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Don Francesco De Lucia
Don Francesco De Lucia, the first Rector of the Sanctuary, was born in Mugnano del Cardinale, Diocese of Nola, on September 19, 1772. In the early years of his youth, he received a highly Christian education from his uncle, priest Don Angelo Antonio Noja.
With the help of his priest uncle, he entered the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament in Lucera. After completing his studies in Theology and Philosophy, his progress in philosophical sciences was such that, despite his young age, he was chosen by his superiors to give Philosophy lessons to the novices of St. Alphonsus Liguori in the House of Diliceto near Foggia.
He was ordained a priest on the feast day of St. Januarius, September 19, 1796. Immediately after his priestly ordination, having fallen ill, he returned to Mugnano with the permission of his superiors.
After a brief period spent in his native country, he settled in Naples. In this city, he opened a school of Literature and Philosophy. He soon earned the esteem and affection of distinguished figures, among whom we remember the servant of God Giuseppe-Maria Pignatelli of the Society of Jesus.
When the Neapolitan Revolution of 1799 broke out, Don Francesco decided to leave Naples and returned to his hometown. In Mugnano del Cardinale, he dedicated himself to ministry, promoting, together with other confreres, missions in the Neapolitan area and the south, obtaining abundant fruits for the people of God. This apostolic lifestyle earned him the esteem of many Neapolitan figures, which led Mons. Bartolomeo De Cesare to have him accompany him to Rome to receive episcopal ordination from Pope Pius VII on June 30, 1802. It was on this occasion that in Rome he came into possession of the body of Saint Philomena through the mediation of De Cesare himself. Divine Providence had prepared this journey so that Don Francesco De Lucia would become the promoter of the cult of Saint Philomena. Indeed, he soon became the historian of her relics, publishing in 1824 the “Historical Account of the Translation of the Body of Saint Philomena from Rome to Mugnano.” The work quickly spread to every city in Italy and was translated into various languages. The first edition of 1824 was followed by others; there were six revised and corrected editions up to 1843.
With the aim of giving the cult of the young Martyr more solid and deeper roots, Don Francesco De Lucia founded in Mugnano the Pious Association of the “Little Virgins of Saint Philomena”, also called “The Little Nuns of Saint Philomena”. Many people, mostly young, housewives or peasant women, joined the religious-lay institution founded by the pious custodian of the Sanctuary. They lived with their families, distinguishing themselves by their deep devotion to religious life. They wore a black dress, a white veil, and a small crucifix on their chest and observed the simple vow of chastity with the practice of daily pious exercises. The dedication of these Pious Little Virgins meant that this institution, conceived by Don Francesco De Lucia, soon spread throughout the Kingdom of Naples and in France. Many Bishops and Prelates requested and adopted the Rules of the Little Nuns of Saint Philomena, written by De Lucia for their Religious Institutes.
Don Francesco earned the esteem of Pope Leo XII, of bishops, priests, religious, and august figures such as Ferdinand II King of Naples, by whom he was honored and respected. Until 1843, King Ferdinand II visited the Sanctuary 25 times, both with his first wife Maria Cristina of Savoy and with his second Maria Sofia. Finally, he earned not only the veneration of his fellow citizens, but above all that of the devotees of the Saint.
On Good Friday in 1835, Don Francesco De Lucia, while on his way to Nola to greet the Bishop, fell from a donkey. That fall was the beginning of a long illness. Despite his illness, during the years when cholera broke out (1836 – 1837) in Mugnano del Cardinale, the venerable priest became a consoling angel to all the sick and dying. On April 14, 1841, he had a second fall. In 1845, another fall caused him to rupture an artery, which left him infirm and brought the pious priest great pain. During these years of infirmity, he endured the illness with an edifying and heroic patience and desire to continue his work.
After dedicating 41 years of his priestly ministry to the continuous service of the Sanctuary and to the spread of the cult of Saint Philomena, Don Francesco De Lucia, at the age of 75, on April 9, 1847, gave his soul to God. The loss of the custodian of the Sacred Relics of Saint Philomena was a deep mourning for the city of Mugnano del Cardinale and for the devotees of the Saint; the solemn funeral held for him in the Sanctuary was a clear manifestation of the love that they felt for the custodian of the Sanctuary.
During the days of the funeral, guards were needed to prevent the crowd from the surrounding area from rushing in, as they came to pay their last respects to the venerable custodian, trying to obtain a piece of his clothing to keep as a relic. The funeral eulogy was delivered by Dr. Don Nicola Sirignano, who was bound to De Lucia by deep esteem and friendship.
As the funeral rites were to take place, the body was placed in front of the chapel of the Saint; some wished that candles be lit at the altar of the Saint, and that, as tradition dictated, the wheel of bells be rung as happens during the ceremony of the removal of the veil that covers the urn with the sacred body of Saint Philomena; but others opposed, and the latter prevailed. But as the porters lifted the body for the public funeral, the wheel of bells, without anyone touching it, began to ring prodigiously to the amazement of the clergy and the people present. Then the candles were lit and the veil covering the urn with the Body of Saint Philomena was lowered. Don Francesco De Lucia was provisionally buried in the “chapel of the Congregation of the Immaculate Conception, near the Parish Church.” To preserve the memory of this fervent servant of God, Marquis Alfonso d’Avalos of Vasto and Pescara, Superintendent of the Sanctuary, erected a funeral monument to the left of the nave of the Sanctuary. The body of the founder of the Sanctuary, on December 9, 1848, with solemn funeral pomp, after an act of recognition by the Curia of Nola, was transferred and placed in the funeral monument.
The tomb of Don Francesco de Lucia
The tomb of Don Francesco de Lucia
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