Bartolo Longo

After his conversion, Bartolo Longo engaged in charitable works and joined the Third Order of Saint Dominic in 1871 under the name Brother Rosario. In 1872, he went to Pompeii to manage the lands of Countess Marianna Farnararo De Fusco. Touched by the local misery, he received the inspiration to propagate the Rosary to save himself. He had an old painting of Our Lady of the Rosary restored in 1875 and launched the construction of a shrine, consecrated in 1891. He married the countess in 1885 on the advice of Pope Leo XIII, living with her in perfect conjugal chastity. Together, they founded a city of charity including orphanages for children of prisoners, hospices, schools, and modern infrastructure, before bequeathing everything to the Holy See in 1906.

The life of Bartolo Longo remains marked by interior struggles, anxiety crises, and psychological fragilities inherited from his occult past, making him a model for people suffering from mental disorders. Around 1900, he faced false accusations of embezzlement. He accepted this trial with obedience, handing over his works to Pope Pius X in 1906 before being completely cleared. He spent his final years in poverty and prayer, honored by Pope Pius XI in 1925, and passed away on October 5, 1926.

Declared venerable by Paul VI in 1975, Bartolo Longo was beatified on October 26, 1980, by Pope John Paul II, who described him as the "Apostle of the Rosary." His canonization was approved by Pope Francis on February 24, 2025. Following the latter's passing, Pope Leo XIV confirmed the date during the consistory of June 13, 2025. Bartolo Longo was solemnly canonized by Pope Leo XIV on October 19, 2025, in Saint Peter's Square in Rome during the Jubilee.

The spirituality of Bartolo Longo is centered on the Rosary, which he conceived as a "chain of love" connecting earth to heaven. In 1883, he composed the famous Supplication to Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii, recited worldwide every May 8th and on the first Sunday of October. He also wrote the 54-day Novena and the devotion of the Fifteen Saturdays. Today, the shrine of Pompeii is a major place of pilgrimage, and his charitable foundations continue to support orphans and the children of prisoners.