Grimoaldo of the Purification
Encyclopedia
Blessed Grimoaldo of the Purification, born Ferdinando Santamaria, a religious and clerical student of the Passionist
Congregation, born on May 4, 1883 in Pontecorvo
, Frosinone
, Italy
; died November 18, 1902 at Ceccano
, Italy
. Beatified by Pope John Paul II
in 1995.
. A neighbour testified that on one occasion he saw Ferdinando lifted from the floor whilst in prayer. In 1850 members of the Passionist
Congregation took possession of a monastery in the locality and Ferdinando soon became familiar with them, copying their lives of penance. His father encouraged him to continue working in the family business, but Ferdinando had become convinced that he wanted to join the Passionists. He was not yet 16 and his age prevented him from entering the monastery, whilst waiting until he was the required age Ferdinando took up lessons in Latin
. He entered the novitiate
of the Passionists on March 5, 1899 at the monastery of St. Mary of Pugliano taking the religious name Grimoaldo of the Purification.
The Rule of the Passionists was severe and designed to test the novices with penances such as sleeping on straw, poverty in clothing and the wearing of a rough black tunic. Grimoaldo was especially keen to model his life on Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows
, a Passionist student. He made his vows as a Passionist religious on March 6, 1900. Grimoaldo began his studies for the priesthood at Ceccano
where he found difficulty in adopting a scholastic discipline; a difficulty soon overcome. Amongst the Passionists he was known for his great holiness and charity. In November 1902 he was diagnosed with acute meningitis and after many trials and temptations he died on November 18, 1902. On his deathbed he prophesised the date of his own death and that of a Cardinal;
Passionist
The Passionists are a Roman Catholic religious order founded by Saint Paul of the Cross . Professed members use the initials C.P. after their names.-History:St...
Congregation, born on May 4, 1883 in Pontecorvo
Pontecorvo
Pontecorvo is a town and comune in the province of Frosinone, Lazio, Italy. Its population is 13,400.- History :The village lies under Rocca Guglielma, a medieval fortification perched on an inaccessible spur...
, Frosinone
Frosinone
Frosinone is a town and comune in Lazio, central Italy, the administrative seat of the Province of Frosinone. It is located about 75 km south-east of Rome close to the Rome-Naples Autostrada A1...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
; died November 18, 1902 at Ceccano
Ceccano
Ceccano is a town and comune in the province of Frosinone, Lazio, central Italy.-History:The town had its origins as an ancient Volscian citadel that surrendered to the Romans in 424 BC...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Beatified by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
in 1995.
Life
Born to Peter Paul and Cecilia Santamaria on May 4, 1883 and baptised Ferdinando the following day, his parents ran a small rope-making business. They were a devoutly Christian couple and in an extraordinary occasion Grimoaldo received the sacrament of Confirmation at the unusually young age of five months. An altar server from a young age, Ferdinando was also a member of the church choir and the Solidality of the Immaculate ConceptionImmaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of original sin. It is one of the four dogmata in Roman Catholic Mariology...
. A neighbour testified that on one occasion he saw Ferdinando lifted from the floor whilst in prayer. In 1850 members of the Passionist
Passionist
The Passionists are a Roman Catholic religious order founded by Saint Paul of the Cross . Professed members use the initials C.P. after their names.-History:St...
Congregation took possession of a monastery in the locality and Ferdinando soon became familiar with them, copying their lives of penance. His father encouraged him to continue working in the family business, but Ferdinando had become convinced that he wanted to join the Passionists. He was not yet 16 and his age prevented him from entering the monastery, whilst waiting until he was the required age Ferdinando took up lessons in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
. He entered the novitiate
Novitiate
Novitiate, alt. noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a novice monastic or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether they are called to the religious life....
of the Passionists on March 5, 1899 at the monastery of St. Mary of Pugliano taking the religious name Grimoaldo of the Purification.
The Rule of the Passionists was severe and designed to test the novices with penances such as sleeping on straw, poverty in clothing and the wearing of a rough black tunic. Grimoaldo was especially keen to model his life on Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows
Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows
Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows was an Italian Passionist clerical student. Born to a professional family, he gave up hopes of a secular career to enter the Passionist Congregation...
, a Passionist student. He made his vows as a Passionist religious on March 6, 1900. Grimoaldo began his studies for the priesthood at Ceccano
Ceccano
Ceccano is a town and comune in the province of Frosinone, Lazio, central Italy.-History:The town had its origins as an ancient Volscian citadel that surrendered to the Romans in 424 BC...
where he found difficulty in adopting a scholastic discipline; a difficulty soon overcome. Amongst the Passionists he was known for his great holiness and charity. In November 1902 he was diagnosed with acute meningitis and after many trials and temptations he died on November 18, 1902. On his deathbed he prophesised the date of his own death and that of a Cardinal;
”His Divine Majesty is here, he has come for me today, and I, together with him, must go to Rome for Cardinal Aloisi-Masella. I must be his companion in death.”The Cardinal died four days later.
Beatification
After his death Grimoaldo was reported to have appeared to both his mother and father, and later to numerous relatives, friends and acquaintances. Immigration of his family and friends saw interest in the young student grow abroad, particularly in Rochester, NY. A biography was published and information on his life collection. In 1957 his cause for beatification was opened. His body was buried in the monastery chapel in October 1972. In 1991 he was declared ’Venerable’. The miracle required for his beatification was that of a four-year old involved in an accident with a tractor. The boy’s father prayed to Grimoaldo for aid and upon inspection by doctors it was concluded that there was no explanation why the boy could have escaped such an accident without mortal injury. Grimoaldo was solemnly beatified by Pope John Paul II on January 29, 1995. At the beatification the Holy Father described Blessed Grimoaldo as;”Young people today and in the future can see in him a model of simple and generous spirituality, firmly rooted in Christ's paschal mystery.”