PRIESTLY PERIOD (1868 - 1888)Letters 16C-129
19
TO FR. STEPHAN ROSSETTI
He met great souls in Turin.
Resignation during difficulties.
Obedience to Spiritual Director.
Writing at length.
Kindness of Bishop.
[Asti, after Sunday, November 30, 1868]
Dear friend in Our Lord Jesus Christ,
Veniam damus petimusque vicissim.
I also come to you with a bagful of excuses to tell you that
if I hadn't been away from home all last week, I would certainly not have forgotten to drop a line to the
good assistant of Cortanze. Now I take the occasion of a little free time to reply to your overloaded letter
of the 17th.
I have a thousand things to say about my trip with the Bishop to Turin and about the many
wonderful things I saw and learned under the guidance of my superior. Let me only make this remark:
The inner strength of the Church increases in inverse proportion to her external resources; and there are
still great souls.... Thanks to God!
Let me tell you this: you have nothing to complain about. You have a Pastor beyond comparison;
parishioners who are about the best; you’re enjoying the kind of weather that permits you to visit friends;
you have more time on your hands for hobbies than you could wish for; you enjoy progressively
flourishing health; you have a thousand other little advantages that I don’t mention – and still you
complain. Now, that’s really what I call indiscretion. I’m the only one that should be complaining, living
as I do a life of contradiction: a life torn between protocol and solitude, happy moments of relaxation and
long hours of bureaucratic rigidity, correspondence with friends and the cold routine of office work....
But now let’s be serious. I realize I am holding a position that is beset with knotty problems and
difficulties. Still, I am the jolliest and most peaceful man in the world. When you live with Bishop Savio,
you can’t help being content and resigned in everything. I wish I could share with you a particle of that
courage which our beloved Bishop is so capable of inspiring me with; but I am unable. All I shall tell you
is to reaffirm at the very moment your trust in the good God and to be convinced that He sometimes
denies us the consolations of the spirit but never wants to deprive us of that resignation to His will which
is the root of all merit. Find a good spiritual book, a good spiritual director (and God can raise up such a
man to suit your need even in the person of the humblest country chaplain), and then take courage: Turn
a deaf ear to the voice of the devil and listen only to the voice of God who speaks in a thousand ways to
His faithful ones. We are unable to explore in its secret depth the great economy of Providence; yet we
know from experience that faith daily works in souls the greatest miracles. How many, after the example
of our Bishop, guided by their own Padre Carpigano, have achieved boldly, and with outstanding success
what in their own judgment they would never have dared to attempt. Obey, obey blindly; do not rely on
your own judgment in matters concerning yourself— there you have the secret of Christian living, the
touchstone of sanctity.
Courage my dear brother. Let us be firmly convinced that all forms of inquietude are ex parte
diaboli— let us renew our spirit at every moment; let us rest in the mercy of God who absorbs all the
weakness of our infirm nature.
Farewell, my dear brother. Remember me in the Holy Sacrifice, and preserve unchanged those
ties of friendship that bound us together for so many years in the happy companionship of seminary life. I
will pray for you and will always remain
Your most affectionate brother in Christ,
Joseph Marello
22
TO FR. STEPHEN DELAUDE
Entered in the First Vatican Council
Let us work as God wants it
Pray
Solidarity of good deeds among priest
Resources of priestly life
[Asti, after January 1, 1869]
Pardon me if for lack of time I can only jot down a few words of thanks for your remembrance of
me. Paratus ad omnia. (I am ready for anything). We are living in the year of great events. Let us not
forget this for one instant. Pius IX, the pope of December 8, has told us to wait for the events and he
seems to have reasonable hope to see that day which the Catholic world is looking forward to with
prayers and good wishes.
Let us all work in the manner and with the intensity desired by God. Surely He
is able to fit our efforts to suit His designs. Let us pray. In these times prayer has become the greatest, the
most powerful apostolate. Let us pray and have others pray. Oh, my dear Stefano, you enjoy the
consolations that it is not in my power to enjoy. You are working in the very midst of the mystical
vineyard. You are dealing with the great business of redeeming sinful souls. You are guiding the Lord’s
flock to pastures of life, while I remain here simply to carry out the will of my superior. Different
positions means different possibilities for doing good, different ways of accumulating merit. May the
Lord’s will be done in all things. Amen.
I still have a fraction of free time to add an extra word. Remember me in your prayers. Consider that for
us priests solidarity in good works is the only resource left to us in these times when our sphere of action
is so limited. Farewell. Ours must be a spirit of combat, but a spirit of resignation as well. May we seek
God’s glory, but in conformity to His will; may we desire much, yet be satisfied with little; may we
promote the triumph of the Church, yet without disowning our own personal defeats and the daily
mortification of self-love. Such is life, and such must be our studied effort to live in union with our
Divine Master.
Farewell. I wish I could say more, but I must stop for a number of reasons. Not the least of these
is the thought that I would be doing a great wrong to that mind of yours, a veritable storehouse of all that
is .good and beautiful, were I to go on enumerating the needs and the resources of the priesthood.
Farewell. Remember me—ever yours in the sweetest heart of Jesus and under the protection of
the mantle of our common mother Mary.
Beppe Marello
Aut pati, aut mori. St. Teresa
Praebe mihi cor tuum, fili
Non mori, sed pati. St. Mary Magdalen dei Pazzi.
23
TO FR. STEPHEN DELAUDE
[Asti, January 12, 1869]
My dear Stefanino,
I have many things to scold you for, and if you’re ready to accept the rebukes in good spirit, I’m
ready to rattle them off to you in short order on this sheet of paper.
I’m not inclined to believe what you say about your loss of energy in writing and your flagging
spirits, as you complain in your latest letter. But if by chance what you tell about your lack of drive is
partly true, for heaven’s sake write at once and send me a more detailed analysis of your condition. Give
me a conscientious description of all the antecedents of your ailment and I’ll do whatever is in my power
to find the prescription that suits your need. For goodness’ sake, let no one ever say that the tireless, the
mighty Delaude has lost his pep just at the time when the biggest job remains to be done and that he’s
failing in the hour of greatest need, when events are taking shape in an atmosphere that is charged with
momentous possibilities
It cannot be. It simply isn’t possible that this mind of yours that shone with so
much brilliance has suddenly gone dark. That heart of yours, embracing in its marvelous span all the
noblest and most generous aspirations ‒ ‒ it is impossible that in one moment it has frozen to the point
of being no longer able to breathe life into the great projects designed by your pen.
