By CAROLE BRESLIN
Throughout the history of the Church different saints have had special devotions. St. Margaret Mary Alacoque had a great devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, St. Peter Julian Eymard had a great devotion to the Real Presence, and Blessed Thomas Mary Fusco had a deep devotion to the Most Precious Blood. (The Catholic Church recognized this wonderful devotion by assigning the month of July for the intentions of the Most Precious Blood.)
Dr. Antonio Fusco, a pharmacist, and Stella Giordano, a woman of noble descent, were highly respected in the community of Pagani, Salerno, Italy. They were faithful in the practice of their faith and when the seventh of their eight children was born, December 1, 1831, they took him to St. Felice e Corpo di Cristo Church that very day to have him baptized. Like St. Geltrude Comensoli, Thomas Mary Fusco was baptized the same day he was born.
Antonio and his wife raised their children to be upstanding Christians, having a special generosity for those in need as long as they lived. Sadly, when Thomas was only six years old, his mother succumbed to the ravages of cholera, and only four years later his father followed her into eternity.
The Fusco children had an uncle who was a priest and he took care of Thomas. Fr. Giuseppe, a primary school teacher, took over the education of Thomas. Thomas’ uncle quickly noticed the uncommon holiness of his ten-year-old nephew.
Before his father died, Thomas had taken a special interest in the canonization process of St. Alphonsus Liguori. This led him to aspire to the priesthood as his older brother had done. His brother attended the diocesan seminary in Nocera, so Thomas applied there and was also accepted as a seminarian.
In 1847, Thomas entered the studies for the priesthood just two years before his brother would finish his courses and leave the school.
Surprisingly, Thomas was not confirmed until April 1, 1851 — he was 19 years old. Four years later he received the Sacrament of Holy Orders when he was ordained on December 22, 1855.
Thomas, with a devotion to the Crucified Christ and the Sorrowful Mother instilled by his parents, learned intimately how to embrace the cross. He lost his parents when he was young, then in 1847 his beloved uncle passed away, and in 1852 he lost his younger brother Raffaele.
From the beginning of his priesthood, Thomas dedicated his ministry to the spiritual and doctrinal welfare of the laity. He opened his home to hold a morning school for boys. In the evenings he held gatherings for young adult classes for doctrine and prayer at the same church where he was baptized. These sessions led to many conversions.
His horizons broadened when he became a traveling missionary. In 1857 he joined the congregation of the Missionaries of Nocera under the auspices of St. Vincent de Paul. Primarily he traveled around southern Italy preaching parish missions.
After three years he became the chaplain of the Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Pagani. He continued fostering the spirituality of the laity by forming more classes. His love for the Most Precious Blood manifested itself when he set up an altar for special devotion to the Blood of Christ shed on the Cross.
He also opened a school in honor of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus specifically for the study of moral theology. The mission of this endeavor aimed at training priests to hear Confessions, and further developing their enthusiasm for devotions to the Blood of Christ. In addition, he founded the Society of the Catholic Apostolate which received approval from Pope Pius IX.
Saints are never complacent about their accomplishments; they are always looking for more ways to love God by serving His people. When Blessed Thomas witnessed the suffering of a young orphan girl, he prayed about what he saw. After pious discernment, he founded the congregation of the Daughters of Charity of the Most Precious Blood to care for orphans. Its formal date of establishment fell on the Solemnity of the Epiphany, 1873.
Bishop Raffaele Ammirante came to the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel to clothe the first three religious sisters of this order with their religious habit. He also blessed the first orphanage that housed seven little girls. This order also received the approval of the Pope.
During the last 20 years of his life, Fr. Thomas continued to give retreats, preach missions, and opened many more orphanages and homes for the poor. From 1874 to 1887 he also served as a priest at St. Felice e Corpo di Cristo in Pagani and as a confessor to the cloistered nuns in both Pagani and Nocera.
The persecutions and sufferings so common among saints came to Fr. Thomas in 1880. A brother priest, envious of Thomas’ accomplishments, spread false rumors about the holy priest.
Fr. Thomas did not retaliate or defend himself, embracing the cross as he remembered what Bishop Raffaele commented when Thomas informed him of the names chosen for his congregations: “Well, may you be prepared to drink the bitter cup.”
Fr. Thomas understood that suffering was the finger of God caressing him with love. Frequently he exclaimed, “May work and suffering for God always be your glory and in your work and suffering, may God be your consolation on this Earth, and your recompense in Heaven. Patience is the safeguard and pillar of all the virtues.”
(Servant of God Fr. John A. Hardon, SJ, defined patience as the voluntary endurance of suffering.)
Just after his 59th birthday, Fr. Thomas became ill. His liver was failing and he prepared to die a holy death. On February 25, 1891, Fr. Thomas Mary Fusco died as he reflected on Simeon in Luke 2:29, “Now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word.”
In honor of the Most Precious Blood, Fr. Thomas sought to imitate Christ crucified, who shed His Blood for love of us. Christ thirsted for the salvation of souls. So did Fr. Thomas. Christ suffered in silence as He was humiliated and so did Fr. Thomas.
Christ told His disciples to let the little children come to Him and Fr. Thomas sought to do all that he could to care for them. From the cross Christ begged His Father to forgive His enemies, and so did Fr. Thomas forgive his enemies.
The cause for the canonization of Fr. Thomas Mary Fusco began in 1955. After lengthy review, he was declared venerable on April 24, 2001. The miracle required for beatification came through the healing of Mrs. Maria Battaglia in Sciacca, Sicily. On October 7, 2001, Pope St. John Paul II beatified Fr. Thomas. His feast day is February 24.
Dear Fr. Thomas, instill in us a special love for the Most Precious Blood that we may learn to love Christ ever more and also love our neighbor for whom He died. Amen.
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(Carole Breslin home-schooled her four daughters and served as treasurer of the Michigan Catholic Home Educators for eight years. For over ten years, she was national coordinator for the Marian Catechists, founded by Fr. John A. Hardon, SJ.)
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