Recently I asked the readership to donate to the traditional parish in Rome, Santissima Trinità dei Pellegrini, so that they could cover the expenses of burying a homeless man who had – like I have – made the place his adoptive home.
My appeal HERE
The Solemn Requiem and superb sermon HERE
Today I received this note from the pastor:
Dear Father Zuhlsdorf,
Once again, you and your many friends and readers of your blog were there for the important and beautiful events of our Parish. The response to the call you made on your blog for our dear Gaetano has been beyond all hope. Thanks to you, our young 33 year old friend who had been living on the street for years, and present every day in front of our church for the last three years, and who died like an angel, was rewarded with an almost princely funeral. We have been able to cover all the funeral expenses and the transportation of his body close to his family in Emilia Romagna. These are very poor folks, and they were literally blown away by the help and other expressions of love and devotion that they witnessed at the funeral.
Thank you very, very much, dear Father, for the help you spontaneously offered. For all of us here in Rome, your generosity is an admirable sign of the goodness and boundless mercy of God. I hope that I will be able to meet you soon, and in the meantime I wish to restate my gratitude, as Pastor, together with the gratitude of my brother priests, of all the parishioners of Santissima Trinità dei Pellegrini, and of course of Gaetano’s family. “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me”.
In Corde Jesu,
Fr. Brice Meissonnier, fssp
Pastor of SS. Trinità dei Pellegrini, Rome
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Father Z.,
I donated money for the funeral of Gaetano. My heart breaks to think of the harsh life he led on earth and the most I can do for him, hundreds of miles away, is to pay for his funeral. One day, I hope someone will be as generous to me, in my hour of dire need, whatever form that may take.
I was in Rome last August and went to confession and Mass at Santissima Trinita dei Pellegrini. After that I donated money to the FSSP who are dong a marvelous job, truly the Lord’s work, in Rome.
I wish I could do more, I wish I could buy 100 old, crumbling convents and monasteries and churches in Europe, and fund religious orders and priestly vocations. But I have what I have and I trust that with my little loaf of bread and piece of fish to give, Our Lord will multiply it into thousands of loaves and fishes.
N.B. I am STILL trying to buy the old Greek Orthodox chapel next to my property in Greece, to convert into a Catholic chapel, but everything in Greece takes 5000 years to accomplish. Grrrrr….
We owe you a debt of gratitude Fr. Z for providing an opportunity to perform a corporal work of mercy. Thank you so much.
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