Communiqué of the Metropolitan Archbishop of Chieti-Vasto Bruno Forte. Nicolino D’Onofrio Declared Venerable
To the clergy and all the faithful of the archdiocese it is with great joy that we have learned that on 5 July 2012 Pope Francis declared ‘Venerable’ the Servant of God Nicolino D’Onofrio, a son of our diocesan church. Born in Villamagna (Ch) on 24 March 1943, at the age of seven he felt the vocation to the priesthood: he wanted to become a Camillian but his parents were opposed. Recognising, however, in his sweet insistence the authenticity of the work of God, in the autumn of 1955 his parents allowed him to enter the Camillian studentate in Rome. On 7 October 1961 he made his first profession, with the three vows of all the religious Congregations – poverty, chastity and obedience – to which the sons of our St. Camillus de Lellis add that of service to the sick and suffering, ‘always, even at the risk to our life’. Towards the end of 1962 he noticed the first symptoms of his illness which would lead to his death at the age of only twenty-one. He lived this great trial in profound union with the Lord Jesus, offering up everything for love. On 28 May 1964 he made his perpetual profession. He died on the evening of 12 June 1964. His body rests in Bucchianico in the crypt of the St. Camillus Sanctuary. The fact that the Church has recognised his heroic virtues, invites us to look at this young man, the son of our land, as a model on whom to base ourselves and an intercessor to whom to entrust ourselves. In particular, we ask Nicolino to pray for our children and young people and to obtain from God the gift of many holy vocations to family life, to priestly life and to consecrated life. Chieti, 6 July 2013.
Download here the communiqué of the Archbishop in format PDF