On April 14, 2018, the Holy Father Francis received in audience Cardinal Angelo Amato, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. During the audience, the Supreme Pontiff authorized the Congregation to promulgate the Decrees concerning the heroic virtues of several Servants of God, among whom is Father Lodovico Longari, a professed priest of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, born in Montodine (Italy) on June 20, 1889 and died in Ponteranica (Italy) on June 17, 1963.
This means that the decree by the authority of Pope Francis declares that Father Lodovico Longari, already Servant of God, is now raised to the category of Venerable in the Church. He proceeds therefore along the path that leads to canonization which is obtained through the required miracles.
CARLO VASSALLI, SSS (Postulator)
Rome, 16th of April 2018
“Venerable” (“Venerabilis“; abbreviated “Ven.”) or “Heroic in Virtue“: When sufficient evidence has been collected, the Congregation recommends to the Pope that he proclaim the heroic virtue of the Servant of God; that is, that the Servant of God exercised to a heroic degree the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity and the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. From this time the one said to be “heroic in virtue” is entitled “Venerable” (Latin: “Venerabilis“). A Venerable does not yet have a feast day, permission to erect churches in his honor has not yet been granted, and the Church does not yet issue a statement on his probable or certain presence in Heaven, but prayer cards and other materials may be printed to encourage the faithful to pray for a miracle wrought by his intercession as a sign of God’s will that the person be canonized. — Wikipedia
The Diocese of Bergamo in Italy opened Fr. Longari’s cause for sainthood in 1990. His heroic virtues may be gleaned even way back during the First World War where, as a soldier attached to the Medical Corps, he acted with goodness and charity, and took the opportunity to spread the love of Jesus. He would often have a gathering in his tent for prayers and Eucharistic adoration. His fellow soldiers were drawn to him.
Having handled the position of Novice Master in the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament for a number of years, Fr. Longari had guided young men in discerning a vocation to religious life. He became Provincial Superior and then Superior General, spanning 12 years of service in the Generalate government of the Congregation (1937-1949).
He was elected as the 8th General Superior during the 23rd General Chapter, June 17–30, 1937, under the Pontificate of Pius XI (1922-1939). The period he was Superior General covered the war years. On the eve of the Second World War, the Congregation numbered more than nine hundred religious. Despite the hardships of this time, his passion and leadership were evident in the growth of the Congregation during his Generalate with 28 new Communities in 14 different countries (including the first SSS community in Africa, Mozambique, in 1946). He wrote 18 circular letters to the whole Congregation; he opened the International Seminary in Rome for theological studies; he devoted a lot of time to the formation of priests, not only in the Institute but also in many seminaries when called on by some bishops; he preached numerous spiritual retreats to various Religious Institutes, Religious and Cloistered; he was also the Confessor of some Prelates of Rome.
Fr. Longari was appreciated for his simplicity and warmth, and his fervent manner of expressing himself. Many priests found in him a most tender father and an enlightened counselor.
On April 14, 2018, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing the heroic virtues of Servant of God Fr. Lodovico Longari, who will now have the title Venerable Servant of God or simply Venerable. [For more details please see below an article from the Website Find A Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/]
VENERABLE LUDOVICO LONGARI
BIRTH 20 June 1889
DEATH 17 June 1963 (aged 73)
BURIAL Seminary Chapel in Ponteranica, Bergamo Province, Lombardia, Italy
MEMORIAL ID 60310759
The Servant Of God, Padre Ludovico Longari SSS., was born on June 20, 1889, in Montodine, Province of Cremona, Diocese of Crema, Italy, to Antonio Longari and his wife Laura Braguti, the youngest of eleven children. Two of his brothers, Vincenzo and Luigi were Diocesan Priests, while three other members of his family, an Uncle, a cousin, and a nephew also entered the Priesthood.
Ludovico entered the Seminary of Crema on October 4, 1900. He received the Sub – Diaconate from Bishop Bernardo Pizzorno on December 23, 1911, following a spiritual retreat preached by Fr. Borgonovo Faustino with whom he developed a friendship which lasted throughout his life. After receiving the Diaconate from the named Bishop Pizzorno on April 6, 1912, he was immediately called by the Bishop to be his Personal Secretary.
Ordained to the Priesthood at the Sanctuary of S. Maria della Croce in accordance to his wishes by Bishop Pizzorno on August 18, 1912, he successively held his post as Bishop’s Secretary, until January 22, 1915, when having made the appropriate applications to the Bishop and to the Congregation, he entered at Castelvecchio di Moncalieri, the Formation House of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament.
Father Ludovico entered the Novitiate, still at Castelvecchio, on March 19, 1915. In the early months, up to September, his Novice Master was Fr. Agostino Asti, who entered the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament after 33 years of pastoral work as Vicar and Curate in the Diocese of Treviso, who was a good friend of Pope Pius X who went to him for Confession. Fr. Asti died in the odour of sanctity. His successor as Master of Novices was Fr. Arturo Ancilotto.
