By CAROLE BRESLIN
The suppression of the Jesuits, which lasted from 1750 until 1773, resulted in the Jesuits losing many of their universities, schools, and vast missions around the world. They were either destroyed or taken from them.
Even though the suppression was lifted in 1773, Napoleon’s armies later instituted similar restrictions on Catholics throughout Europe.
For 20 years, a small village in northern Italy suffered under the French invasion and the chaos it brought. Gaspar Bertoni came to be a source of great comfort and wisdom for the suffering people of Italy.
In 1777, two honorable notaries lived in Verona, Italy, a city in northeast Italy about 60 miles west of Venice. One of these families had a son named Francis who married the daughter of the other family, Brunora Ravelli of Sirmione. On October 9, 1777 Francis and Brunora welcomed their firstborn, Gaspar Bertoni, into the world.
The very next day, Fr. James Bertoni, his father’s uncle, baptized Gaspar in St. Paul’s Church in Campo Marzo, Verona. Some of the documents of these notaries confirm that Gaspar came from a wealthy family also known for its great holiness and faithfulness to the teachings of the Catholic Church. Gaspar became the only living child after his younger sister died.
For the first few years of his schooling, Gaspar received his education at home. Then he attended a school formerly run by the Jesuits: St. Sebastian Catholic School. During this time, Fr. Louis Fortis (who would become the future Jesuit general) became Gaspar’s mentor and spiritual director.
Although it may seem that a boy of only 11 years is young to have a spiritual director, it became prudent when Gaspar began having mystical experiences. In 1788, upon receiving his First Holy Communion, Gaspar had his first vision.
He continued to grow in wisdom and holiness and entered the seminary in 1795 at 18 years of age. While Gaspar was in the seminary, Fr. Nicholas Galvani, a theology professor, became his spiritual director. Shortly thereafter, Napoleon’s armies invaded Italy, on June 1, 1796, thus ushering in 20 years of political chaos and religious persecution among the faithful.
With the suppression of religious institutions, Gaspar found relief in tending the wounded and sick by joining the newly founded Gospel Fraternity for Hospitals. In this way, he sought to bring peace to the suffering according to God’s will, while still preparing for the priesthood.
Four years later, on September 20, 1800 he was ordained. Since this was still a time of upheaval, he yearned to serve God to build up His Kingdom. Obeying the orders of his pastor, he organized the youth, establishing an oratory aimed at forming them in their Catholic faith and teaching them social responsibilities.
However, Napoleon had suppressed even these Catholic organizations so the plan had to be set aside. Gaspar next used his God-given gifts to provide spiritual direction to the nuns at St. Joseph’s Convent, a convent of several especially gifted nuns. One member became the foundress of the Sisters of the Holy Family, Venerable Leopoldina Naudet. Another member, Servant of God Teodora Campostrini, also founded a community, the Charity of the Sorrowful Mother.
After his mother died, Gaspar moved from his hometown in September 1810. He transferred from St. Paul’s Parish to St. Firmus Major. The bishop, knowing Fr. Bertoni’s gifts, assigned him to give spiritual direction to the men in the diocesan seminary.
Gaspar held the formation sessions in his own home. His most important goal for these seminarians was to provide them a solid spiritual formation upon which they would build a solid theological formation. Being a structured and clear-thinking man, he set about organizing a renewal of the clergy built upon unequivocal and unconditional adherence to the Supreme God.
This was particularly true since the Catholic Church was amidst a great crisis under the French occupation in Italy, suffering the capture and imprisonment of its head, Pope Pius VII. Gaspar held that the Pope was the “first irremovable stone of the Church.” Hence, he worked hard to rebuild the Church.
Fr. Bertoni believed the reform of the Church must begin within the sanctuary. He labored to return the ministers of the Church to the strict following of the Gospel. Soon the severe crisis of the seminary was reversed. Once again the authentic following of the Way of Christ reestablished the holy example for the laity.
After praying before a crucifix and meditating on the wounds of Christ on May 30, 1812, Gaspar suffered and nearly died from a fever. Even though he made an amazing recovery, he had poor health for the next 41 years of his life. Despite his personal agony, he remained patient and persevering, entrusting himself totally to doing God’s will and accepting whatever God allowed.
Napoleon finally fell in April 1814. Thus Catholics could once again practice their faith freely. Fr. Bertoni began preaching missions to the people. On November 4, 1816 Gaspar Bertoni and two companions moved near the Sacred Stigmata of St. Francis Church, founding a new order, the Congregation of the Sacred Stigmata of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
This congregation engaged in several endeavors: Its members began a tuition-free school, provided Christian education to the youth, formation of the clergy, preaching, and any other tasks the bishop requested. Because of their success, on December 20, 1817, Pope Pius VII declared Fr. Gaspar Bertoni to be his “apostolic missionary.”
The community he founded gained its success from a life a deep prayer and meditation on the wounds of Christ. Their founder, Fr. Bertoni, had many mystical experiences and continued to serve as best he could from his bed of pain. While bedridden, he received a constant stream of visitors seeking spiritual direction.
Among these were Blessed Charles Steeb, founder of the Sisters of Mercy in Verona, and Servants of God Fr. Nicholas Mazza and Fr. Anthony Provolo.
Ultimately, Fr. Bertoni endured almost 300 operations on his right leg, suffering not only patiently but also willingly. His response to those who asked him if he needed anything was, “I need to suffer.”
Just before his death on June 12, 1853, he experienced a vision of vivid hope in the Risen Christ with the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph.
His congregation, nourished by the graces of so much suffering, has spread throughout the world: China, Chile, the Philippines, South Africa and the Ivory Coast, Tanzania, Thailand, India, and England. It has six bishops in Brazil.
Dear St. Gaspar Bertoni, through trials of suffering and persecution you still found a way to be a beacon of light, a channel of grace to the people of God. Obtain for us the grace to follow your example by encouraging and lifting up the persecuted Body of Christ in this day. 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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