The "Fioretti" of St.

Hannibal
Translated from Italian by Fr. John Bruno, R.C.J.
Edited by Mary Western

Father Hannibal Di Francia

There are people whose life resembles the rapid passage of a flying star in the sky of August: it shines for a
moment, but then it fades into darkness without leaving any mark. Others’ lives, like stars of first greatness, keep on
giving light, also after their death. These are the saints who, with the testimony of their life, continue to affirm
supernatural and spiritual values.
In the long and glorious catalog of these heroes of our faith we find also Saint Hannibal Di Francia. His life and
his work are mainly connected with Sicily and particularly with Messina, where he was born on July 5, 1851. His
parents, Francis and Ann Toscano, were of “noble” origin according to the heraldry. With his two brothers and a sister
he was orphaned of his father at the age of two. The burden of rearing them was left on the shoulders of his still young
mother.
Hannibal made his studies away from the family, with the Cistercian Fathers at St. Nicolò boarding house. The
consequences of being so precociously orphan, left an indelible mark on his character and made him reflexive and,
above all, caring for the needs of the poor.
He grew up in the raging climate of the revolutions of the XIX century. His bright talent led him to rapid progress
in the literary field at the school of the poet Felice Bisazza. He perhaps dreamt the glory of letters and poetry, but the
plan of God on him was different. He felt the call to priesthood in extraordinary way, and was ordained a priest on
March 16, 1878, in the Church of the Holy Spirit in Messina.
When he was still a deacon, few months before his priestly ordination, he had a clear sign from God about his
mission in the Church. He encountered a poor man who led him to start the moral and social recovery of the Avignone
District, an urban conglomeration of the city of Messina. similar to the outskirts of the metropolis of our times, where
any kinds of moral and material poverty can be found. From that moment he became the father of the orphans and of the
poor, whom he called “princes” and “marquises.” For them he went begging, he was rejected, he accepted
indescribable sufferings and he sacrificed his family's patrimony. He made himself everything to everybody.
Since the work and the necessities of the poor coming to him and asking for help were increasing day by day, he
realized the need of collaborators for the salvation of humankind. Thus he expressed his feelings: “I thought: what are
these few orphans that are saved and these few poor that are evangelized, in comparison with the millions who are lost
and are living like a flock without its shepherd? I considered the limitedness of my strengths and I looked for a remedy
and I found it ample and infallible in the words of Jesus: “Pray (=Rogate) therefore the Master of the harvest, to send
workers for his harvest.” Then I felt that I did find the secret of all the good works and of the salvation of all souls.”
History tells us that he became a propagator and apostle of the prayer for all vocations, but especially for the
priestly, missionary and religious ones. He founded the movements of the “Sacred Alliance” for the clergy and of the
“Pious Union of the Evangelical Rogation” for the laity, both committed to pray and to give their collaboration for
vocations.
To realize his ideal, Father Di Francia founded two Congregations: the “Daughters of the Divine Zeal” and the
“Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus.” They currently operate in Italy, Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, Paraguay, United
States, Mexico Spain, Poland, Albania, Philippines, Indonesia, Korea, Papua New Guinea, Australia, and other
countries. Primarily they express their carism through the following activities:
a) Praying every day for holy laborers to the church; fostering the awareness of the faithful on the problem of
vocations by using the available means, above all prayer, catechesis and orientation courses and any other suitable
means for caring for vocations and supporting their formation…
b) Care for the poor and education of needy boys and girls through educational institutes, schools, boarding
houses, vocational centers, parishes, printing press, social services, oratories; extra curricular activities like tailoring,
embroidery, livelihood, nutritional and health projects, computer academies, missionary stations….
Father Hannibal Di Francia had the joy to see the decree of the Church approving his Congregations one year
before his death, on August 6, 1926. He died on June 1, 1927 after a life enlivened by charity and priestly zeal.
During his funerals the poor and orphans assisted by him had tears on their eyes. An old man exclaimed: “The
man who never said no has died.”
Fr. Hannibal wrote: “It seems to me that I have a bond of holy friendship with all on the earth... I see a brother
of mine in all the persons I encounter. All the good things I desired for myself in this life and in the next, I desired
equally for all my brothers.”
Fr. Hannibal’s holiness was recognized by Pope John Paul II who declared him a saint on May 16, 2004.
1
 Fr. Cyrus Quaranta R.C.J.

