It will be proclaimed next June 25 in the churchyard of the Basilica Sanctuary “Santa Maria de Finibus Terrae.”
The religious world of Salento is preparing to celebrate the elevation to Blessed of the Venerable mother Elisa Martinez of Galatina, founder of the congregation “Daughters of St. Mary of Leuca.” The proclamation will take place in Leuca on the morning of Sunday 25 June 2023, in the churchyard of the Basilica Sanctuary “Santa Maria de Finibus Terrae.” The Eucharistic celebration and the phases of the rite that will sanction the beatification will be held by the prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, Cardinal Marcello Semeraro. At least two thousand participants from all over Italy are expected at the great day of faith, almost to be joined by the delegations of about six hundred “Daughters of Santa Maria di Leuca” scattered throughout the world, from Spain to Thailand.
The news of the elevation to Blessed of the nun from Galatina, the first of eight children, who died in Rome in 1991 at the age of 86, was recently made official in the Episcopate by the archbishop of Lecce, in the presence of Monsignor Vito Angiuli, bishop of Ugento – Santa Maria di Leuca, Don Giuseppe Indino, coordinator of the organizing committee of the event, Mother Ilaria Nicolardi, superior general of the Congregation, and Don Gionatan De Marco, responsible for communication. On behalf of Archbishop Michele Seccia, engaged in a pastoral visit, the vicar general, Don Gigi Manca, was present, to whom Monsignor Agiuli delivered a bas-relief of modern sacred art.
“The availability of Monsignor Seccia – declared Bishop Angiuli – represents the sign of substance and not of opportunity of the union that characterizes the Salento Church, called to gather around the Beatification of Mother Elisa Martinez, formerly Venerable like Don Tonino Bello di Alessano .”
To achieve the goal of beatification, the verification of the heroic theological and cardinal virtues was carried out, respectively faith, hope, charity and prudence, temperance, fortitude, justice, which resulted precisely in the elevation to Veneranda. After that, we moved on to the canonical assessment of the recognition of the miraculous event, indispensable for the passage
following Beata. For Mother Elisa, who distinguished herself throughout her life for assisting unmarried mothers, prisoners and migrants, but also for early childhood education and catechesis in parishes, the miracle relates to the birth of a little girl from the Marche region. In the fifth month of pregnancy, due to the serious complications that had arisen, her mother who otherwise could have risked her life, the doctors advised her to have an abortion. But the woman opposed it, and entrusted the continuation of the gestation to the prayers of mother Elisa. In the face of the stubborn decision, the doctors had to succumb, and inexplicably also from a scientific point of view, in the end the baby was born, and now she is in excellent health, just as her mother is in excellent health.
On the four Sundays of May, in preparation for the beatification of the following month, meetings with the “Daughters of St. Mary of Leuca” will be held in the parishes of the Diocese of Capo di Leuca. Furthermore, on 21, 22 and 23 June, Triudo of celebrations of the figure of Mother Elisa, at 7 pm in the Basilica-Sanctuary, with the bishop of Nardò-Gallipoli, monsignor Fernando Filograna, and the archbishops of Lecce, monsignor Michele Seccia, and of Otranto, Monsignor Francesco Neri. Finally, in the Basilica-Sanctuary itself, on the evening of the 24th, the diocesan vigil with Monsignor Vito Angiuli is scheduled.
