Passionist Feast November 18 - Blessed Grimoaldo Santamaria, C.P.

BL. GRIMOALDO of the PURIFICATION was born on 4th May 1883, the eldest of five children of a devout family in Pontecorvo (Frosinone),Italy, and baptized Fernando. His family gave him his first schooling in the faith. At the age of eight he made his First Communion and served Mass regularly, growing in piety especially through personal prayer and attendance at catechism class. At nine he joined the Congregation of the Immaculata, and participated faithfully in all their religious exercises. He also sang in the parish choir and by the age of 12 was helping to catechize his peers.

After regularly attending retreats given by the Passionists at the Marian shrine of Our Lady of Graces in Pontecorvo, at the age of 13 he expressed a desire to enter their community, which his father at first opposed because he had others plans for the boy. In the end he gave his permission.He entered the Congregation of the Passion at Santa Maria di Pugliano and received the habit on 5th March 1899, taking the name of Grimoaldo, in honour of St Grimoald, a martyr and the patron of his people.

He made his religious profession on 6th March 1900, including the special vow of practising and spreading devotion to Christ’s passion. The next day he moved to the student residence in the ancient abbey of Santa Maria di Corniano, near Cecceano.Grimoaldo continued to live the Passionist rule with the same fervour he had in the novitiate, spending time in study, prayer, penance and community life.

Although outwardly his life appeared ordinary, his companions noticed something special: he had a particular sense of God’s presence and concentrated all his attention on the Lord.He was never ordained a priest, but he lived his religious vocation to the full.

At the age of 19 he was diagnosed as having acute meningitis. The seriousness of the illness revealed the heroic virtue that was second nature to him. Clear, calm and recollected, he was not saddened by his approaching death, but kept repeating: “God’s will be done”. With a smile on his face he went to meet the Lord on 18th November 1902.