p. 9
Two years had passed since his birth, (he was born on July 5th 1851), when suddenly the little
Hannibal lost his father. Ann Toscano, left a widow so soon with four children to take care of and
different properties to administer, was constrained to give little Hannibal into the care of an aunt,
and thus he became doubly orphaned. This lack of parental affection during his infancy carved in
his soul an exceptional sensibility. He acquired an immense sense of comprehension and tenderness
toward children, especially orphans and abandoned.

p.10
One day, a poor man came in the Cistercian Fathers' School, where the little Hannibal was studying.
The poor man was consuming the food he had received in a corner of the refectory, when some
mischievous young men began to make fun of him with gestures and words. He felt compelled to
leave. Hannibal gathers all the food he could find on the table and running after the poor man offers
it to him. Hannibal receives a desired reward: a tender embrace.

p.11
Since his childhood, Hannibal had a delicate conscience and a great love for truth. An uncle, who
had taken him hunting, met on his way back a friend. "Have you been out long?" the friend asked.
"No, just a couple of hours!" the hunter answered. "He means since three in the morning" Hannibal
interrupted. Then the friend inquired if the hunting was successful. "Well just a ouzel caught flying"
was the answer. Again Hannibal had to add: "He means not flying, but on the branch of a fig tree."
The uncle could not take it any more and, after saying good bye to the friend, scolded the nephew
for his out of place zeal. Hannibal, as an adult, would-comment: "They wanted to teach me to lie."

p.12
As he was coming out of the Cathedral one day when he was sixteen years old, he noticed an
agitator at the corner of the square who had gathered a sizeable crowd. The man was insulting the
Pope with offensive accusations.: Hannibal, among the cheering of the people present, confronted
the speaker and reduced him to silence.

p.13
After finishing the parenthesis of the boarding school, Hannibal followed faithfully the good
teachings he had received. He showed such fervor in virtue and piety, that his confessor allowed
him to receive Holy Communion daily. Such privilege was very rare at that time for a young man
only 17 years old.

p.14
Even though Hannibal had a fervent spiritual life, he never thought of becoming a priest; rather he
dreamed to become a literary man. But in 1869, when he was 18 years ' 'old, he felt a call to the
priesthood in a sudden and irresistible way as he prayed to the Blessed Sacrament. From that
moment on he understood with certainty the mission that God had entrusted to him. With generosity
he accepted the divine plan for his life.

p.15
Hannibal, when still very young and before pursuing his vocation to the priesthood, had reflected
on the importance of the ministers of God and had discovered the urgency of prayer for vocations.

2
He was surprised not to find this prayer in the devotional books, while frequently he would find
invocations for rain, a good harvest and the like. About this subject he wrote already on the paper
"La Parola Cattolica" of March 13, 1875. He was pleasantly surprised and felt a great joy when, as
a cleric, he discovered these words of Jesus: "Pray the Lord of the Harvest to send laborers to
gather in his harvest." (Lk. 10, 2) From that moment on he worked tirelessly so that these words of
the Gospel be known and put into practice.

p. 16
He was still a deacon when he had the most important encounter of his life. This encounter decided
his future. A young blind beggar, a certain Francesco Zancone, stopped him to ask for alms.
"Where do you live?" the deacon inquired. "In the Avignone section..." the blind man answered.
"Do you know about God?" "No one has time to tell me about him!" "Where is the Avignone
section?" "There toward the Zaera brook."
"I will come and visit you there and we will talk for a long time" the deacon concluded putting
some money into his outstretched hand.

