Saint of the Month - November 2014: Blessed Grimoaldo Santamaria

Bl. Grimoaldo Santamaria

A Youthful Disciple of the Passion

Memorial: November 18th

This month's featured holy person - Ferdinando Santamaria - was born on May 4, 1883 in Pontecorvo, Italy; the oldest child of five siblings born to a poor family.  From a very early age, he stood out from other children through his love of prayer and his attraction to spiritual matters; serving his parish as an altar server and choir member.

Ferdinando also had a penchant for voluntary mortifications, which gave evidence of an advanced spiritual mindset for one so young.  In fact, at 7-years-old, he was said to have thrown himself into a thorny bush to feel some of the pain of Christ's Passion.  His unusual piety caused misunderstandings with his peers but earned him reverence from the older townsfolk.  It was also during his childhood that the Lord confirmed his favor with Ferdinando through a miracle witnessed by his family.

One of the few existing photographs of 

Bl. Grimoaldo.  This author took the liberty

of enhancing it using A.I. technology.

It’s recorded that on one occasion, while the boy was absorbed in prayer, he was suddenly surrounded by a radiance then levitated about a foot off the ground!  Following this remarkable event, it wasn’t a surprise to his family when the 15-year-old teen left home to enter the Passionist Congregation in their novitiate at Paliano.  His father - a rope maker - had intended for Ferdinand to continue the family trade, but the boy had his heart set on following Jesus.  Upon joining the Passionists, he took the religious name of Bro. Grimoaldo of the Purification.

The teenager was professed a permanent member of the Passionists in March 1900, at the age of 17.  He took as his special role-models the Blessed Virgin and a former member of his congregation - St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin (d. 1862) - to whom he was devoted and strove to emulate.  Grimoaldo then went on to train for the priesthood in the Passionist Seminary at Ceccano, but it wasn’t God’s will that he become a priest.  Instead, in 1902 the seminarian contracted acute meningitis, which quickly undermined the normally healthy young man.  Although every effort was being made to save him, Grimoaldo predicted he would die from the illness on November 18th of the same year.  Sadly, his words proved to be true - Grimoaldo was only 19-years-old when he entered into his eternal reward on the exact date he foresaw.

The Blessed's tomb in the parish

church of Ceccano.

Given his reputation for heroic virtue, the Passionists promoted Grimoaldo’s Cause for Sainthood with the enthusiastic support of his religious brethren and his family members.  After authenticating a miraculous cure attributed to his intercession, the Church proclaimed him Blessed on January 29, 1995.  Bl. Grimoaldo of the Purification, pray for us!

A Reflection

True devotion to Mary leads to JESUS CHRIST.

A Short Prayer

Dearest Blessed Mother, in the same way by which you led Bl. Grimoaldo Santamaria, lead us, too, on the surest and quickest path to your Divine Son, Jesus Christ.   Amen.