Called to Military Service in the First World War, he left on March 27, 1916. For the first year, he was stationed at Lodi and at Niguarda, where he had the opportunity to meet many times Fr. Borgonovo, who often gave him 5 Lire.
On February 22, 1919, he received, through the Ministry of War, an exemption from Military Service, having asked his Superiors to send him to Tolosa in Spain as a Professor in a College. In reality, they had decided to have him finish his Novitiate at Tolosa. There, he pronounced his First Profession on May 8, 1920.
Returning back to Castelvecchio di Montcalieri on October 2, 1920, a few days later, on October 20, he was named Director of the Minor Seminary in the house of Castelvecchio, where he found many serious difficulties. Mindful of his friendship with the Bishop of Lodi, Msgr. Zanolini, he went to him immediately with General Consultor Fr. Vincenzo Di Lorenzo. The Bishop lent the Priests Summer House of the Seminary of Lodi at Vigarolo di Borghetto Lodigiano, on condition that it was vacated during the summer months.
On November 20, 1920, Fr. Ludovico moved to Vigarolo with all the Seminarians. The following day, the new Seminary was inaugurated with Fr. Ludovico becoming its First Superior and Director.
During the summer of 1921, needing to vacate the house, he was housed by the Bishop in the Seminary of Lodi. For that summer, with the support of Bishop Ferdinando Guercilena, the Junior Seminary moved to the Chateau of the Marquis Monticelli at Credera. In April 1922, Novices and Scholastics were also established at Vigarolo. From January 1921, some Blessed Sacrament Sisters from Bergamo came to look after the kitchen and laundry. Once again a new place had to be sought urgently.
A sister of Fr. Ludovico found an old Villa of Count Mariani, bought by the Zanotti family of Motodine at Ponteranica. Seeing a new possibility Fr. Ludovico invited Fr. General to send Consultor Fr. V. Di Lorenzo to speak to the Bishop of Bergamo, Bishop L. Marelli. Having some hesitation Fr. Ludovico assured him that in facilitating the Seminary of the Blessed Sacrament Fathers, the Diocesan Seminary would get an increase in vocations. Later, and on more than one occasion, Bishop Marelli would confirm the truth of this prediction and became an admirer of Fr. Ludovico.
On May 8, 1923, Fr. Ludovico Longari made his Perpetual Profession at Vigarolo in the hands of Fr. Vincenzo di Lorenzo, after a retreat in Bergamo. On the following June 26, the doors of the Seminary at Ponteranica, including a Middle School, Gymnasium, and Lyceum, were opened, with Fr. Ludovico as Superior and Director. On July 29, the first Solemn Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and perpetual adoration began.
On April 24, 1928, Fr. Ludovico was nominated Master of Novices, but he remained Director of Seminarians. In May 1931, at Ponteranica, Fr. Francesco Grossi was nominated Superior, and after only two months, on July 21, he was elected the First Provincial Superior of the Italian Province. Fr. Longari became Superior while remaining Master of Novices.
On August 16, 1934, Fr. Ludovico Longari was elected the Second Provincial Superior of the Italian Province. Yet he continued serving as Superior at Ponteranica until August 1935.
On June 18, 1937, during the General Chapter of the Institute held in Rome, Fr. Ludovico Longari was elected Superior General of all the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament. He, therefore, moved to Rome to the Community of San Claudio.
The Generalate of Fr. Longari, despite the difficulties of war, seems very intense: 28 Communities were opened in 14 different countries; he wrote 18 circular letters to the whole Congregation; he opened the International Seminary in Rome for theological studies; he devoted a lot of time to the formation of Priests, not only in the Institute but called on by some Bishops, in many Seminaries; he preached numerous spiritual retreats to various Religious Institutes, Religious and Cloistered; he was also the Confessor of some Prelates of Rome.
On November 3, 1940, he moved the International Scholasticate from San Claudio, to Via Boisio 17, near the Nomentana, while awaiting a definitive site at Via G.B Rossi, beside the General Curia. He completed his mandate as General on April 29, 1949.
Moving to Ponteranica in May, on September 24, 1949, he was elected Master of Novices. From 1949 till 1961, he also became a spiritual guide for the care of numerous Priests of Bergamo and other Dioceses. Bishop Piazzi chose him as a personal Confessor.
In October 1957, the Novitiate was transferred to Castelvecchio di Moncalieri (To) and Fr. Longari followed it again as Master. In 1961, the decline in his health began. On October 3, he finally relinquished the post of Master of Novices, but he remained still in the Novitiate House.
On May 8, 1963, he returned to Ponteranica (Bg), where he passed peacefully away on June 17, three days shy of his 74th birthday. His remains lie buried in a Chapel adjacent to the Seminary of Ponteranica.