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Listen to Audio of "Msgr. Celona's Vision - The Messengers of Mary Immaculate" - by Fr. M.C.
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Venerable Msgr. Celona - Our Spiritual Father (4.13.1873 - 10.15.1952)
Msgr. Anthony Celona was declared Venerable on June 5th, 2015 as an acknowledgement of his heroic virtue. Becoming Venerable is the second step on the path to becoming a saint.
Msgr. Celona died on Oct. 15th, 1952. He was the Founder of the Handmaids of Reparation to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Messina, Sicily.
He is remembered for the charitable and educational work accomplished by his congregation, the Handmaids of Reparation, and also most notably for his resignation, love and praise of God amidst his suffering. He has been called a martyr of reparation.
Christ made reparation for our sins through his Passion and Death, promising the Glory to come at his Resurrection. As a patron of reparation, Msgr. Celona also experienced his own passion and "death."
Just as the "chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus in order to put him to death (Matthew 26:59)," Msgr. Celona was also given a privileged share in this aspect of Christ's passion.
The call of the soul of reparation is a more intense participation in the Passion of Christ, the Blood that was spilled to make reparation for own sins. This is also a call of all believers - to fill up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church (Col 1:24).
Upon the death of Bishop D'Arrigo in 1922, a new archbishop, Angelo Paino, stepped in to manage the diocese.
The new archbishop asked Msgr. Celona to hand over all the goods and properties of the Handmaids of Reparation, the community Msgr. Celona founded, including the dowries of the sisters. Msgr. Celona, citing clear prohibitions in canon law, refused. This began a clear and unmitigated persecution of Msgr. Celona. Despite the holiness and high ideals imbuing the atmosphere of the sisters formed by Celona, gray clouds began to descend upon the Institute he founded.
False allegations were compiled against him, but Msgr. Celona gave a simple response with great humility, choosing to be a victim sentenced to death like Christ the Lord, rather than ferociously defending himself.
Msgr. Celona meditated greatly on these thoughts:
- Jesus autem tacebat- ("But Jesus was silent" -Matthew 26:63) Like Jesus the Immaculate Lamb who was silent before the clamor of his enemies, so the Lord's faithful servant is silent in the face of slander.
- If I had attempted to defend myself, the Lord would not have defended me! To have complete trust in the infinite Divine Justice, and only in this.
After suffering under many calumnies, even from slander of a few of his own spiritual daughters who colluded with the archbishop, Msgr. Celona was sent an order by the archbishop to relocate immediately to Mont Alto and leave the Motherhouse of his congregation under the threat of having his priestly faculties suspended. Mont Alto was a shrine dedicated to the Blessed Mother where he served obediently for nearly 10 years. During World War II, Msgr. Celona was one of the last to leave the city of Messina as it was being bombed. The day after his departure the shrine he served at was blasted. Because Msgr. Celona shared a vision with the archbishop in which he saw the Cathedral and Motherhouse being bombed before it came to pass, the archbishop called Msgr. Celona a prophet of doom and in retaliation he accused Msgr. Celona of abandoning his post at Mont Alto and gave him no new assignment. Msgr. Celona was exiled to his native home in Ganzirri. There he longed to be in closer proximity to the Blessed Sacrament and endured with patience the worldly atmosphere of the home. He was entirely separated from the Congregation he founded and the Spiritual Daughters whom he loved. But, his time of exile, rejection, and suffering was not fruitless.
He obtained many graces for his congregation and thereby also brought about his own sanctification. His motto even unto his death was in praise of God, "Magnify the Lord with me!" (Magnificate Dominum Mecum). Some of his last words were: "My God, I offer myself as a victim of expiation. Let my bones be the food to enrich the institute in word and work." His final prayer was, "Heart of Jesus, intimately united to the Eternal Father, I unite with Thee in reparation for all the offenses that Thou has received and still receive in all the tabernacles throughout the world." During his exile, Msgr. Celona wrote extensively on the topic of reparation. This treasure of fruitful meditation, afforded by his great solitude and suffering, is a great gift to the Church. From his purified love of God, devotion and pure reparation, the words of St. Paul come to life, "all things work for good for those who love God." (Romans 8:28)
As a result of his personal offering, his congregation grew to over 400 sisters in five countries.
Msgr. Celona's heroism stemmed from his lofty and supernatural faith despite disheartening circumstances. He was not bitter, but rather proclaimed the theme: "Let us Adore the Designs of God." He offered himself as the seed that must die (Jn 12:24), so that the work of reparation might bear fruit.