Here is rather what I think of the situation: In the world of nature it happens that when some
great phenomenon is about to appear, it is usually preceded by totally negative signs of a perfect silence.
To put it more clearly: before the storm the sea is absolutely calm; before his death the patient
experiences a moment of peace that looks like the beginning of his recovery. Anyway, this has nothing to
do with your case. Before the examination the pupil is unaware of what is in store for him. This is the
kind of silence that surrounds maturity, the solemn stillness that goes before action, the secret and
mysterious recollection that sets the stage for a truly magnificent and stupendous production. Have I
made myself clear? You are, I believe, precisely in this period of transition that leads by way of a
profound silence to a splendid revelation. Courage then. Do not be disturbed by this passing phase of
dormancy which points to an imminent awakening. In silence the soul prepares for that piercing cry that
is to echo over the entire Catholic horizon.
In secret does the hero take shape, like the seed sprouting in
nature. In silence are men of great character formed, just as in the humble sea shell is hardened the
dewdrop that is changed into a precious stone that shall adorn the brow of the daughter of the king. And
so again, courage.
Now to get down to details since we have already covered this ground often enough (without
counting the four pages I’m not sending you and that I am keeping as a memo in my scrapbook). What
are you doing with your twenty-four hours? How many of them do you employ in praying, hearing
confessions, preaching, gathering memories of the past and notes for the future? How much time do you
need to take care of your social and material needs? We’ll discuss all this without my waiting for you to
send me a categorical answer.
Prayer comes before anything else. Look at St Ignatius of Loyola. He carried the world on his
shoulders, his heart and mind weighted down by the greatest of all institutions; and yet he prayed, I
believe, seven hours a day. And how many fine things doesn’t Liguori say about prayer! And Lacordaire!
I can’t help quoting here a passage from him: “Prayer is the queen of the world. Dressed in humble garb,
her head bent low, her hands outstretched, she protects the universe by her pleading majesty. She moves
continuously from the weakhearted to the stronghearted. The lower the level her pleading rises from and
the greater the throne on which she leans, the firmer is her sway of empire. If an insect could plead with
us as we are about to crush it underfoot, its prayer would move our heart to boundless pity; and since
there is nothing higher than God, there is no prayer more victorious than the prayer that rises to Him. It is
prayer, my friend, that reestablishes our relations with God, makes us aware of His action, and does
violence to Him without infringing on His freedom. Therefore prayer is the mother of faith.”
So then there must be constant, lively, unremitting prayer: constant in all periods of the day,
lively in its transition to various tones and semitones; unremitting in its singsong prolixity (which
amounts to the repetition of aspirations). Well, it just occurred to me that it would be a waste of time for
me to teach a cat how to climb. Delaude knows only too well the art of prayer and realizes much better
than I the resources the priest has in prayer. Leaving aside confession, which it is not my business to
discuss, I shall take up the third point: talking to the people, preaching. But there are so many kinds of
preaching—preaching to visitors in one’s home, to healthy people in the homes of the sick, to children in
the streets, to adults wherever one can. To everyone, everywhere, we can preach with eyes and lips, with
our entire person, by virtue of the infallible “imitatores mei”
and “luceat lux vestra coram hominibus”
And since it would be a hopeless task to mention every variety, I’ll cut the matter short and go on. In the
fourth place I mention to you the need to gather up memories of the past and notes for the future. This is
the surest means to preserve the freshness of youth that keeps fading away under the increasing pressures
connected with our state of life. Rejuvenate yourself each day with a good shot of the acqua vitae of
memories, capped off perhaps by another shot of ratafia
, of notes for the future, and your soul will
always be as young and fresh as twenty-three. Next, I launch into a topic that we haven’t yet touched on.
What books are you reading? Get rid of them all. Try to get the vicar of Bishop Dupanloup to lend you
the notes he has written on St. Jerome or some other saint. Or, if you prefer, turn to so many other good
French writers who have handled in good taste the lives of saints most suited for our times. Yes, the lives
of the saints. Try it out and you’ll be able to tell me what you think about it.
We need to rise up to the level of great models; we need to raise the pitch of our moral diapason;
we need to escape once and for all from the vicious circle of our resolutions and renewal of resolutions.
A priestly soul is an object of greatness in the sight of the world, of the Angels, and of God Himself. Let
us therefore soar above this low horizon of pygmies and take the place befitting us as ministers of the
Lord. Oh, if you only knew! Something to make you blush to your hair roots. There would be no end to
the discussion if I started. Suffice to say that while the economy of grace is on the one hand an
incomprehensible dogma, under certain aspects it could constitute for a truly Christian soul a far-reaching
science. There are many good people even among our common folk who have been initiated in this
science, while the priest too often is ignorant of its most rudimentary facts....There are young girls who
remain fixed in prayer for hours after the heavenly banquet. There are matrons surrounded by all the
comforts of their estate and all the abundance of their wealth, and yet they live in perfect detachment
from earthly riches while bearing with a simple heart the weight of their social status. And so many other
living examples! Courage, my dear deacon.
Let us return to the days of our first promises, to the
beginning of our priestly life. How much time wasted! How many useless worries! How much self-love;
how little detachment from the things that do not pertain to God; what a scanty measure of abandonment
to the Lord; what little effort at conformity to the Divine Will! What dangerous freedom in spiritual
exercises; what sloth, what self-interest, what vanity, lack of mortification, disorderly affections! Let us
start over, let us start all over again. Let us invoke the Holy Spirit that He may enlighten us. Let us walk
in the presence of God with the simplicity of a little child playing under its mother’s gaze. Let us accept
the consolations and the sorrows that God sends us in the spirit of deep subjection to His will...This is the
way to live.
I urge you not to make any rash judgments on seeing me in such a mood for scribbling down my
thoughts at random. One swallow does not make a spring. The main reason is that at this time the bishop
is ensconced in examining the paper work of those who are competing for parishes, and as a result I am
free as a lark with my friends. So, consider this merely as an expression of my good will and of my
sincere desire to put it always to work, and not as the beginning of a round of correspondence along these
lines. Now let us get back to our details. Realize that it is now two years since we consolidated our
friendship.
