Diocesan phase of inquiry into Bishop Roveggio’s reputation for holiness concludes in Verona

The Mass, celebrated on the Solemnity of St Daniel Comboni, was presided over by Fr Pietro Ciucculla, Provincial Superior. Among those concelebrating were Bishop Emeritus of Goroka, Papua New Guinea, the Divine Word Missionary Bishop Francesco Sarego, a native of Cologna Veneta; Archbishop Rino Parrigato, former Apostolic Nuncio to Portugal; Fr Sindjalim Essognimam Elias, representing the General Council of the Institute; and numerous confrères.

Following the celebration, the proceedings moved directly to the formal juridical act. In his opening address, the Postulator General, Fr Cosimo De Iaco, emphasised that this act was not merely a formality required by canon law. It was an event of grace for the Diocese of Verona, the Comboni Family and the entire Church.

The testimonies and documents examined during this phase of the inquiry have confirmed that Bishop Roveggio’s holiness has not faded with the passing of the years, but continues to shine like a beacon of hope and total self-giving.

The mystery of the pierced Heart of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, which had inflamed the heart of St Daniel Comboni, also set Bishop Roveggio’s heart ablaze with the same love and dedication to the peoples of Central Africa.

Biographical Note

Antonio Maria Roveggio was born in Cologna Veneta (Verona) on 23 September 1858. A young priest of the Diocese of Vicenza, he joined the missionary institute founded in Verona by St Daniel Comboni in 1867.

After making his religious profession, he set out for Egypt, where, in December 1890, he became director of the Leone XIII Anti-Slavery Colony at Gesira and superior of the community.

In 1895, at just 37 years of age, he was appointed Vicar Apostolic of Central Africa. Consecrated a bishop in Verona on 21 April, he chose the motto In Omnibus Caritas (Charity in All Things) for his episcopal coat of arms.

Five years later, in January 1900, he was finally able to reach Omdurman, Sudan. From there, he organised two missionary expeditions towards the heart of Africa. Travelling along the Nile aboard the Redemptor, he visited numerous ethnic groups, including the Shilluk, Dinka, Anyuak, Nuer and others.

He founded the mission at Lui in 1900 and made an unsuccessful attempt to reach Uganda. Exhausted by illness and adversity, he was forced to retreat to Khartoum. He died at Berber on 2 May 1902, at the age of just 43, while travelling by train towards Egypt.

Five significant reasons

In the light of this brief but intense missionary life, the Postulator identified five reasons why this cause is both significant and relevant today, not only for the Comboni Missionaries, both men and women, but also for the Christian communities of Vicenza and Verona, as well as those of Egypt and Sudan, for whom he gave his life.

These are like the rays of a star which, we hope, will soon shine in the firmament of the Church’s blessed and saints, illuminating the life and evangelising mission of the Church. They are: human and Christian solidarity with the poor and exploited; the primacy of the interior life and prayer; communion and shared responsibility in missionary work; the Heart of Christ, the source of mission; and, finally, steadfast hope in the future of the mission.

Bishop Roveggio teaches us that missionary work bears fruit only when it is lived as the total consecration of oneself to God and to the poorest; when it is carried out in charity and humility; and when it is sustained by prayer and bold undertakings.

During his historic journeys along the Nile aboard the Redemptor, Bishop Roveggio sought nothing other than to meet the distant peoples of Central Africa, driven by the urgency of proclaiming to them the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Although brief in duration, his ministry was immense in charity, strength of spirit and filial obedience to the Church. He knew how to become “all things to all people”, facing extreme hardship, illness and isolation with the strength of faith and the conviction that Africa would save Africa. Though weary, he remained sustained by a firm hope, expressed in the words of Psalm 126: “I am glad to sow in tears, so that others may reap with joy.”

Reading of the minutes and expressions of gratitude

Following the introductory address, and in order to establish the validity of a cause that began as long ago as 1952, the minutes of the concluding session were read aloud. All the members of the diocesan tribunal then signed the documents, and the Bishop’s Chancellor sealed the packets containing the original documents and the authenticated copies. Fr De Iaco, who was entrusted with delivering the packets to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, took and signed the required oath.

Once this procedure had been completed, the Postulator expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Bishop Domenico Pompili, who was unable to attend, for welcoming and promoting the reopening of the cause; to the Diocesan Delegate, Monsignor Tiziano Bonomi, for his generous, diligent and competent commitment; and to the Promoter of Justice, the Notary and all the officials of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal of Verona for devoting their time and expertise to the cause entirely free of charge, working with scientific rigour and ecclesial passion.

He also extended his thanks to the members of the historical commission and the theological censors for their reports; to Professor Giancarlo Volpato for his biography of Bishop Antonio Maria Roveggio, reconstructed with great documentary precision; and to Fr Arnaldo Baritussio, his predecessor as Postulator General of the Comboni Missionaries.

On to the Dicastery

The matter now passes to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints in Rome, to which all the documentation will be delivered, with the prayer that the Lord may soon glorify this faithful servant of his, offering the universal Church a shining model of a shepherd and missionary, still capable today of inspiring new vocations and setting hearts ablaze with zeal for the proclamation of the Kingdom.

Fr Ciucculla, Provincial Superior, then spoke to thank the Mayor of Cologna Veneta, the civil authorities and all those present.

Finally, Fr Sindjalim, General Councillor, speaking on behalf of the Comboni Missionaries and as an African, thanked the Churches of Vicenza and Verona for having given Africa two illustrious apostles: St Daniel Comboni and the Servant of God, Bishop Antonio Maria Roveggio.

Fr Cosimo De Iaco, MCCJ
Postulator General