p.17
During the Carnival of 1817, Fr. Hannibal to the "Avignone Houses" for the first time. This section
of Messina was considered "cursed land" and its inhabitants "an herd of beasts" since their living
conditions were despicable. The young priest is ready to begin with courage his work to raise the
moral and hygienic conditions of those people.

p.18
The work of evangelization of the "Avignone Houses" soon proved to be difficult. As they saw the
frail figure of the young priest, "the bosses of the ghetto" became bold and ordered him with threats
to go away. He refused to go and his institution began to flourish, even in the midst of innumerable
sacrifices.

p. 19
He began to buy the little poor houses and to clean them up. People began to know his work and he
could solicit donations from those who had means. The needy people could receive decent clothing
and food. He could now speak to them about God. Finally, after a long and good preparation, on
March 19,1881, he could celebrate for the first time the Holy Sacrifice of Mass amongst his poor.

p. 20
The restless commitment and the constant generosity of Fr. Hannibal began to bear fruit. The
Avignone District, at one time ill reputed, now finally changed appearance. That place, redeemed
materially and morally, became the center of the work of charity of the man, who once was only
known as "Little Marquis Di Francia."

p.21
The "Avignone District" became for Fr. Hannibal a window open to the needs of all humanity.
What were these few poor and orphans in comparison with the immense cry of sorrow of the needy
of the whole world? What could he do by himself? He found in these words of Jesus a complete
and liberating solution: "Pray the Lord of the Harvest to send laborers to gather in his harvest." He
was inspired to institute two religious congregations, the Daughters of Divine Zeal and the
Rogationist Fathers, as a living answer to this command of the Lord. They dedicate themselves
both to the works of charity and to the prayer and apostolate for vocations.

p.22
3
"I love my children: they are the dearest ideal of my life". Among all the poor in need of help, he
felt a special tenderness for the abandoned children. They seemed to him like tender shoots that he,
as a good farmer in the field of the Lord, had to take good care and help to grow. To educate the
children the "Father" founded the "Anthonian Institutes," which were entrusted to the two
Congregations.

p. 23
Having dedicated himself totally to a life of charity, Fr. Di Francia "bartered", as he would put it,
all his patrimony. For more than twenty years, the heir of the Marquis of Santa Caterina begged
from door to door all over the city of Messina. "Not for me, but for my children" he would say.
With the proceeds of his humiliations he was able to maintain and raise about one hundred
children.

p. 24
When the usual alms were not enough, the Father would organize "lotteries" and "walks of
charity." These last consisted in the parade of some decorated wagons from which the orphans
would gather donations in money and in kind from passerby and businessmen. Even from balconies
donations were showered on the procession, which was joyfully noisy and often opened by the
military band and followed by the municipal band.

p. 25
Charity, on which all other virtues are based, was the foundation of his life. He would freely give
everything he had. When he was lacking material possessions he would offer his smile, a good
word, his comfort. In his immense heart there was love for everyone who suffered. He would
console not only those who were poor, but everyone touched by misfortune. Someone said at his
death: "The mouth that never said no has been closed."

p. 26
In Messina, in 1899, authorities would organize the "hunting of the poor," something which we
today would call a "mopping operation" of beggars, poor, old and sick people. Fr. Hannibal wrote
on the press of Messina a strong protest. He questioned the right of the authorities to engage in
similar operations. Looking at the poverty of Christ, he would sustain that poverty was a
misfortune and tribulation, never a crime for which the poor man had to be deprived of liberty.

p. 27
Fr. Di Francia narrates that one day he met a young handicapped man wandering through the
streets, dressed in shabby and dirty clothes. All passers-by would avoid him, but he took the young
man into his home, gave him something to eat and put him to bed. As he bent toward him in a
fatherly manner, he saw the face of that poor creature transfiguring himself into Jesus, who looked
at him with a lively and penetrating glance.

