When Vincent Pallotti was born on 21 April 1795, the Pallotti family lived in Via del Pellegrino, no. 130. The saint lived in this house until his father’s death in 1837. Now a commemorative plaque has been placed on the house. Just round the corner, in Via Giulia, is the church of Spirito Santo dei Napoletani, of which our founder was rector for more than ten years.
It was in this Spirito Santo dei Napoletani church that members of the Pallottine Union and guests gathered on the afternoon of 5 November 2024. The Superior Generals of the three core communities and the Vice-President of the Union of Catholic Apostolate represented the various vocations within the UAC: Mrs Gabriella Acerbi, Sr Ivete Garlet CSAC, Sr Josephina D’Souza SAC and Fr Zenon Hanas SAC. Also present were the rector of the church, Msgr Maurizio Piscolla and Fr Ivan Grigis, the parish priest of San Lorenzo in Damaso, where Vincent had been baptised. Dr Michael Max, the rector of the national church for German-speaking people in Rome, Santa Maria dell’Anima, represented the owner of the building, which is part of the church’s endowment fund.
Fr Hanas welcomed everyone who had gathered for the celebration. Fr Daniel Rocchetti gave an introduction to the historical context, and Gabriella Acerbi emphasised the connections of Pallotti, who was a Roman, to the city and the Roman clergy. The participants then walked in a short procession to Via del Pellegrino, where at 4 pm – the hour in which Vincent was born – the plaque was unveiled and a commemorative wreath laid.
Afterwards, everyone was invited to the Generalate of the Pallottine Fathers and Brothers for refreshments. The afternoon ended with a Mass of thanksgiving celebrated in San Salvatore in Onda, where the saint’s body rests under the main altar. The new organ, which was blessed shortly before the Mass, was heard for the first time.
Text: Sr. Adelheid Scheloske, SAC
Photos: Sr. Beata Matuszewska, SAC (2) and Sr. Adelheid Scheloske, SAC (5)
