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St. Joseph Marello - 1889


            charity which is an image, the best image, that we can have here
            below of the heavenly life.
                 Prayer  being  one  of  the  principal  actions  of  this  life  of
            charity,  dearly  beloved,  allow  me  to  address  to  you  an  ardent
            invitation to prayer. Yes, raise your hearts to God and pray. First
            of all pray for the Pope, Leo XIII. On the day he named your
            Bishop,  there  came  forth  from  the  lips  of  his  heart  beautiful
            greetings of peace for Christianity, even for  all peoples;  since
            his wishes, his apostolic labors,  are always for the spreading of
            the Gospel of peace to all parts of the world. Pray to the Lord
            that  the  desires  of  this  beloved  Father  be  fulfilled,  and  that
            justice and peace may flourish among his children.
                 Pray  for  the  very  Eminent  Cardinal  of  the  Holy  Church
            Raffaele  Monaco  La  Valleta,  Dean  of  the  Sacred  College  and
            Supreme  Penitentiary,  who  deigned  to  consecrate  me  your
            Bishop,  and  for  the  two  illustrious  Prelates,  Rocco  Cocchia,
            Archbishop  of  Chieti  and  Ignazio  Persico  Archbishop  of
            Damiata, who assisted in my consecration.
                 Pray for the very Eminent Cardinal Gaetano Alimonda, our
            venerated Metropolitan, who in moments of trepidation within
            my heart, was very generous to me with his advice and comfort.
                 In the words of the Apostle, the Church asks us to pray pro
            regibus  et  omnibus  qui  in  sublimitate  sunt,  ut  quietam  et
            tranquillam vitam agamus  (1 Tim. 11: 2).  Pray therefore for
            out  august  Sovereign,  for  the  Royal  Family,  for  all  the
            Authorities; so that God may grant them that light and strength
            that they need and that they may work for the public good.
                 The charity that binds you to your Pastor already moves you
            to  pray  for  him;  please  raise  a  prayer  to  God  also  for  those
            beloved  persons  with  whose  love  Divine  Providence  had
            surrounded him before sending him to  you; help him to repay
            the  debt  of  gratitude  he  owes  to  those  from  whom  he  must
            detach himself in order to be all yours.  Pray for the angel of the
            Diocese of Asti, Msgr. Giuseppe Ronco, who was his beloved

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