St. Vincent Pallotti

Today in our parish we celebrate the Solemnity of St Vincent

Pallotti, the Founder of the Congregation of Pallottine Fathers,

to which I belong. We will focus then on the mystery of his life

and holiness.

St. Vincent Pallotti’s road to sainthood began right at his birth

in Rome on April 21, 1795. From his earliest years his devout

parents took him to daily Mass and religious devotions in the

many neighbourhood churches of Rome. St. Vincent Pallotti

often used to say that God gave him holy parents. In those times,

the official language of the Church was, of course, Latin – a very

complicated language. Vincent had trouble with his studies until

his mother sought the advice of a close friend, Father Fazzini.

He advised her to make a novena prayer to the Holy Spirit with

Vincent. With the Novena completed, something clicked in the

boy's head. He became the brightest student in his class. St.

Vincent Pallotti responded to the gifts of the Holy Spirit in such

a way that he graduated from the Sapienza University in Rome

with a PhD in philosophy & theology. After his ordination in

May 1818, at the Lateran Basilica, Pallotti became a professor

at the Sapienza University, and in the world of college students,

he was very well liked.

St Vincent Pallotti had a profound knowledge of Jesus. He knew

that knowledge is a powerful tool in the work of salvation. He

was aware that knowledge would be a helpful instrument in

fulfilling Jesus’ command to spread the Good News.

Our Saint, Vincent Pallotti, just loved the Bible and especially

the letters of St. Paul. You should know that Pallotti was a very

prolific, a very fruitful writer. And in his writings, he frequently

referred to St. Paul’s letters. The motto of St. Vincent’s life and

his ministry, and the motto of all Pallottine Fathers comes

exactly from the writings of St. Paul. The motto says: “The love

of Christ urges us! The love of Christ impels us!” (2Cor 5). It

was love of Christ that forced St. Vincent Pallotti to give the

needy his helping hand, but first of all to work tirelessly for the

salvation of every single person. Pallotti never failed to link love

of Jesus with a desire to love others as He did. However, to love

your neighbour as Jesus did means to be constantly concerned

about their salvation. Pallotti wrote that: "the commandment of

love bids us to love our neighbour as ourselves. Therefore, we

are obliged to care for our own eternal salvation and that of

our neighbour in every way possible. In the observance of

these commandments we imitate Jesus Christ, who is the

Apostle of the Eternal Father." That awareness, motivated by

the love of Christ, was the base & foundation of his ministry.

St. Vincent Pallotti gave special emphasis to the fact that every

Christian is an apostle of Jesus Christ, that every Christian has

received from Christ a mission for the Church and for the world.

He was aware that bishops, priests, and religious cannot carry

the total responsibility for evangelization. Lay people, too, have

the obligation and the right to actively participate in the mission

of the Church. This concept was new at the time of Vincent

Pallotti and, to implement it, he wanted to found an

organization. On the 4th of April, 1835, he founded the Union

of Catholic Apostolate, bringing together priests, men and

women religious, lay people, united as a faith community for the

common purpose of living and spreading the Good News. He

meant this Union to be an association of priests, religious, and

lay people who, together, would strive to awaken in all a

consciousness of their call to the apostolate of Jesus Christ.

Moreover, they were called to bring this consciousness to all

parts of the world.

St. Vincent Pallotti was a remarkable man, marked by holiness

and vision for the Church. He saw the urgent need to revive the

faith of Catholics, to renew their love, and unite all in Christ. He

was truly ahead of his time, as he gave a call for all the lay

people to fully realize their vocation in the Church. He died on

the 22nd of January, 1850, at the center of his new community,

the church of San Salvatore in Onda, Rome. He was beatified

by Pius XII on the 22nd of January, 1950, and proclaimed a

Saint by John XXIII, on January 20th, 1963.

Dear Brother, Dear Sister, in what way do you want to help the

Church to proclaim the Gospel of Christ?

Fr. Janusz Roginski, S.A.C.