p. 28
One day, in Oria, he noticed an elderly man who had a great desire to smoke. He sent him as a gift
five cigars. To a priest who observed that he was not good to favor this bad habit, he answered: "Do
not expect that this poor old man may win so easily an habit so ingrained in him!"

p. 29
On one rainy day, a florist had a basket of white gardenias fall into a pot-hole. All flowers became
muddy. Fr. Hannibal saw the poor man desperate for his lost earning and helped him to gather the
flowers from the ground. As the Father would pick up the gardenias from the ground, one by one
4
they became white again. The florist cried miracle.

p.30
Fr. Hannibal, like many other saints such as Cottolengo and Don Bosco, was not very worried about
balancing his account books. He would sustain that in the works of charity "we cannot act with an
exaggerated circumspection" but we should use "the mathematics of Faith." He told once one of his
co-operators, who suggested not hiring a worker for lack of funds: "This is exactly the reason why
we must hire him: we will force Divine Providence to help us!"

p. 31
One time, on the train to Rome, he offered a poor priest with whom he was acquainted his last one
hundred lire, even though he needed half of the money for his travel back. Soon afterward an
unknown benefactor gave him an envelope with one thousand lire. "You see how great Divine
Providence is!" he told the confrere who accompanied him: " If we would have given only fifty lire,
we would have received five hundred; we gave one hundred lire and the Lord sent us one
thousand."

p. 32
One day Fr. Hannibal gave one of his co-operators a thousand lire to be sealed in an envelope. Since
at that time it was a considerable sum, his helper showed his surprise. "Do not be afraid - the Father
said - I indeed want to send someone these thousand lire." The next day he received an envelope
from a benefactor with two thousand lire. Showing it to his co-operator, he said: "Man of little faith!
Yesterday we have given one thousand lire, today we have received two thousand."

p. 33
Another day he was confiding to Professor Gazzara his bitterness since a rich person had refused
him help. In the same time, he was confident that his orphans would have never lacked help. At that
very moment a gentleman approached him and, as he shook his hand, gave him a bank note.

p. 34
He would recommend to the needy people he helped to respect God and neighbors and to be
committed to their work. He was convinced that a person, who was honest and with good will,
would always find a job if he sought God's help and tried not to offend Him. He wrote: "Without
God's blessing, you have hunger, poverty, misfortune; and God does not bless those who do not
have a clear conscience and love him."

p. 35
At the railroad of Reggio Calabria, one of his confrere asked a porter to carry his suitcases. When
the Father knew that the porter was given only two lire for his work, he exclaimed: "That is two
little! Do you happen to know his name?" He took note of the name and promised himself to look
him up. He thought in his charity that two lire was two little, even though, at that time, it was a pay
for a farm worker for the entire day.

p. 36
His charity extended not only to people but also to all God's creatures. One day he noticed the
difficulty of some little birds in procuring food, because of heavy snow. He asked that some food be
given to them. But since the grain and the crumbs would sink into the snow, he requested a table on
which the birds, in their own way, could sing God's glory.

p. 37
5
He thought that an institution of charity should not sustain itself only through donations. He
preferred that the young people able to work should do so. To act otherwise would be undignified
and of little value for education. He would ask, more than contributions and donations, for work for
the grown up orphans. In this way, as they ate their daily bread, they had the satisfaction that it was
the fruit of their labor.

p. 38
In the Orphanage of Taormina, two young girls felt particularly the weight of their condition. Since
they had no parent, they never received any letter or visit from outside. One day each one of them
received a package with a note that their father was waiting for them in the parlor. Surprised and
full of curiosity, they went and found Fr. Di Francia, who noticing their surprise, exclaimed with a
smile: "Am I not your father?"

p. 39
One day the Sisters presented to the Father a child who was five years old in order that he might ask
pardon for some small mishaps. The child remained stubbornly silent, even though he was
repeatedly asked by the Sisters to ask forgiveness. The Father took the opportunity to insist on the
necessity of prayer in the education of children. He noticed that without God's grace it is not
possible to change anybody's will, even if it is a child.

