Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Barcelona (Fides Service) - Next Sunday, the first Sunday in March in every parish where there are Sons of the Holy Family of Jesus Mary and Joseph and Missionary Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, preparations will start in view of the canonisation of the Founder of these two Institutes, Blessed Giuseppe Manyanet y Vives a Spanish priest. This Sunday and on the following nine Sundays the Religious will distribute leaflets on the life and message of the holy man who will be canonised in St Peter’s in Rome on May 16. On May 12 Cardinal Antonio M. Javierre Ortas will preside a Mass for Families to highlight the work done by the new saint to spread devotion to the Holy Family. On Thursday 13 May Archbishop Luigi Moretti vice regent of Rome will preside a Mass mainly for young people and children which will focus on Manyanet’s pedagogical charisma. The theme of a Mass on May 14 presided by Cardinal Giovanni Canestri, will be the family and the family pastoral promoted by the new Saint, known as the ‘prophet of the family’.
Giuseppe Manyanet y Vives was born in a small town in the region of Leida, in Spain, on 7 January 1833, one of several children born to devout Christian parents. Since childhood he felt called to the priesthood and was ordained in 1859. He worked at the service of the Bishop with various responsibilities for a while until he felt the call to religious life and founded two Institutes: Sons of the Holy Family of Jesus Mary and Joseph and the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth to give young people a Christian education to enable them to build healthy families founded on Christian principles. He said that every family should take the Holy Family of Nazareth as its model. During the last 16 years of his life Manyanet suffered much pain and had to undergo a number of operations. He died on 17 December 1901.
Today there are about 300 Sons of the Holy Family of Jesus Mary and Joseph, priests and seminarians and about 500 Missionary Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. They work mainly in school of various grades in Europe, United States and Latin America (Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina e Brazil). The Sisters are present in Paraguay and Cameroon. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 2/3/2004; Righe 29; Parole 406)