How many happy memories! How many hopes, how many disappointments! The day before
yesterday I completed the fifth anniversary of my second investiture.
Six years ago at this time I
was wandering through the capital of Italy with my head full of political ideas and my heart overflowing
with the most tender feelings for my country. What an illusion! Youthful fancies that have vanished,
opening up in my soul a stream of sad disillusions that still flows on! O unhappy affections that dilated
my heart and exploited before its time the closed bud of life and lulled my spirit to sleep in an
atmosphere of blighting skepticism! Vade retro, Satanas.
Enough of these Arcadian frolics; let us get
down to something serious. Only ten months and twenty-six days and we shall see the great Father of the
faithful invoke the renewing spirit over troubled humanity: “emitte Spiritum...et renovabis faciem
terrae.”
Courage, my dear Stephen. That will be a great day for people of good will. The code of
Freemasonry is completed by now. The struggle between the two princes is approaching: the apostolate
of the dagger directed by the fiery Genovese; the apostolate of prayer animated by the angelic Pius.
Already the two armies are encamped and facing each other, and from all sides war cries are being
raised: “Down with religion, long live free thinking.” “—Peace on earth, long live Jesus.” O Delaude,
Delaude, with steady nerve and sturdy heartbeat, our spirit soaring in prayer above the horizon of the
future, we will fight on and keep dragging this mortal flesh amid the bloody conflict without uttering one
bitter word or retreating one step from the path to martyrdom. The palm is waiting up there in Heaven for
the man who can die victoriously...Jesus, Mary, Joseph, help us. How can we be strong in the fight
without you? Domine, Domine, iube quod vis, sed da quod iubes.
It’s time to make a halt. But first let me again urge you to pray and pray very much without
worrying about anything else. He who is worried and full of anxiety in his work does an offense to God
and does not say the Our Father from the heart. Let us accept purely and simply whatever God sends us,
without being concerned or sad. I can’t attend to the job, but you can: spend a few hours daily removing
the dirt and rust, if any, from old projects worth being put to work; for instance, the distribution of good
literature. Did I tell you that in Modena the Immaculata Printery printed one hundred thousand copies of
St Alphonsus (say what you will, St Alphonsus is still the most popular book and the one best suited for
the ordinary reader and even for the better educated) which are being sold by the hundreds at little more
than three cents per copy containing 326 pages. Don’t you think it’s a good idea to subscribe to one
newspaper less and circulate one hundred copies of Liguori among the people? With so much of waste in
spending, would it not be better to spread among our families cards with Christian greetings or the
eternal truths or short summaries of the rules of perfection...and other leaflets that you can get at eleven
and a half francs a thousand.
Go on, then. Think up the projects; gather together the loose ends; pray to our Lord to give
increase to our hopes; read the lives of the saints and send me your written comments on them; talk little
and pray a lot; put your papers in order—clear, effective, aimed especially at our studious youth. In a
word, multiply your activity as much as you can, because God did not give you those outstanding talents
for work so that you might waste them on trifles, but for the good of the Church. Look at me—at this
time I can only lend encouragement and prayer; I can assure you, however, that if my body is harassed by
a thousand distractions, my soul is always with you in the presence of God, where we must all have
recourse at every moment to renew our strength. When you are tired, raise your eyes, place your hands
over your heart. You are in the presence of the Lord, you are with your friend, with Catholicity. The
Communion of Saints is a great dogma. Speak loud and I’ll hear what you will tell me: “Father, sons,
brothers, one single current of love. Amen.”
25
TO FR. STEPHEN DELAUDE
Agitation of the social mass mission to convey Jesus’s message:
The catechism
To meet each other in Rome
Preparing in silence-
[Asti, end of January 1869]
W.G.M.G.
Dear Brother in Jesus Christ,
I have no time for a long letter, only a few words but from the heart. How many events are taking
place within our own microcosm, within our sphere of action, in our diocese, in our mother fatherland
and throughout the European continent and I will venture to add throughout the entire pilgrim family of
Adam (unless one wants to take in the whole vast horizon of the Church militant, suffering, and
triumphant). Everything is on the move. “Mankind is astir, but it is God who is guiding it,” was the cry of
Father Ferreri from our cathedral pulpit a year ago. In the great social mass all our great personalities are
in a state of ferment, all individuals, all classes, all nationalities, all races are being affected in different
and mysterious ways in every part of the globe. It is time to take note of Napoleon’s solemn admission to
the French people of the necessity of affirming the great principles of Christianity. Ah yes, how well did
Guizot put it: “Europe is suffering from a lack of faith, hope, and charity.”
We must get back to the catechism, the book par excellence that has a truth, a counsel, a teaching
for everyone. It shows kings the art of governing, it sets down for nations the principles of equality and
freedom. It furnishes legislators with norms for lawmaking, guides administrators in the management of
public affairs, and prints out to magistrates the paths of justice. It inculcates the moral law in the working
man, assures the wealthy person of his right to private property and guarantees to the peer the daily bread
of charity,... But who am I to talk of the catechism to one who handles it continuously by reason of his
ministry and who should possess a much deeper knowledge of its spirit than myself. Ah, my dear
Stephen, here is what we have to do: go back to the simple style, reduce things to the lowest terms,
clarify what is obscure, simplify what is complicated. A priest according to the spirit of Jesus Christ must
be furnished with great doctrine, and this doctrine he must communicate to the nations. The Divine
Master transmits this doctrine to us through His Church. He teaches it to us when we are children, He
develops it even in our schools, He simplifies it in our preaching, He translates it in all the actions of
Christian living. This, then, is our mission to make the teachings of Jesus Christ known, loved, and
practiced. That man is shallow indeed who charges this great book with being shallow. This book which
reveals with marvelous effectiveness all the designs of religion and makes of a boy of ten a profound
reasoner. He possesses all the great principles of true philosophy and is in a position to discuss at any
moment the essence and attributes of God. He can speak without confusing the unity of the trinity of
God, generation and procession, etc.. He knows about the origin of the world and the fall of man, the
coming of the Redeemer and the necessity of grace, the means of transmitting it, the sacrament of
reconciliation, the communion of prayer, etc., etc.. Surely no philosopher can ever compare with a
Christian child in the exact exposition of the great truths that constitute the fund of our knowledge. The
purpose of man, the social relationship, the bond of love, the necessity of law, and of sanctions, the right
of ownership, etc., are all matters that form the object of catechetical conferences among the little folks,
uneducated as they are and unschooled in scientific terminology.
