VATICAN/CANONISATIONS MAY 16 - Don Annibale M. Di Francia (1851-1927): prayer for vocations, service to the poor and the little ones

Tuesday, 11 May 2004

Vatican City (Fides Service) - Annibale Maria Di Francia was born to noble parents at Messina (Italy) 5 July 1851. At a very young age praying in front of the Eucharist, the source of inspiration of his life, he felt divinely inspired to give priority to prayer and pastoral for vocations. The words of the Gospel: “The harvest is great but the workers are few! Pray (“Rogate”) the Lord of the harvest to send workers for his vineyard” (Mt 9,37-38; Lk 10,2) became the light of his life and the source of his apostolate.
While still young he felt the call to become a priest. Filled with zeal for the salvation of all, especially the poor and orphans, he devoted himself to the human and spiritual promotion of one of the poorest districts of his city, the Avignone district. It was here in this district, radically changed thanks to his apostolic work, that the first Antoniani Orphanages were opened in 1882 for girls and in 1883 for boys to provide care and “civil and religious ” education to the most needy.
Men and women attracted by his charisma joined him in his apostolate. In 1887 he founded the Congregation of the Daughters of Divine Zeal, and in 1897 the Congregation of the Rogationist Fathers of the Heart of Jesus with the task of living and spreading Jesus’ teaching on the necessity of prayer for vocations and the service of the poor also in mission lands. A gifted and zealous priest he cultivated and preached love for the Word of God, the Eucharist, the Virgin Mary, the Saints as well as special devotion and spirit of obedience for the Pope and the bishops, successors of the Apostles. He had a lively spirit of mission.
He used every means to spread the “Rogate”, Jesus’ command to prayer the Lord of the harvest for the gift of “good workers”, which he considered an effective means of evangelisation and service of charity. For the lay faithful he instituted the Union of Prayer for Vocations. His dream for this prayer to “become universal” came true when Pope Paul VI instituted the World Day of Prayer for Vocations in 1964. He concluded his life on earth on 1 June 1927 in Messina. He is unanimously recognised as an “authentic anticipator and zealous teacher of modern vocations pastoral” and “true father of orphans and the poor”. John Paul II proclaimed him Blessed on 7 October 1990 and he will be canonised with five other saints on 16 May 2004.
The two religious families founded by Blessed Annibale, the Daughters of Divine Zeal and the Rogationist Fathers, are today present all over the world with their specific apostolate: missions, parishes, shrines, Centres for spirituality and vocations, and for encouraging prayer for vocations, schools of all grades, colleges, institutes for disabled, social centres for the care and the evangelisation of the poor and the excluded, particularly children and young people.
Today there are 383 Rogationist Fathers present with 48 communities in Italy, Spain, Poland, Albania, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, USA, Rwanda, Cameroon, India, Philippines, South Korea, Vietnam, and Papua New Guinea. The Daughters of Divine Zeal are 585 in 72 communities in: Italy, Spain, Albania, United States, Mexico, Bolivia, Brazil, Rwanda, Cameroon, India, South Korea, Philippines, Indonesia, Australia.
The spiritual experience of Blessed Annibale and his special mission are also shared by numerous lay men and women committed to living the spirit of “Rogate” in the Church, individually or in associations. The associative experience involves mainly young people and families. Priests, religious men and women consecrated lay persons form the Rogate Family, which lives and spreads prayer for vocations and love for neighbours in need. “The Union of Prayer for Vocations”, started by Blessed Annibale, is the “home” of the Rogate Family which is open to all baptised persons with a desire to engage in regular prayer for vocations. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 11/5/2004; Righe 45; Parole 643)


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