THE LETTERS OF SAINT JOSEPH MARELLO Edited by Fr. Mario Pasetti, O.S.J. Rough copy of translations done by Frs. Pavese, Dal Degan, Toschi; Typography by Di Nardo, Smallwood, Lasniak, Moss; partially corrected by Toschi. Needs corrections for English, consistency, and correspondence to original Italian; needs completion. This printout: 10/29/06 To St. Joseph, the Saint of faith, and of silence, the worker who served Jesus and Mary. PRESENTATION Following the biography of Saint Joseph Marello, Volume One of the Series of Marellian Sources and Studies, I now have the pleasure to present the LETTERS as Volume Two of this Series, which will be followed by a third volume of Marello’s other writings. The Letters have been collected and ordered by Fr. Mario Pasetti, who also prepared the various critical notes and indices which help situate them in the historical and spiritual context in which they were written. The Letters are the surest and most vivid evidence of Blessed Joseph Marello’s personality, for they allow us to gather individual instances of his precious life, as if to capture living scenes preserved for all times. The Letters thus become the first ray of light emanating from Marello’s person. This light reaches us and penetrates us without the tinsel of our own rationalizations: it is direct lightning, destined to accomplish so much good for those who are docilely open to receive and welcome it. The Gospel, the Holy Spirit, the Blessed Virgin, and her husband St. Joseph appear herein as the immediate spiritual teachers. So too Blessed Marello, so personally present in the early letters of his youth with his spirit of friendship and involvement in the problems of his time, gradually withdraws from the limelight to become simply a Guide who takes us by the hand and leads us to the most intimate secrets of Christian living. From him we can truly “Learn the language of the Saints.” In him we find profusely abundant words of faith, the secrets of virtue, and the examples of a life “hidden with Christ in God,” in imitation of St. Joseph, the Saint of faith, silence, and active service of Jesus and Mary. With him we gain strength for our own lives, so that “we poor children may walk safely down unexplored paths.” Rome, November 21, 1978 Fr. Severino Dalmaso, O.S.J. P R E F A C E On the occasion of the first Centenary of the Congregation of the Oblates of St. Joseph, we present the second edition of The Letters of Blessed J. Marello. This is not a simple reprinting, but a work that is virtually new. The text has been carefully compared to the originals, checked for spelling, paragraphing, etc. Careful study of content and comparison of various letters has allowed a dating of almost all those letters that were lacking a date. These dates are reported within brackets []. The letters that cannot be given a precise date are placed at the end of the Priestly Period (Letters 119-129) or the Episcopal Period (Letters 281-282), according to the period to which they belong. Regarding numerical notation , this edition prefers the usual characters to the Roman numerals, since they are easier to read. The numerical ordering has also changed due to the inclusion of certain unedited Letters (L. 84-bis, 129, 177, 226, 230) and the chronological reordering of some others. Each letter is introduced by the name of the addressee and by a brief summary of its content. The explanatory notes have been quite reworked and moved from the end of the book to the bottom of the page to which they refer. Simple reference notes are also offered in the hopes of providing opportunity for a more in depth study of the collection of Letters. Finally, the addition of the Appendix of 39 Letters either addressed to Marello or written about him, together with the various Indices which close the volume, should prove very useful for a better understanding and use of the text. To those who have encouraged this work and made it possible, I offer all my gratitude. Fr. Mario Pasetti, O.S.J. CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF THE LIFE OF BLESSED JOSEPH MARELLO December 26, 1844 S Joseph Marello is born in Turin and baptized the same day in the Church of Corpus Domini. 