I have a million things to say, but, I’ll have to reserve them for days not far ahead, when we shall
again have an opportunity to discuss in common our ideals and our hopes, as we used to in the past, but
in an entirely different setting along the walks of Monte Pincio or under the arch of Titus or sitting on the
ruins of Monte Cavallo or climbing up the cliffs of Tivoli—in a word, in the Eternal City. There we shall
meet, a few months from now, to discuss the diocese of Asti and Christendom. We shall visit the
Coliseum and we shall talk about the firmness of the priesthood that triumphs over all obstacles. We
shall enter the tombs in which grew the first fruits of the Church. We shall pass in review the great
monuments that bear inscribed the history of the Papacy. Everywhere we shall contemplate the power
and the truth of those divine words: Et portae inferi non praevalebunt.
Yes, my dear assistant of
Castellalfero, within ten months we shall shake hands in the square of Castel Sant’Angelo and together
turn our steps toward...I am not too acquainted with the topography of Rome, so I’ll just say it will be a
memorable day when Rome will hold us within her walls (sic); not a day to be recorded in the history of
great events, but one to be preserved in the book of our poor hearts.
...Goodbye. Pray very much. These are days of recollection. Let us prepare ourselves in silence
as we await God’s signal.
Everything is developing through the chain of time and time is in the hands
of God.
Your comrade in arms,
Giuseppe Marello
26
TO FR. STEPHEN DELAUDE
[Asti, ca. February 2, 1869]
........This angelic priest (Fr. DeMastro)... an innocence and simplicity that enchant you; a
graceful manner and kind conversation beyond reproach.... Here is ... an example who allows me to
understand what a priest truly is.... Here is a model I would like to see reproduced throughout the entire
Diocese (while respecting individual personality differences).......
.......our Felix Quaglino, friend to the perch........
27
TO FR. STEPHEN DELAUDE
[Asti, February 3, 1869]
.......This wild craving to epistolize by return mail.......
.......Yes, my dear Delaude, let us practice great courage in mortifying our contentious spirit, our
rebellious flesh, this wounded nature of ours.....
28
TO FR. STEPHEN DELAUDE
Suggestions for setting up a traveling library for the youth
Regard for a kind word
[Asti, February 5, 1869]
Dearly beloved in Jesus and Mary:
Here I am at your service. The request you made of Felice is passed on to me. I accept it
willingly, all the more since it gives me the occasion for a proposal that I have been wanting to make to
you.
With all the books that we are sending you, and that, God willingly, we shall send, why could you
not form a little library for the children? You could set up a little reading-room, with table, chairs, etc..
You could meet there on Wednesdays for your religious conferences and instructions for the youth of
Castelalferese. And you will certainly find the occasion to invite the Catholic laity to broaden their
religious education by reading good books. At this point you yourself can offer to lend them out (and
keep a record of them) to those who ask. Once the project is started-and I don’t think it is difficult to do
so in Lent-you can find a way to collect funds to acquire new books of current publication, and in this
way you will also be cooperating in spreading religious literature and encouraging devout readers. Work
as hard as you can for the welfare of youth. Even the little we do is something, and the prevention of evil
in our times is already a great good.
Courage, then, my dear Delaude. If you always do your job as a
grand gentleman, you will draw the applause of Felice and all your friends. I must stop now, otherwise
there won’t be anything left to write about the next time. Thanks on behalf of Felice for the nice things
you so kindly wrote him on that piece of paper. A good word is worth a treasure, and the Lord never
leaves unrewarded the smallest action performed for His glory on behalf of our neighbor.
Goodbye. Always yours in the union with the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and Joseph.
J. Marello
29
TO FR. STEPHEN DELAUDE
[Asti, near February 20, 1869]
My dear Delaude,
...Let us pray very much to Him who according to his designs shall give increase to the work of
His ministers. Let us plant, let us irrigate, but most of all, let us keep our eyes constantly turned toward
the divine Sun from which descends the kind warmth that causes supernatural growth.
I suppose you are very busy these days: your youth center and catechism, preparation of your
parishioners for Easter. So let me tell you what the Holy Father told the preachers in Rome: “Remember
to look for the secret of eloquence in charity.” Memorable words which I like to recall whenever I turn
my thoughts to the great apostolate of the world in these times. I wish this words were stamped in letters
of gold in the private study of all those who have the mission of proclaiming the truth of Christianity.
You must know that I too have succumbed to this weakness by taking the assignment of teaching the
catechism during Lent at Regio Convitto. I have more than twenty boys from different schools
(industrial, high, elementary). They are very attentive and docile and so well-mannered that in the three
sessions I have had with them (there are only three Lenten instructions a week) I feel deeply satisfied.
Oh, poor young people, you are too abandoned and overlooked! You are a poor growing generation left
too much to yourselves, and then slandered or at best harshly judged for your frivolity and misguided
generosity, for your untapped need for activity, for wrongly directed affections that lead you astray
through no faut of your own. Poor young people! Let us pray, and let us pray especially for you.
...Goodbye, my dear Stephen. There is more I would like to say if I had the time. But let it be
revealed by God who reads our hearts and see how great is the affection that joins me to you by the
twofold bond, natural and supernatural; an affection born out of our exchange of community life,
strengthened by identical aspirations, nourished and now preserved by our common sharing in the
priesthood in the shadow of the Cross. Goodbye, and let us always keep in mind St Paul: “Vigilate, state
in fide viriliter, et confortamini.”