p. 40
Once he noticed that a child was very pale. He called her with concern and learned from her that at
night she could not sleep because of the mosquitoes. Right away he gave orders to bring the
mosquito net they had prepared for him to the girl. He admonished the Sisters: "Remember that the
smallest of the orphan girls is more important than the Founder or the Mother General."

p. 41
He thought that above everything else came Religious Education. He was convinced that in order to
make his young people good citizens, civil and educated men, it was necessary to offer them a solid
Christian Base.

p. 42
Naturally, to bring children closer to God it was necessary to love them profoundly. He thought
that one should never annoy children or to bear a grudge toward them. Furthermore he would teach
so as to prevent their faults by a continuous and love filled presence. In this way, even though they
had an outlet to their youthful exuberance, they would not harm themselves neither physically nor
spiritually.

p. 43
At times he would show up at the refectory, during mealtime, and, showing his empty plate, he
would beg food in the name of his poverty. Everyone would share a spoonful of soup, so that at the
end of the round his plate was filled to capacity. Then he would sit at the table with his disciples
and the meal would end joyfully.

p. 44
His love for Jesus was without limits. It was transparent in all his person and in his style. When he
spoke about Jesus he was so emotional that tears could be noticed in his eyes. He would take every
occasion, even the simplest, to transmit to others this flame burning in his heart. One day,
surrounded by the orphan girls, they were having a picture taken. Everything was ready for the
click, when the Father exclaimed: "Attention, children! Look at the camera and everyone say in her
6
heart: Jesus, I love you! And so the photo will record even your act of love."

45.
Fr. Di Francia always had a great veneration for the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist. He would
recommend daily Communion to his disciples. He would say that as we eat every day to sustain the
body with material food, so we should nourish our soul every day with the spiritual food of the
Eucharist.

46.
The Father was very saddened by the fact that on the Feast of Corpus Christi the procession of the
Blessed Sacrament would pass through dirty streets. He then had the idea to institute a group of
young people called the Sacred Sweepers, who would clean up the streets before the procession,
and scattering flower petals on them.

47.
Together with Jesus, he loved the Madonna in a profound and personal way. In her honor the
Father composed many poems, he devised the most beautiful titles and he desired that his spiritual
sons and daughters would honor Mary in all possible ways. He wanted her statues and images to be
expressive and to inspire trust. One day, in Oria, he noticed that a statue of the Virgin Mary was on
the major Altar. He ordered it to be put on a smaller stand closer to the children, so that they would
pray better closer to their Mother.

48.
A young lady, guest of the house in Trani, was seriously ill with tuberculosis. She had asked
insistently to be placed in front of the statue of the Immaculate. Fr. Di Francia decided to please her
and to allow her to place a candle near the statue. During the night the young lady had two visions,
in which the Queen of Heaven assured her that her faith had healed her. The physicians confirmed
the healing.

49.
His devotion to St. Joseph was so deep, that one time when he was brought into Court because he
had made late payments to a merchant, he declared: "I will pay when God gives me the means, and
St. Joseph, my lawyer, will not fail to assist me." The creditor, touched by these words, agreed to
delay the receipt of payments. The legal assistance of St. Joseph was perfect.

50.
Another time, to a supplier to whom he owed three hundred lire, the Father answered that he had
only 20 cents, but he would ask St. Joseph to provide the funds so that he might pay him. The
orphans had barely begun their prayers, when two officers of the French Navy came by with a
donation of three hundred lire. They were fulfilling a vow made in time of danger. Thus the supplier
could receive his payment.

51
During the cholera epidemic of 1887 a lady promised to St. Anthony of Padua a monetary donation
for the orphans of Fr. Hannibal if the Saint would deliver her and her family from the sickness.
Having obtained this grace she then made a donation of sixty lira to buy bread for the orphans. This
was the beginning of the devotion of St. Anthony's Bread.