The proclamation of venerable is an approbation by the church of his heroic virtue.
Source: Il servo di Dio P. Antonino Celona by Fra Giuseppe Raimondo
Msgr. Celona died on Oct. 15th, 1952. He was the Founder of the Handmaids of Reparation to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Messina, Sicily.
He is remembered for the charitable and educational work accomplished by his congregation, the Handmaids of Reparation, and also most notably for his resignation, love and praise of God amidst his suffering. He has been called a martyr of reparation.
Christ made reparation for our sins through his Passion and Death, promising the Glory to come at his Resurrection. As a patron of reparation, Msgr. Celona also experienced his own passion and "death."
Just as the "chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus in order to put him to death (Matthew 26:59)," Msgr. Celona was also given a privileged share in this aspect of Christ's passion.
The call of the soul of reparation is a more intense participation in the Passion of Christ, the Blood that was spilled to make reparation for own sins. This is also a call of all believers - to fill up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church (Col 1:24).
Upon the death of Bishop D'Arrigo in 1922, a new archbishop, Angelo Paino, stepped in to manage the diocese.
The new archbishop asked Msgr. Celona to hand over all the goods and properties of the Handmaids of Reparation, the community Msgr. Celona founded, including the dowries of the sisters. Msgr. Celona, citing clear prohibitions in canon law, refused. This began a clear and unmitigated persecution of Msgr. Celona. Despite the holiness and high ideals imbuing the atmosphere of the sisters formed by Celona, gray clouds began to descend upon the Institute he founded.
False allegations were compiled against him, but Msgr. Celona gave a simple response with great humility, choosing to be a victim sentenced to death like Christ the Lord, rather than ferociously defending himself.
Msgr. Celona meditated greatly on these thoughts:
- Jesus autem tacebat- ("But Jesus was silent" -Matthew 26:63) Like Jesus the Immaculate Lamb who was silent before the clamor of his enemies, so the Lord's faithful servant is silent in the face of slander.
- If I had attempted to defend myself, the Lord would not have defended me! To have complete trust in the infinite Divine Justice, and only in this.
After suffering under many calumnies, even from slander of a few of his own spiritual daughters who colluded with the archbishop, Msgr. Celona was sent an order by the archbishop to relocate immediately to Mont Alto and leave the Motherhouse of his congregation under the threat of having his priestly faculties suspended. Mont Alto was a shrine dedicated to the Blessed Mother where he served obediently for nearly 10 years. During World War II, Msgr. Celona was one of the last to leave the city of Messina as it was being bombed. The day after his departure the shrine he served at was blasted. Because Msgr. Celona shared a vision with the archbishop in which he saw the Cathedral and Motherhouse being bombed before it came to pass, the archbishop called Msgr. Celona a prophet of doom and in retaliation he accused Msgr. Celona of abandoning his post at Mont Alto and gave him no new assignment. Msgr. Celona was exiled to his native home in Ganzirri. There he longed to be in closer proximity to the Blessed Sacrament and endured with patience the worldly atmosphere of the home. He was entirely separated from the Congregation he founded and the Spiritual Daughters whom he loved. But, his time of exile, rejection, and suffering was not fruitless.
He obtained many graces for his congregation and thereby also brought about his own sanctification. His motto even unto his death was in praise of God, "Magnify the Lord with me!" (Magnificate Dominum Mecum). Some of his last words were: "My God, I offer myself as a victim of expiation. Let my bones be the food to enrich the institute in word and work." His final prayer was, "Heart of Jesus, intimately united to the Eternal Father, I unite with Thee in reparation for all the offenses that Thou has received and still receive in all the tabernacles throughout the world." During his exile, Msgr. Celona wrote extensively on the topic of reparation. This treasure of fruitful meditation, afforded by his great solitude and suffering, is a great gift to the Church. From his purified love of God, devotion and pure reparation, the words of St. Paul come to life, "all things work for good for those who love God." (Romans 8:28)
As a result of his personal offering, his congregation grew to over 400 sisters in five countries.
Msgr. Celona's heroism stemmed from his lofty and supernatural faith despite disheartening circumstances. He was not bitter, but rather proclaimed the theme: "Let us Adore the Designs of God." He offered himself as the seed that must die (Jn 12:24), so that the work of reparation might bear fruit.
The proclamation of venerable is an approbation by the church of his heroic virtue.
Source: Il servo di Dio P. Antonino Celona by Fra Giuseppe Raimondo