Affectionately yours in Our Lord Jesus Christ,
Giuseppe Marello
31
TO FR. STEPHEN DELAUDE
[Asti, after February 23, 1869]
......Meanwhile let us pray. The times are getting more and more troublesome. Individual and
particular interests must make room for the general interests of Mother Church. Like good soldiers let us
also make our hour of sentinel duty and stand ready to sound the alarm when the enemy appears. For the
time being, each one need only stand guard at his listening post. The hour of the field battle has not yet
struck. Let us prepare our weapons, fortify our spirit, purify our affections. Let us train ourselves for
every sort of combat, so that in the hour of need our courage does not falter and our strength does not fail
in the clash with the foe. Choose some great personality as your model, and then strive to imitate him at
all costs. And yet, in the fervor of our zeal let us keep in mind that we should not be disheartened if we
run into those hidden reefs that jolt us into the awareness of our misery. Let us humble ourselves before
God who wants it that way....
Your brother in Christ,
J. Marello
33
TO FR. STEPHEN DELAUDE
[Asti, March 9, 1869]
I can only spare a few lines as I am on my way to the seminary for the conference. Motta has just
left for Turin, where he is going to buy books for everyone.
Pray and keep on praying. I don’t know what else to recommend because I know that the devil is
tempting us more than ever and is assailing us from every quarter. There is no better way for us to be
delivered from him. Every other means of defense can turn against us when we cannot make prudent use
of it. Only humble and persevering prayer does not fail of its purpose. Let us pray much and from the
heart. Let us pray even when we do not have a taste for prayer. Let us pray even in dryness of spirit. Let
us pray to the good God that he will teach us how to love Him and will finally put an end to our
lukewarmness.
Yours in the Most Sacred Hearts,
J. Marello
35
TO FR. JOSEPH RICCIO
[Asti, after the 13th of March, 1869]
My dear Namesake,
Always the same deplorable lack of time, otherwise you can imagine whether I would be
satisfied with this wretched piece of paper to convey to you my inmost feelings on the occasion of our
common Saint’s Day. Patience. As I told you before, let’s make up for our forced slowness of
communications by the swiftness and fluency of our thoughts.
Now then, Friday is St. Joseph’s Day: anniversary of a certain political banquet without toasts;
anniversary that bears many fine memories of your aunt and your cousin and Mr. Aluffi, and the joys of
our seminary years and our carefree youth and a thousand other things that it is not hard to recall;
anniversary of the first recitation of the Divine Office.
That day holds for us too something that is still
in the mind of God and that will form the object of the anniversary to be celebrated in 1870. O glorious
patriarch St Joseph, do not forget us as we continue to plod along with our weak flesh in this hard land of
exile. Next to the Blessed Virgin you were the first one to enfold in your arms the Redeemer. Be our
exemplar in our ministry,
which, like your own, is a ministry of intimate relationship with the Divine
Word. May you teach us, may you assist us, may you render us worthy members of the Holy Family.
...With the preaching going on and winning so much favor, you should not find too heavy your
task as a preacher in the pulpits of Castigliole, which men like Grandi, Marchia, Bagnasci, and so many
other celebrities have held before you. Courage! Your diction is smooth enough, your gestures graceful,
your eye contact sufficiently firm before the challenge of the thousand pairs of eyes inexorably fixed on
you. And as for your soul, it is ever ready to receive and radiate the waves of melody that take form on
the chords of your quick mind. So, if you have a heart for feeling, a mind for planning, a memory for
learning, a pair of lungs for proclaiming, a pair of arms for gesturing, and an intrepid manner to put all
this mechanism into motion, there’s nothing else you need. Courage! A preacher who has the personal
qualities and the mandate of his superiors, has also the help of God, with which success is insured.
...Let’s break up this session as I have to get back to my office work. It’s agreed, then, that on
Friday we will remember that both of us bear the name of Joseph and that both of us will implore the
patronage of our great namesake. And Saturday? On Saturday, too, as we say the Oremus in the name of
the Church, we will recall at that moment the name we share, our common ideals, our shared hopes, our
shared destiny. Goodbye, dear Beppo. See you soon.
36
TO FR. STEPHEN DELAUDE
[ Asti, March 20, 1869]
......My dear Delaude, what I told you two years ago I repeat now with firm conviction:
Everywhere, at every time, in every condition a man has his row to hoe. Happy the man who succeeds
best, I mean the man who can discharge his task as gracefully as possible. Or, to put it in a Christian
form, let us say as Scripture has it: Militia est vita hominis, etc.
Some are on the battle line, some in the
command corps, some in ordinance. A variety of tasks, a variety of burdens, a variety of laurels. But the
difference is only apparent. In substance, the difference in quality and quantity is in relation to the
specific circumstances of each individual. When we come down to the facts, the business of bearing arms
is always a burdensome one, and the day of one’s discharge is always welcomed as a blessing. Courage!
Let us serve our term patiently while looking forward to our discharge papers from Heaven which will
entitle us to return to our native country, to our family, to the home of the Father who is in Heaven.
37
TO FR. STEPHEN DELAUDE
[Asti, March 3, 1869]
.......(the French priests) put such total effort into it that the frightened engineer ... stopped the
locomotive to check if an accident had occurred. The stop was so perfectly timed that the prêtres
Français had time to leisurely sing their Mag-ni-ficat up to the final Gloria Patri, embellishing it with
long, sonorous, wild: viff (vive, long live) Pjii (Pie, Pius) Neuff, Pontiff et roàà (roi, king)....
38
TO FR. GIUSEPPE RICCIO
[Asti, before March 28, 1869]
...How did you spend St Joseph’s Day? I have a feeling that all went well. Sancte Joseph, ora pro
nobis. The Easter season brings you a great deal of work. Poor boy! I imagine and I can suppose how
much it weighs on you. Patience! God gives you a daily return of good health and an increase in good
will and in the long run the consolation of doing good to so many souls to whom you distribute in God’s
name the bread of life. Instead I have the pleasure of serving my neighbor as myself and of not doing any
task that bears with it the satisfaction of having done good to anyone. And so, your’s are the consolations
of Mary who deals directly with Jesus and shares in His discourses on eternal life; while I am buried in
the anxieties of Martha who attends to temporal affairs and neglects perhaps too much the important
affair-the “better part” of her sister “which shall not be taken away from her.” You see, then, you have no
reason to complain; you have a good job on your hands: dispensator mysteriorum Dei,
and you have a
very strict obligation to pray for your friend Beppo and to apply some measure of your apostolic labors
on his behalf as he is removed miles away from the honored and glorious hardships of the combat troops,
and remains isolated amid the cold and cheerless duties at headquarters.
