Nazareno Santolini

It was during an excursion with his classmates from the Capranica College to Monte Cavo (Rome) that he visited a Passionist house. Deeply moved by the supernatural humility of the brother who welcomed them, he felt the call to religious life within the Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ. In the summer of 1881, he decided to leave his diocesan path to join the Passionists. Although he initially wished to become a simple lay brother, the Superior General at the time, Blessed Bernard-Marie Silvestrelli, firmly opposed this and required him to follow priestly formation due to his great intellectual abilities. He received the habit on November 18, 1881, and pronounced his religious vows on September 19, 1882, at the convent of Saints John and Paul in Rome. He was ordained a priest on March 10, 1883. In 1885, he was appointed spiritual assistant to the Passionist students at the convent of the Scala Santa in Rome, while exercising his ministry in two chaplaincies. In 1893, he was appointed master of novices at the novitiate of Monte Argentario (Grosseto). Not having yet reached the canonical age required for this delicate office, his superiors requested a special dispensation. He would exercise this role as a formator for 29 years, shaping generations of Passionist religious (he would form a total of 439 novices). Among his most famous novices are the Venerable Galileo Nicolini (1882-1897), the Venerable Lorenzo dello Spirito Santo (Egidio Marcelli, 1874-1953), and the Servant of God Candide of the Immaculate (Candido Amantini, 1914-1992), a famous exorcist of Rome.

Father Nazareno Santolini is recognized for his deep piety, his humility, and his absolute obedience. He spent many nights in prayer, kneeling on the bare floor of his cell. In 1928, despite his advanced age (69 years old) and declining health marked by progressive paralysis, the provincial superior asked him to resume the charge of the novitiate. Despite his reservations and his desire to prepare for death, he accepted out of obedience. The provincial would later confide to a confrere: "The mere shadow of Fr. Nazareno is enough to form the novices." He passed away peacefully at the San Giuseppe convent of Monte Argentario on January 4, 1930. His remains rest in the convent church, alongside his young novice Galileo Nicolini.

The cause for the beatification of Father Nazareno Santolini was introduced after his death. On March 3, 1957, the decree on his writings was published. June 19, 1982, marked the official introduction of the cause. On October 5, 1984, the decree of validity for the informative and apostolic processes was published. In 1987, the Positio was published. On April 7, 1989, the Particular Congress of theological consultants was held, followed on July 4, 1989, by the Ordinary Session of cardinals and bishops. Finally, on September 7, 1989, Pope John Paul II promulgated the decree recognizing the heroic nature of his virtues, officially declaring him Venerable.

The spirituality of the Venerable Nazareno Santolini is deeply rooted in the Passionist charism: the contemplation of the Passion of Jesus Christ as the supreme expression of God's love. He considered prayer to be the foundation of all apostolic and educational action, stating in particular: "Prayer is the omnipotence of man, and the weakness of God." As a novice master, he left the image of an affectionate yet demanding father, transmitting the values of the Rule of Saint Paul of the Cross through the example of his own life rather than through long speeches. His legacy endures through the hundreds of religious he trained, who marked the history of the Passionist congregation in the 20th century.