From the Friars: A Day to Remember

Pope Leo XIV recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of his election to the papacy on May 8th. Some interesting occurrences of Divine Providence can be a special word of exhortation to us here at Holy Rosary Shrine. In his first remarks on the day of his election, Pope Leo noted that it was the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii and led a prayer to her.

Our Lady of Pompeii is honored on May 8th because this was the day that St. Bartolo Longo laid the cornerstone of her basilica there in 1876. The Pope visited the shrine to celebrate his first anniversary. St. Bartolo chose May 8th because it is the traditional Feast of the Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel on Mount Gargano. He believed the Prince of the Heavenly Armies to be the protector of Our Lady during her lifetime and sought that he also be the defender of the new basilica and the Marian city he was building. This date is also now known as the day of the Supplication to Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii, a beautiful prayer written by St. Bartolo which calls the rosary “the sweet chain which unites us to God.”

In 79 AD Mount Vesuvius erupted and covered Pompeii with 20 feet of volcanic ash. Through St. Bartolo, Our Blessed Mother built a new city there where charity towards the poor became its shining light. The saint founded schools and orphanages and other necessary and practical services such as a post office and train station. St. Michael and the Woman conquered the enemy in Bartolo, who had once been a satanic priest, as they do in Revelation 12.

Many of the Italian immigrants who began Holy Rosary Parish in Lawrence in 1904 were from the Naples area and knew well the work of St. Bartolo. Clearly, he inspired the name and amazing renovation of little church on Union St. Our Holy Father’s election date and personal highlighting of Our Lady of the Rosary are a providential reminder to us of the privilege we have in serving at this daughter shrine of Pompeii.

Let us strive to transform our own hearts, community, city and world into a reflection of the Light of the World.

Pax.
Fr. Peter