Goodbye, my dear Beppo. Time for the evening meal (it’s 8:45). Have a happy Easter and be
always joyful.
Affectionately yours,
Beppo
41
TO FR. STEPHEN DELAUDE
[Asti, April 11, 1869]
...(the people of Asti were) all actually plotting to take every measure to see that they keep their ancient
claim to the title civitas usariorum — city of userers...
42
TO FR. JOSEPH ROSSETTI
[Asti, before the 15th of April, 1869]
Dear Confrere and friend:
Had I given heed to my feelings, I could have sent you a bulkier letter. But I let my time go by,
and now I am forced to dash off only this wretched little note. Still, it will be enough to let you know that
if you need anything from Turin, I’ll be going there in the middle of April with the Bishop and I’ll stop
over for about eight to ten days, that is, from the middle of the third week after Easter to Sunday, April
25. Would you like to come along too? We’ll talk about old times, we’ll repeat some of our former
walks, we’ll relax our spirits worn out by daily routine, and with aspirations ever old and ever new we’ll
refresh our ideals... Goodbye. Is it possible? Not a moment’s peace. Some other time. Pray for your
friend in Christ Jesus.
Giuseppe Marello
The man who is patient everywhere
Is a marvelous man indeed!
Let us be brave. Some day the struggle will come to an end, and the combatants will receive their
reward...Let us strengthen ourselves by prayer and keep going forward. Every hour that strikes means one
step less for us to take. Courage! May our good Angel be our guide.
60
TO FR. JOSEPH RICCIO
Shortage of time for writing
Affectionate remembrance
Christmas night audience with the Pope
[Rome, January 16, 1870]
Dear and Dearer yet, Joe,
If you were to find yourself here in my shoes, you would understand the validity of the excuses I
have to present you for my long silence. Apart from the official and unofficial letters inspired from on
high, it has been over a month since I’ve written a letter of any length. Yet don’t let this lead you to
imagine that I have cast my friends into oblivion. I have continually kept them in mind, and now more
then ever, and especially my dear Namesake Riccio, whose image is daily before my eyes in the person
of my table-companion to the right, the secretary to the Bishop of Pechino.
His lovable personality and
his well-mannered and jovial conversation compound the resemblance and keep present to me the
character he is representing. I mean I’m really fortunate amidst so many strange faces to find a nice and
happy countenance who brings to life for me my dearest and nicest close Seminary Companion, my
unforgettable Riccio. Forgive me now for ending this point and going no further. The Bishop is waiting
for me and I don’t know when I’ll be able to grab another spare moment to continue this letter which
seemed like it would be a little longer. The usual reason of shortage of time. Receive this small offering
as a down payment for what I’d like to send you and what I’m reserving for another opportunity. I beg
you pay my respect to the very kind Fr. Vicar,
and assure him of the feelings of esteem and
distinguished regard with which I return the courteous words addressed to me in your letter. Greetings to
our confreres when you have a chance to see them. Hold me in the same affection with which you are
meant to be held in equal measure by your
most affectionately Joe
Oremus ad invicem
Praised Be Jesus on the feast of His Most Holy Name.
P.S. The marvels accompanying our stay in this Capital are beyond measure. Since they are simply too
many to recount, I won’t even begin, but with your permission will postpone them for later. For the Papal
audience
alone, it would take me two pages to fully express the heartfelt feelings aroused by that
blessed memory. I had the fortune of seeing, hearing, and touching him at my sweet ease, alone with my
Bishop, in his private quarters, and what is most remarkable of all on Holy Christmas night! What most
precious events are forever etched in my memory!! And then the Pontifical Ceremonies, the Churches,
the Martyrs, the Catacombs, the Episcopate, the Church solemnly exercising its supreme authority
—Oh my dear Joe, it’s impossible for me to begin this subject and say only a few words. Be indulgent
with me and accept my pledge of a future letter. I send you a hug.
61
TO HIS FATHER, VINCENT
Healthy in body and spirit
Greatness of the Christian Religion
Msgr. Torchio in Rome
Greetings and remembrances for relatives
Audience and blessing of Pius IX
Pray for the Council
[Rome, January 31, 1870]
Dearest Father,
I’m taking advantage of our Fr. Dean’s
kindness to bring you up to date on my life and to let
you know a little of how we’re living here at Rome. I’ve been away from Asti for about two months and
it seems like two days. Some rain these past days was a little bothersome, but otherwise I’ve felt much
better here than when I was in Asti. My health is doing extremely well since I’m eating with plenty of
appetite and am moving about a lot to cover the large distance separating one place from another. And
then I’m also in good spirits here in Rome seeing, hearing, touching, enjoying all that is most beautiful,
dear, and precious in this world. Here are the tombs and mortal remains of the greatest persons who lived
on earth. Here one encounters at every turn something that moves and blissfully transports the heart of a
Christian and especially of a priest. Here we are living among so many illustrious men who come from
all over the world to gather at this center of the Lord’s peace and blessing. Here one totally forgets all the
troubles, deceits, and wickedness of our Italian countries, to live a true family life that really seems like
the entrance hall to Paradise. Oh, each day I appreciate a little more how great and consoling our
Christian Religion is, for it enlarges and purifies all that it touches. Apart from the splendor of its divine
light, life is fraught with darkness, disorder, wretchedness and hopelessness. And I feel forming on my
tongue a word of thanksgiving to the Lord who willed to save me when I myself was in danger of being
counted among those unhappy people who separate themselves from the principles of our Holy Faith.
I still have, so many, many things to tell you, but I’m charging the Fr. Dean to stand for me. He’s
been here one month and has been able to see much more than I have in the two months I’ve been here.
Here’s the difference: he has all his time for himself, while I’m bound by the duties of my office
requiring my presence at the Bishop’s side. So, have the Fr. Dean give you a live narration of every
detail.
