirty years after Gabriel’s death, Bernard Mary wrote this summary of his companion’s character:

(quoted in Fabiano Giorgini C.P., Bernard Mary Silvestrelli, Passionist.)

The relationship of a holy director and holy directee can be seen in the lives of the venerable Galileo Nicolini, Passionist novice, and his Novice Master, the venerable Nazareno Santolini. However, a better known example is that of Saint Gemma Galgani, who as a layperson lived the spirituality of the Passion in an extraordinary way, and her spiritual father, the venerable Germano (Ruoppolo) of Saint Stanislaus. Before they had ever met, it had been revealed to Gemma in a vision that Father Germano would become her director. He himself has left this description of their first meeting:

(Father Germano C.P., The Life of Blessed Gemma Galgani.)