Bartolo Longo was born in Italy to a good Catholic family devoted to the Blessed Mother. At University, he drifted from the faith of his childhood and fell into the anti-Catholicism and “spiritism” popular in his day. He even went so far as to be ordained as a Satanic priest. He preached against the Catholic faith, performed black masses, and led other students away from God. But soon his experiences with the occult left him drained, confused, and on the edge of insanity. Eventually, he sought help from a Catholic priest and was brought back to the faith by Confession and good instruction. Yet so deep had been his ties to evil that he despaired of his eternal salvation. It was the tenderness of the Mother of Mercy that finally convinced him that even he could be saved. He put his confidence in Our Lady’s promise that her devotees would never be lost. He became a Third Order Dominican and a tireless promoter of the rosary among the poor and suffering. He was beatified in 1980 by Pope Saint John Paul II who called him “Our Lady’s Man.” He was canonized in 2025.
Originally printed in IMPRINT Magazine Spring 2015.