1852 S Orphaned of his mother, he moves to San Martino Alfieri, his father’s hometown. August 15, 1855 S He receives Holy Confirmation from Bishop Philip Artico, Bishop of Asti. January 9, 1864 S His clerical investiture. December 21, 1867 S He receives tonsure and the four Minor Orders from Bishop Carlo Savio, Bishop of Asti. March 28, 1868 S He receives the Order of Subdiaconate. June 6, 1868 S He receives the Diaconate. September 19, 1868 S He is ordained a priest. September 20, 1868 S His First Mass at San Martino Alfieri. December 8, 1869 S As secretary to Bishop Savio of Asti, he participates in the opening of the First Vatican Council in Rome and remains there for its entire duration. March 14, 1878 S In Asti he founds the Congregation of the Oblate of St. Joseph. February 11, 1889 S In the Consistory of Cardinals he is named Bishop of Acqui by His Holiness Leo XIII, who will later call him a “Pearl of a Bishop.” February 17, 1889 S At the Capuchin Church of the Immaculate Conception in Rome, he is consecrated Bishop by Cardinal Raphael Monaco la Valletta. June 16, 1889 S His installation into the Diocese of Acqui. May 30, 1895 S His holy death at Savona. June 1, 1895 S Solemn funeral services in Acqui and burial of his venerable remains in the Acqui cemetery. March 18, 1901 S Establishment of the Institute of Oblates as a Diocesan Congregation. April 11, 1909 S The Holy See formally approves the Congregation of the Oblates of St. Joseph. June 30, 1923 S Transferral and entombment of the body of the Founder in the Mother House of the Congregation in Asti. 1924 S Introduction of the Cause for the Beatification to the Diocesan Chancery Offices of Asti and Acqui. 1928 S Conveyance to Rome of the ordinary proceedings held in the two Dioceses of Asti and Acqui. May 12, 1937 S Decree on the writings of the Servant of God Joseph Marello. May 28, 1948 S Decree of Introduction of the Cause before the Holy See and consequent initiation of Apostolic Proceedings in the Diocese of Acqui. March 17, 1954 S Decree on the validity of the Apostolic Proceedings. November 25, 1977 S Cardinal Luigi Ciappi is named the new proponent of the Cause. June 12, 1978 S Decree of Heroic Virtue, granting Joseph Marello the title of “Venerable.” June 10,1991 S Initiation of Asti Diocesan Proceedings Super Miro . September 27, 1991 S Decree on the Validity of the Diocesan Proceedings. April 2, 1993 S Decree on the miraculous nature of the healing of seminarian Aldo Falconetti through the intercession of Venerable Joseph Marello. September 26, 1993 S Beatification Ceremony in Asti by Pope John Paul II, granting Marello the title of “Blessed.” December 18, 2000 – Certification of the miraculous nature of the healing of Isila and Alfredo Chávez-León, in Ranquish (Pombabamba, Ancash, Perú), through the intercession of Blessed Joseph Marello. November 25, 2001 – Canonization at St. Peter’s, Vatican City, by Pope John Paul II, granting Marello the title of “Saint.” SEMINARY PERIOD (1864 - 1868) Letters 1 S16B 1 TO SEMINARIAN STEPHEN ROSSETTI Transfer of the Capital from Turin to Florence. Feast of the Holy Rosary. Military conscription. [San Martino Tanaro, after October 5, 1864] From the hills of San Martino on the Tanaro 1 Sixth period of the autumnal Era divided into six twenty day periods. Dear Friend from Montafia 2 The other day Riccio wrote me a terrible threatening letter, summoning me to render account of my strange behavior towards my friends. In your regard he wrote me that you wrote that I never wrote you. As you see I cannot free myself from this thicket of writings without writing my defense: similia similibus curantur 3 says the medical proverb. Well then, as an excuse I’ll give you a view of my situation this past month. I will be brief because time is limited and I still have to send circular letters of my excuse to others including Riccio and Motta. 4 From the first half of September my house saw the beginning of the parade of visitors from Turin wanting to enjoy the delights of the country S more solito. 5 Now imagine what a strain it must have been for me to live amidst all the commotion these new people brought into my life. It was up to me to do the honors of the house. It was up to me to arrange for all those poor tourists to be satiated with the joys of the country, so as not to return to Turin bored and disappointed. So I had to accompany them to visit the town’s points of interest, the trigonometric and the topographical points of the principal heights, in short the most noteworthy places of this microscopic village. And then add (cursed word 6 S it slipped from my pen before I 1realized it) terrible news of the Capital’s transfer to Florence that fell upon us. 7 Oh this was ugly! Imagine disorder, scuffle, frenzy, anxiety, in short a Babel-like confusion, and you will not be wandering far from the truth in judging my situation in those days.