Ranier Fsadni’s article Return of a Saint (September 29) dealt with Fr Peter Serracino Inglott’s book – Adeodata Pisani: A Mystic Nun in Mdina. He says that the book is financed by St Peter’s Monastery.
My late husband, Arthur Barbaro Sant, coordinator for the Canonisation Cause of Adeodata Pisani, was responsible for promoting devotion towards this nun who abandoned all her riches for a holy life at St Peter’s Monastery. Arthur felt the need to have a biography based on Adeodata’s spirituality written in English. He collected Lm1,800 from benefactors, which he passed on to Abbess Giustina Bonello on June 3, 1997. Meaning that Fr Peter’s book edited by Petra Caruana Dingli, finished by Ranier Fsadni and launched on September 15 was neither an idea which cropped up now and neither financed by the monastery.
During the years 1988-97 we embarked on various projects and had it not been for my husband’s tenacity to have these financed by benefactors, Adeodata’s cause would have cost the monastery, hundreds of thousands of euros.
The list is long. I will name a few. A large painting showing Adeodata’s charisma painted by Chev. Paul Camilleri Cauchi and paid for by a benefactor was meant to be hung in the chapel and later to serve for the beatification. Today, it is no longer there.
A large niche was to be dug in the chapel to house the urn with Adeodata’s preserved remains, for the devotion of the faithful. Vassallo Builders did the excavation work, removed three truckloads of debris and with the help of others, did the necessary treatment to complete it to the state of art it is in today. The job was estimated to cost around €11,000 – all paid for by benefactors.
The Vassallo Group again came to the rescue, and together with others refurbished two dilapidated rooms in the monastery to serve as offices and archives of the cause. This job was estimated to cost €12,000. The monastery paid nothing.
Devotional material, including Adeodata’s writings were needed. Fsadni rightly mentioned visits to Rome. These were necessary to show that in Malta there was great interest in the cause of Adeodata. Our trips to Rome were sponsored by the airline itself. The same was with our stay in Rome where the religious community described it as their contribution for the cause.
A visit to the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Mgr Alberto Bovone, was a must. On more than one occasion, he remarked: “Dov’é il vostro arcivescovo?” Archbishop Edward Nowak, secretary of the congregation, once told us that it was uncommon for them to have a couple of lay people doing such work, as at the congregation they were only visited by bishops and priests lobbying for their respective causes.
The printing of the voluminous Positio Super Virtutibus, which includes Adeodata’s biography, her writings, declaration by witnesses, etc., was another big expense, since it was the policy of the congregation, that the Positio be printed in Rome. However, Arthur discussed it with the Relatore (the devil’s advocate), who acceeded that the volume be printed by A&M Printing of Qala, saving the monastery a large sum of money. This was the first time that a Positio was not printed in Rome.
Help was extended by DHL and the local Foreign Office which delivered our mail to the Maltese Embassy in Rome.
It was my husband who asked Fr Serracino Inglott to write the book and who collected the money for its publication
Fsadni hinted that there were some people who were against Adeodata becoming Malta’s first saint. We were shocked, took up the matter with Archbishop Joseph Mercieca. All he said was that we should not believe everything.
I thank God that our hard work, dedication and sacrifices bore fruit. On January 11, 1995, my husband, myself and Abbess M. Giustina Bonello OSB presented 18 copies of the Positio to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Next on the list was the confirmation of the miracle performed by God and attributed to the intercession of Adeodata, and the date of beatification.
In his article, Fsadni wrote: “Their work was unceremoniously stopped.” This happened on June 3, 1997. This big unexpected blow caused us a lot of heartache and led to my husband’s untimely death, four months prior to Adeodata’s beatification.
When we presented the Positio at the congregation, we were advised to set up a foundation to continue promoting Adeodata’s charisma. Since Adeodata was not herself a foundress of an order, there was the tendency that once she is beatified, the people would lose interest. This was common among other candidates. Unfortunately, in Malta this is precisely what has happened. She is nearly forgotten. Fundazzjoni Adeodata Pisani would have continued to spread devotion.
Since we always acted on instructions by the congregation, we never imagined that we were going to be taken to court for setting up the Fundazzjoni. Attempts to discuss the matter with Archbishop Mercieca proved fruitless. He was willing to meet both of us as we did during the years 1988-97, but not on matters relating to the Fundazzjoni. Added to this, his remark that no member of the Fundazzjoni should accompany us really hurt.
Fr Carmelo Zammit was appointed coordinator. He didn’t have to worry as everything related to the cause was ready and devotion towards Adeodata was ripe.
Arthur continued spreading devotion towards Adeodata privately and to lobby for the Cause with Rome unofficially. Everyone questioned why Arthur was suspended but we continued to be respected by the congregation.
A month after Arthur’s death, Fr Zammit informed me that good news about the cause had just reached the Curia in Malta. They felt I should be given the news first – the miracle attributed through Adeodata’s intercession was confirmed and beatification was imminent. I thanked him, adding that I had known all this via a fax from Rome, since December 2000 – a month before my husband died. However, we were also asked to keep the news to ourselves.
Fr Zammit thought I was bluffing, as the Curia had only just been informed, while insisting to know my source of information. I only told him that I am grateful that at least before he died, Arthur knew that what he incessantly worked for bore fruit.
When news broke out, I was bombarded with calls from people from all walks of life. I called Sr Giustina Bonello (in Urbania) and she expressed her wish to come to Malta. I invited her to stay with me and she gladly accepted.
On beatification day, an usher, George Lewis, a good friend of mine and member of the Fundazzjoni, found a ticket entitling bearer to receive Holy Communion from the Pope. He gave it to me, but, since I already had that experience in November 1999, I gave the invite to Sr Giustina who was overjoyed.
I expanded on Fsadni’s article, Return of a Saint, and the launching of Fr Serracino Inglott’s book to make it known that it was my husband who asked Fr Serracino Inglott to write the book and who collected the money for its publication. I would have loved to be invited for its launching.
This is a Times of Malta print opinion piece