I trust you will communicate many nice things to those who love me, beginning with those at
home: Victoria, Luisa, Felicita, uncle John, the Massano Family, the Marello Family. I’m enclosing some
commemorative medals of the great Council. Please distribute them among these good people so they
may be reminded to say an Ave Maria for me. I think I’ve included enough for dear Catherine’s whole
family—also for the same purpose, so that the mom as well the kids not forget to pray for Joey
once in
a while, as he for his part wholeheartedly promises to do the same. If I weren’t obliged to keep the packet
of reasonable size, I should also like to send some portraits of Pius IX, this great Pope, whom together
with my Bishop—in private audience and on the beautiful night of Christmas—I had the consolation of
seeing, hearing, touching, kissing, and venerating prostrate at his feet in his personal quarters. As long as
I live, I’ll never forget such a great fortune, and I’ll always pray that the Lord give that good Pope Pius
IX a return of the blessing that he deigned to invoke upon me and upon my dear relatives on that
memorable night.
May all try to have a good winter and may you particularly take care to stay in good health as
your most affectionate and loving son hopes and prays.
With the most sincere affection,
Joseph
P.S. I can’t keep myself from sending you a photograph of the venerable Holy Father, Pius IX, whom
Providence has destined for the approaching triumph of the Catholic Church. I’m sending it also so you
won’t forget to pray that the Lord bring this Vatican Council to a good conclusion, assisting the Bishops
and all others here in Rome in any way participating in this great Assembly. I send you another with
total filial affection.
64
TO FR. STEPHEN DELAUDE
[Rome, July 18, 1870]
....a new anchor of Salvation ... offering humanity hope of escape (from) impending
shipwreck..........
.....Long live Pius IX, infallible Pontiff!....
68
TO FR. JOSEPH RICCIO
[Asti, June 27, 1871]
....My state of health was, is, and will be as God wills, as you already know: analogous to that of
a cracked earthenware pot which still serves as well as a new pot in withstanding the wear of household
usage, as long as one is careful to treat it gently.........
76
TO CANON CERRUTI
He proposes to the Canon the formation at the Church named Jesus of a
Company under the patronage of St. Joseph to promote the interests of Jesus
He presents an outline of the Company itself and naturally offers a first
contribute of cooperation
[October 25, 1872]
Very Reverend and dear Canon:
As with young hearts we look forward to new and promising horizons, the possibility of your
acquiring the spacious premises named Jesus has for a long time nourished our hopes of some day
reclaiming for the diocese a beautiful church. No doubt this church, God willing, can gradually open up
opportunities for developing a goodly number of cherished projects still in their initial stage and all those
devout exercises that were already being conducted in the inadequate facilities of the tiny church of the
Michelerio Institute till such time as larger and more suitable quarters would favor the greatest possible
expansion of activities. Please give your kind attention to the plans that we have been secretly
formulating in our minds in connection with the fact that, after experiencing so many difficulties, you
have finally been blessed by God with success in your effort. First of all, I wish to state in all sincerity
that whatever I have herein written is exclusively and respectfully submitted to your Reverence’s
judgment in the same spirit in which a dutiful and obedient son submits to his father’s authority, with
confidence and simplicity, his every thought, feeling, and desire, restraining himself from entertaining
any judgments or feelings that are opposed to the principle of authority to which he pays his unqualified
homage. At this point, I feel I must add by way of clarification that I have unwittingly given offense to
your goodness by the very fact of my supposing there was any need to offer explanations and to preface
my remarks with a statement of my feelings when there was really no such need. But how can I help it?
When you have on the point of your pen an idea that is slow to get on paper, there are a thousand other
ideas that, without your knowing it, gain expression before the important idea has a chance; and so you
keep going around for a long time in a circle which is really a vicious circle, till in some way or other
there appears on the circumference the tangent you were searching for. And here it is: I ask Your
Reverence to kindly welcome me and several friends of mine as we unite in one common spirit under the
patronage of St. Joseph to promote the interests of Jesus in your new church. From what little I have
written in the following pages, you will understand that this desire of ours can take effect from this very
moment, since it is purely a union of spirit and intention. As usual, then, be patient and give a hearing to
the importunate:
Design for a Company of St. Joseph to promote the interests of Jesus.
It has a sort of native right to reside in the house of and function in the church of Jesus. No special bonds
among the Companions of St Joseph. —Only the spiritual bond of charity. —Each member draws his
own inspiration from his exemplar St Joseph, who was the first on earth to look after the interest of
Jesus; he guarded Him in His infancy, he protected Him in His boyhood, he acted as His father during the
first thirty years of His life on earth.... Everyone can belong to the Company. Membership in this
association is constituted by the secret resolve to share in its common interests. One who decides to
participate in this Company must, however, promise in the presence of God to strive within his means to
promote the interests of Jesus. It shall be the duty of the Company as a body, in a spirit of solidarity
among all its members, to seek every occasion to make it possible for all to cooperate in its work
according to the different abilities of each. There is neither time nor place in which some good cannot be
done. Every word, every step, every wish, can be the raw material for the interests of Jesus. In a frightful
variety of ways the kingdom of God is being brought to ruin. Let us strive in every place to do our work
of restoring it with Heaven’s help. Now, let us consider in what general way the Company must proceed
at the beginning of its advance.Simplicity is a virtue that more than any other draws us close to the
perfection of our Heavenly Father. The work of the Holy Spirit in our souls is essentially a work of
simplification. The great majority of our actions lose their fruitfulness by reason of the multiplicity of
their ingredients. The work of the Saints which the centuries have left intact were always marked by this
trait of simplicity. Compare the prodigious results of this moving power which is none other than an
unshakable faith in Divine Providence, a faith that stands free from all human preoccupations. Compare,
I say, the results of this pure and simple faith with the skimpy contributions of human wisdom, with all
the pomp of its riches and the security it rest on its own resources. You will then understand how much
more effective is one charitable thought nurtured in the heart of our Cottolengo than a thousand
philanthropical projects to be promoted at the cost of millions squeezed from the blood of the people. If
every counsel dictated by human prudence is more of a hindrance than a help in the works of God, then
let the foundation of the Company of St. Joseph rest on ground that is firm and stable, not by human
standards, but according to the standards of faith. No reliance on wealth, backing, the esteem and the
encouragement of the world. On the contrary, let everything proceed according to the dictates of faith,
with boundless trust in the help of Heaven and an unfailing gratitude to God, and to Him alone, whether
in abundance or privation, mindful that “sufficient for the day is the evil thereof.” These things can be
achieved only on one condition. Charity is the bond of unity, and obedience is its safeguard. Every work,
however good and holy in itself, can be a hindrance to the common good if it is not tested by obedience.
