The Redemptorist family joyfully celebrates the feast of the Blessed Gennaro Maria Sarnelli on 30th of June recalling the great contribution done in the areas of the “apostolate of pen” for catechesis. Gennaro Sarnelli along with St. Alphonsus gave up the promising legal careers to dedicate themselves as priests to the poor and the most abandoned.
Fr. Gennaro was a spiritual master and well-known writer who spent himself entirely to bring the Gospel to the abandoned and the poor of the slums around Naples. He especially sought out the women, young boys and young girls who were the victims of human trafficking and exploited as prostitutes, as laborers, and in criminal activity.
“By means of his extensive writings in the areas of spirituality, spiritual direction and social and political practice, he acted as a moral conscience to hundreds of thousands of his contemporaries,” notes J. Robert Fenili, CSsR, editor of Sarnelli’s life and letters.
As we commemorate the day with grateful hearts, we intercede Blessed Gennaro Maria Sarnelli to assist us through his words and writings to work for justice and peace in lifting up of the poor and abandoned from injustice and oppression.
Prayer in Honor of Blessed Gennaro Sarnelli Holy Redeemer, we place ourselves in your presence confident that you are a loving and merciful God. You walk with us by day and by night as we strive to proclaim your gospel with compassion to people who are poor and abandoned. As we reach out to those most in need, we look to Blessed Gennaro Sarnelli as a model and help. His ardent desire was to bring people on the fringes of society and the Church to a deeper knowledge and love of you. We pray that his zeal will inspire and motivate us to share your redemption with those who are marginalized. We especially remember people who make decisions that lead to destructive and addictive behaviors. May our choices be those of Blessed Sarnelli, who continually lived the gospel in spite of adversity and opposition. We ask his help, that our commitment may not shrink for lack of support or favor, for as we become one with those who are outcast, we become one with you. Amen.
