Ildebrando Gregori

Ildebrando Gregori OSBSilv (born May 8, 1894 in Poggio Cinolfo near Carsoli , Italy , † November 12, 1985 in Rome ) was an Italian Roman Catholic religious priest and Abbot General of the Silvestrin Benedictines. He had a special veneration of the most holy face of Jesus . He has the title Venerable Servant of God .

Life

Father Ildebrando Gregori was born on May 8, 1894 in Poggio Cinolfo, a district of Carsoli in the province of L'Aquila in Abruzzo. His parents were Giacomo Gregori and Emma Ferrari. On May 12, 1894, he was baptized Alfredo Antonio in the parish church of the Assumption of Mary in his home village. Since he was sickly as an infant, he received the sacrament of Confirmation on October 29, 1894 .

At the age of four, the young Alfredo Antonio felt called to religious life. Later he learned about religious life through a community of Passionist Fathers who lived in the hermitage of San Francesco near his home village. There he received religious instruction and also wanted to join the community. But since he was still too young, he was rejected. At the age of twelve, through the mediation of Cardinal Segna, who came from the same place, he was able to join the Benedictine Congregation of the New Year's Eve, of which the cardinal was the protector.

At first Alfredo Antonio entered the Santo Stefano convent of the community in Rome, but was then sent to the convent of San Silvestro Abbate in Monte Fano, near Fabriano. On August 15, 1908, he entered there as a postulant.

On July 4, 1909, Alfredo Antonio began the novitiate. With the clothing he was given the name Ildebrando (dt. Hildebrand). He made his temporary profession on July 10, 1910. He studied for two years in the monastery and diocesan seminary of Fabriano before moving to the Santo Stefano monastery in Rome in 1912 to continue his studies there at the Pontifical Gregorian University . One of his classmates there was Maximilian Kolbe . On July 15, 1913, he received his Baccalaureat and on July 17, 1914 his Licentiate in Philosophy.

At the beginning of the theological course he was drafted into military service as the First World War began. He served in a medical corps and was assistant to the military chaplain Pietro Ciriaci , who later became archbishop , nuncio and cardinal .

After the war Ildebrando returned to the monastery in Rome and continued his studies at the Gregoriana. There he successfully completed his theology studies on October 27, 1919.

On August 5, 1922, Ildebrando made his perpetual profession in the Santo Stefano monastery in Rome.

He was ordained a priest on October 29, 1922 at the age of 28 in the Roman basilica of Santi Apostoli by Bishop Sebastiano Leite de Vasconcelos and celebrated his Primacy on November 1, 1922 in Santo Stefano. After his ordination he took over the pastoral ministry of his order and was also responsible for accompanying and training the candidates. In 1933 he became superior of the parent company San Silvestro Abbate in Monte Fano.

In 1939, at the age of 45, Ildebrando was elected Abbot General of the Congregation of the Silvestrin Benedictines. He held this office for 20 years until 1959 (re-election in 1947 and 1953). During his tenure, he guided his Congregation in Italy through World War II and paved the way for greater activity of the Order abroad.

Abbot Ildebrando was valued as a preacher and, above all, in great demand as a spiritual guide. So he accompanied z. B. Madre Pierina De Micheli (beatified in May 2010), Madre Gertrude Billi, co-founder of the Maidens of the Sacred Heart of Cittá di Castello , and Madre Laura Curlotta, third Superior General of the Daughters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (Ravasco Sisters) . An important feature of his spirituality was the devotion to the Sacred Heart, which since the contact with Pierina De Micheli has been supplemented by the veneration of the Holy Face of Christ.

Immediately after the Second World War, Abbot Ildebrando took care of some poor and neglected children. His auxiliary activity quickly spread beyond Bassano Romano and an impressive work of welfare work emerged. To support this work, he gathered a group of young women around him. On August 15, 1950, the community was recognized as a pious association by Giuseppe Gori, Bishop of Nepi and Sutri . Father Ildebrando wrote a rule for the community based on the rule of St. Benedict and named the sisters Benedictine Sisters of the Atonement of the Holy Face of our Lord Jesus Christ . In 1978 the sisters were recognized as a community under papal law .

Father Ildebrando was a man of great activity, yet deeply rooted in an intense contemplative life. Again and again he had doubts as to whether his apostolic work and his care for the Congregation of Sisters were compatible with the Benedictine ideals of Ora et Labora and Stabilitas. His superiors supported him in his work and gave their approval. In Rome, the Congregation of Sisters was able to open a branch in Via della Conciliazione, which Father Ildebrando gave the name Deo Gratias . He also spent the last two decades of his life there in order to provide support and advice for his establishment. He carried on his work with the utmost devotion until a few years before his death, when he was struck by a long and painful illness. On November 12, 1985 at 11:03 a.m., Father Ildebrando died at the age of 91. Two weeks earlier had predicted the day and hour of his death.

His grave is in Bassano Romano in the mother house of the congregation of sisters he founded.

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  Bed in which Fr. Ildebrando died on November 12, 1985 at 11:03 a.m.

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  P. Ildebrando's death room

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  Altar in the dying room with a picture of the holy face of Jesus

Beatification process

In 1992 the diocese of Rome opened the process of beatification for Father Ildebrando. The postulator of the trial was Father Simon Tonini. On November 7, 2014, Pope Francis bestowed the title of Venerable Servant of God on Father Ildebrando .

literature

• Sr. Maria Maurizia Biancucci: Il monaco Ildebrando Gregori. Apostolo del Santo Volto. Editrice VELAR, Bergamo 2005. ISBN 978-88-7135-214-5
• Sr. Maria Letizia Russo: L'abate Ildebrando Gregori. Formatters. Editrice VELAR, Bergamo 2003. ISBN 978-88-7135-163-6
• Fiorenzo Angelini: L'eremo e la Folla. L'abate Ildebrando Gregori OSBCS Tipografia Poliglotta Vaticana, Città del Vaticano 1986.
• Fiorenzo Angelini: L'uomo delle beatitudini. Il Servo di Dio Abate Ildebrando Gregori OSB-CS San Paolo Edizioni, Milan 2011. ISBN 978-88-215-7054-4
• Fiorenzo Angelini: Man of the Beatitudes. Editrice VELAR, Bergamo 2003. ISBN 978-88-713-5173-5

Web links

• Homepage about P. Ildebrando (German)
• Santi e Beati - Ildebrando Gregori (ital.)
• Homepage of the Silvestrin Benedictine Congregation (ital.)
• Homepage of the Santo Volto Monastery (ital.)