52.
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The Father had great trust in Saint Anthony of Padua. The Devotion of the "Bread of Saint
Anthony" for the poor, began in Messina in 1887, three years before it spread to Toulone, France.
The Father was proud of this predilection from Saint Anthony. This devotion was also very helpful
to the orphans with the collocation of offering boxes in the churches and stores of the city and
province.

53.
Fr. Hannibal put all his trust in prayers, particularly the prayers of the poor and of the children. In
his most difficult moments Father Founder would urge the children to pray. Professor Gazarra tells
us that one day, having run out of food, he invited his little orphans to join him in a prayer to the
Sacred Heart of Jesus. Their prayers had not yet been completed when food started coming: bread,
pasta, oil and even a big fish.

54.
Fr. Di Francia thought that Holy Scripture, since it was God's word, was the font of all prayers.
Once he gave the Bible as a gift to a boy who had demonstrated interest in the Sacred Books. But
since the superiors of the boy thought that he could not understand it, they took it away from him.
The Father affirmed that Holy Scripture, since it is God's word, needed to be bread for all people
and ordered that the Bible be returned to the young man.

55.
Blessed Hannibal would spend long hours absorbed in prayers. Sometimes even in the middle of the
night the light that filtered from the windows of the Chapel would indicate that he was there talking
with God. There are innumerable petitions and prayers which he would address to the Lord to adore
Him, to thank Him and to ask Him for help in any situation of his life. He was in the real sense of
the word, a man of prayer, a man of God.

56.
The Father thought that silence was an indispensable element for interior life; he wished that his
spiritual sons and daughters would learn to love it. Shrieking and loud noise had to be avoided. One
time he noticed that some chickens disturbed the peace and quiet of a religious house. Immediately
he donated the chickens and had them removed.

57.
He had great trust in the help that sacred images could bring to those who prayed. He would
recommend their use to receive inspiration and so meet God in prayer. At the entrance of all his
institutes he had the image of the Sacred Heart with the inscription: "I am the owner of this house
and of all those who live within it and love me." In the same fashion he would put the image of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary with the inscription: "I am the owner of this house and of all who live
within it and love me."

58.
The Father thought that cursing was the worst way to offend God. In his preaching, he would
employ the strongest words to fight this sin. He would say that those who blaspheme were meriting
tremendous punishments. If he would hear personally someone cursing, he would openly show his
dissention.

59.
He was sensitive to the needs of the universal Church. For this reason, he introduced in his institutes
the practice of setting apart the profit of some works to be distributed to those in need. The first
8
person to be remembered was the Holy Father, from whom he would ask in return the blessing for
himself and his institution. "The blessing of the Pope - he would say- is a great reward for our
humble work."

60.
The Father was sick with pleurisy in 1924, however, he did not take care of himself as he should
have. Because of his prodigious activities he was under a great deal of stress, yet he never took time
off. His health deteriorated. A few days before his death, which occurred on June 1, 1927, he had a
vision of the child Mary. This was a sign of special predilection of the Heavenly Mother, whom he
venerated throughout his life.

61.
Since the Priesthood is an investiture from above, Fr. Di Francia was convinced that the only
manner in which to receive new vocations was to pray to God with conviction and without ceasing.
And in the midst of a society that was distancing itself more and more from religion, the Father had
the courage to sustain and exalt the work of priests, as "light and salt of the earth," but he would
warn people that "without prayer they cannot be obtained."

62.
The voice of the people defines him: Father of orphans and poor," but Fr. Hannibal Di Francia,
before he became known as the apostle of charity, was the apostle for vocations. The words of
Jesus: "Pray the Lord of the harvest to send workers into his harvest" permeated every apostolic
activity. "In the prayer for vocation - he writes - I felt that I had found the secret of all good work
and the salvation of all souls." To propagate this prayer he instituted the Pious Union of Evangelical
Rogation for the lay people and the Sacred Alliance for bishops and priests.

