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Brother
Rosario LaDuca, C.SS.R.
Br Rosario was born on 6 October, 1793 in Maschito, Potenza. At the age of 14 he lost his father and, coming from a large, impoverished family, was obliged to start work as a shepherd. He would spend all day in prayer and to this purpose he carried small devotional images and some candles. While the flock was grazing, he would erect little altars and, like St Paschal Baylon, he would pray continuously. He had a special devotion to the Rosary, reciting many decades every day. In 1813, at the age of 20, he bade farewell to his parents and the world so as to join the Redemptorist noviciate. Here he accustomed himself to the physical mortifications which he was to practise until the end of his life: he often wore a hair shirt, and flagellated himself at least twice a week; on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays he made the stations of the Cross before lunch and dinner; he kissed his brothers’ feet to beg for soup; he blended bitter herbs with his main courses and ate kneeling down or else seated on the ground in a slightly uncomfortable position; he spent long hours on his knees without interruption. He often prayed the Holy Rosary and happily carried the beads by his side, keeping them in his hands continuously when not occupied by work. Like all Redemptorists at that time he wished to take the so-called “vow of blood.” This meant that he would be ready to shed his own blood if necessary, in order to defend the honour afforded to Mary by her Conception without stain of sin (before the definition of the dogma in 1854.) In 1826 the Rector Major, Fr Cocle, moved to the monastery of Agrigento in Sicily and asked for Br Rosario’s assistance at the public library. On the 8th of September, 1827, the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, he made the sacred vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, to which was added the vow and oath of perseverance in the Congregation. He was entrusted with taking care of the church, constantly going back and forth, keeping it clean and putting everything in its place. So swift was he in discharging his chores as sacristan, that it seemed as though his feet were gliding above the ground. Having organised everything, instead of taking a rest he knelt down to pray. The faithful admired this and, approaching him, they would recommend themselves to his fervent prayers. He would reply with his habitual expression, “God’s will be done.” The upheaval Thus passed 33 years of his life. Then on 2 August, 1860, the feast of Our Holy Father St Alphonsus, the inauspicious decree of Garibaldi was brought to bear against the Redemptorists, obliging them to dissolve and distance themselves from the Order. Where were they to go? Their love for the Congregation would not allow them to be separated from it, and therefore the decision was made to seek asylum on the island of Malta; but Br Rosarius, because he was 67 years old and in poor health, stayed on in Sicily as custodian of our precious church. After falling gravely ill, Alfonso Manto (father of Paula Manto who later identified Br Rosario’s grave) lovingly attributed his recovery to Br Rosario. Rosario gave Alfonso a pair of his poor, worn breeches saying, “Take these for your wife, Alfonso, for they will be useful for your children.” They were indeed used by that reverent family, as the breeches are passed from house to house to ward off various diseases. Illness and death On 19 August, 1860, Br Rosario said to his friend: “Go outside, Alfonso, and leave me on my own.” As he was honouring this request, he saw with amazement from the doorway the holy brother sitting on his bed with his face lit up as if in ecstasy in contemplation of the lovely statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Graces. Later, he returned to the little bedroom and found the brother looking as if he were on the point of expiring. He recited the litanies for the commendation of the soul, and when he had finished our Br Rosario gave up his soul. It was only 17 days since the community had been expelled. No sooner had the news of his death emerged when a stream of people came to reverence the body, and any objects in the room were taken as precious relics. The general consensus being that Br Rosario was a saintly man who had had an equally saintly death, gave rise to the idea of conserving his features by reproducing his features on canvas. Beneath the image, Don Giovanni Picone wrote the following words, summarising his entire life: Br Rosario LaDuca, professed serving brother of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. Burning with love for God and for the poor, praying without ceasing for many years, subjecting the flesh to the spirit by a very harsh regimen of life, an example of regular observance of the Rule. He returned his soul to God on August 19th on the feast day of the Servant of God Alphonsus di Liguori. A few days previously Br Rosario had said “You are to bury me before the altar of the Sorrowful Virgin.” However, permission was necessary from the dreadful authorities; and since there was no hope of this request being acceded to, his friends secretly took the body in the dead of night and buried it in the sacred place Rosario had desired. Before the burial, Alfonso had been to take his measurements for the coffin. Whilst about it, Br Rosario opened his eyes and looked at him for a while with a satisfied smile, a sign of gratitude for what Manto was doing for him. *** Although very few who had known Br Rosario were still alive in 1929 when his tomb was discovered, the renown of his outstanding virtues had been personally passed on to later generations through various anecdotes told and retold over the years. Written documentation, apart from the inscription mentioned above, has not come to light. Ever since his tomb was found, the faithful began to pray for this brother’s intercession with God, and many claim that their prayers were answered in marvelous ways. The remains of Br Rosario, a few bones and ashes, were respectfully reburied in a funerary casket by the brethren in their original resting place. Many graces were obtained from God at his intercession; we record this instance. On 15 September, 1929, in the year of the discovery of his tomb, Julietta Guaia, who had suffered so badly for nine long years from arthritis that she could not move at all, was fully restored to health in the presence of a large crowd at the tomb of the humble brother. What is particularly extraordinary about the event is that this girl had accurately dreamed during the night of 26 May (before the discovery of Rosario’s tomb), that she would be cured in that place. She had told the content of her dream straightaway early the next day to four friends. When she was taken to the church on that 15 September, she was at once able to predict with total accuracy where Br Rosario’s body lay. May it please the God that this faithful servant of His be glorified before the whole world. †
[With thanks to Mr Phillip Lane of Tasmania and Mr Dan Barry of
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