There are a thousand ways to bring the devil into play, even under the appearances of promoting the
interests of Jesus. The only infallible control is obedience. Wherever obedience does not hold complete
sway, even the most refined systems of rules and precautions are of no avail, as experience shows.
Obedience, instead can take the place of everything, with unfailing success. The lives of holy founders of
religious orders are a most telling demonstration of this truth, a truth that can never be too strongly
emphasized in institutions where many wills must be coordinated toward a common goal. Now then, the
only foundation, the basic principle of the Company of St. Joseph is unlimited submission to authority,
always conforming one’s private initiative to initiative from above. Therefore, let no work be undertaken
by the members of the Company that is not inspired by this spirit of submission to the guidance of
superiors, a guidance which in turn is determined by a higher source of obedience and proceeds from one
Mover toward which all wills converge. In this way, the Company might be at this very moment an
established fact, having as its potential members as many as are the persons of good will in Asti and in
the diocese. It would all be a question of gradually proceeding in such a way that the many good works
performed individually increase by mutual interaction and by reason of their unifying force. May God
bless and multiply these good workers who can really glean a bountiful harvest if they use their energies
harmoniously in prompt obedience to the Visible Lord of the Harvest and to the venerable persons who
are to represent him, namely, the Bishop and his vicars. — Sancte Joseph, Custos Jesu et Protector
noster, accipe nos comites tuos in ministeriis quae in terris persolvere meruisti....
Just to offer you
right now my own modest contribution, I want to tell you that for the past several months I have been
moved to find ways and means so that during this Octave of All Souls there will be an increase of prayers
on behalf of the departed to be applied to those poor detained souls, and shall offer up my private prayers
in union with those that you yourself may wish to offer for that same purpose, possibly through some
morning or evening reading or period of adoration or other devout exercise in the new church of the
blessed Bridegroom of those beloved souls. —Besides, I shall presume and interpret the permission of
friends to offer, for the benefit of those who may be in need, some good reading material on loan, with
the request that it be put into circulation. In keeping with this wish of my confreres, I would like to ask
Your Reverence that with the help of Fr. Chistino and of others of your choice, you would kindly
promote this circulation of good books which at this time numbers hundreds of volumes and which we
have been gathering around the initial collection made about five years ago. Should you desire to form a
book deposit in your own residence, we would appreciate your taking the trouble of distributing as you
see fit copies for outright donation and books that are returnable, and to accept books donated by persons
desirous of promoting this good project. And along with this, if it’s not adding too much fuel to the fire,
you might, in addition to books, holy pictures, medals, etc., start a store of liturgical articles, handmade
items prepared by women for poor churches, churches linens, or at least inexpensive items essential for
the Holy Sacrifice for needy churches and altars; in a word, anything (by way of a church goods deposit)
that can in some way promote the interests of Jesus and carry on the work of St. Joseph, who was
entrusted with the care and defense of His most sacred humanity. Oh, if only this Christmas, thanks to the
help of devout helping hands, the Holy Infant could rest a little more at ease on many altars of our
diocese!
Pardon me for keeping you so long over matters about which you are certainly better informed
and zealous than I am. I have written as I have felt, and now I shall stop so as not to take advantage of the
permission requested for a hearing and also not to render myself undeserving of a hearing in the future. I
beg your prayers for this poor soul, still unable to actualize its many desires with the persevering practice
of virtue. With every sentiment of the deepest esteem, I remain Your Reverence’s most devoted servant
in the Sacred Hearts of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
Father Joseph Marello
84
TO FR. STEPHEN DELAUDE
Jubilee Procession Project postponed
Request for prayers during the month of Mary
[Asti, May 10, 1875]
J.M.J.
Dearest friend in D.no,
Quod differtur non aufertur.
This coming week, the Bishop, the Chapter, the Clergy, and the
People of Asti will hold the Jubilee processions. As you see our project is impeded on my end and will be
impracticable until next June 6. Tunc videbimus.
During the intervening time we will be able to plan
the thing better and prevent any other difficulty. I’m hurriedly advising you of this so it may serve as a
guide for you in writing to Vespa.
Good-bye, dearest friend, and in your prayers to Our Blessed Mother during this beautiful month,
never forget your old most affectionate friend,
J. Marello
85
TO FR. STEPHEN DELAUDE
Request for a volume
[Asti, June 8, 1875]
Dearest friend. Among the books quondam
...you must have (and if you don’t, then Motta must,
in which case I beg you to entrust this errand to him) the Moroni-Gaetano Dictionary of Eccles. Erudit...
a many volume work in 8vo
and incomplete. If among the volumes in your possession, you should find
those corresponding to the alphabetical letter F (ef),
please have them sent to me. But if the volumes
for the letter F happen to be the very ones that are missing, then patience: send me still a note to that
effect before too long.
Most affectionately yours, J. Marello
86
TO FR. JOSEPH RICCIO
New announcement of opening
Pray to obtain what is most beneficial
[Asti, July 30, 1875]
J.M.J.
Dearest Joe,
I’m hurriedly sending you a note as you wished to let you know that due to the arrival of the exequatur
for the Agliano Parish and Fr. Surra’s
renunciation of the Corsione Par., an Opening is
announced for applying for this Parish and for two other empty ones. The dates are set for next August
11 and 12.
Pray that the Angel of Good Counsel may assist you and that our Great Patriarch Joseph may
obtain for you from the Lord quod tibi expedit,
or to put it more clearly, quod melius expedit.
Accompanying your prayers will be those of your most affectionate namesake always,
Joseph Marello
87
[September 27, 1875]
J.M.J.
Dearly beloved in the Lord:
I have only a particle of time left to tell you that Christus sibimetipsi non placuit,
and that in
this world we dislike not only the things mentioned in your letter, but others as well. It’s just that
everything, even the good, has to be done against our liking. You are the one to tell me that the more our
works are done without a natural inclination and in the simple light of faith, the better we are able to fool
the devil. So take courage, this natural aversion belongs to Adam, which wants to intrude itself under the
guise of a greater good. Instead, it is better to do |