63.
The work of Fr. Di Francia to propagate the prayer to obtain workers for the Gospel has been like
yeast in the Church. Initiatives of prayer for vocations have multiplied, especially since Vatican II.
These words were written about Fr. Di Francia: "The Rogate was the light for his steps, the star of
his thought, the sun of his life: he was born for that, and you cannot imagine Fr. Di Francia except
waving that shining flag with the anxious desire to bring it to the conquest of the world.

[Additional. His process of canonization ]

Immediately after Fr. Hannibal’s death many of his contemporaries, and among them the St. Luigi
Orione, requested that a formal Cause for Canonization be promptly started. But World War II put
a temporary stop to the undertaking.
On April 21,1945 the informative stage of the process for Canonization began with the "Diocesan
Investigation". All the writings of Blessed Hannibal (62 Volumes) were examined by a Special
committee of Theologians.
The formal Cause for Canonization officially began in Messina on March 8,1980. On December
21, 1989 the Holy Father John Paul II promulgated the Decree on the "Heroic Virtues of the
Servant of God".
To proceed with the Cause of Canonization, a sign of God, a miracle was needed. On June 30,
1990 the Medical Commission of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints unanimously agreed
that the case of Gleida Danese - a young Brazilian girl who was doomed to die because of the
rupture of the aorta but who suddenly recovered - had no possible medical explanation. The
miraculous recovery of the girl was to be attributed to the intercession of the Servant of God
Hannibal Di Francia. Pope John Paul II solemnly declared him Blessed on October 7, 1990.

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[Additional. Finally a Saint! ]
In view of the Canonization, another miracle obtained through the intercession of Blessed Hannibal
was needed. This time the grace happened in the Philippines. Charisse Nicole Diaz, born on January
28, 1993 in St. Paul Hospital of Jaro (Iloilo City), six days after her birth had critical convulsions,
accompanied by a clear manifestation of meningitis. The prognosis was fatal for the life or at least
for the health condition of the child. Since the start of the sickness, the parents of Charisse Nicole,
with some friends and relatives began to pray through the intercession of Blessed Hannibal Mary Di
Francia, whose relic was placed on the body of the sick child. On February 9, the child was
gradually freed from the sickness till her complete recovery. On March 6, 1993, the child was
dismissed from the hospital completely healed.
The Holy Father declared: “It is certain that the miracle, that is: the rapid, complete and enduring
healing of the child Charisse Nicole Diaz was done by God through the intercession of Blessed
Hannibal Mary Di Francia,”.
Fr. Hannibal Mary Di Francia was declared a Saint by John Paul II on May 16, 2004.
The liturgical feast of St. Hannibal Mary Di Francia is celebrated on June 1.

[Additional: Living Heritage]

Today the two religious families founded by Saint Hannibal, the Daughters of Divine Zeal and the
Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus, are present in the five continents of the world. In the spirit of
their Founder, they dedicate themselves to a variety of apostolates. They work in Institutions for
Orphans and abandoned children, Schools for deaf and blind, Homes for aged, Educational
Institutions and Vocational Schools, Missions and Parishes, religious Printing Houses, and
Vocation Centers which promote the ideals of the Rogate.
The message and the mission of Blessed Hannibal is not only valued among those involved in
vocation ministry and those who have at heart the formation of the clergy but also by all those
who have come to understand the need of prayer for more vocations in the Church.
The need for such a prayer has been recently recognized by the Supreme Authority of the Church.
Pope Paul VI on January 23, 1964 instituted the "World Day of Prayer for Vocation ". Since then,
every year, the Popes remind the universal Church that still today salvation comes to us through
the work of many and holy ministers of the Gospel and that to obtain them from God we must
pray.
Send, O Lord, Holy Apostles to your Church

[ Permission for publishing granted in 1991 by Daughters of Divine Zeal. Some modifications were
made to the introduction and the 3 more pages were added ( see ‘additional’)]

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