Necrology
Our necrology listing below contains the names of our deceased priests and seminarians who have been supported by our ministries. Please join us as we continue to honor and remember them, and pray for their eternal rest.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him.
May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God,
rest in peace.
Please join us in prayer for the repose of the soul of Fr. Michael Todd Kottar, age 53, who was Pastor of St. Mary's parish in Shelby, NC. He entered eternity after Vespers 1, Vigil of the Feast of Pentecost, Saturday evening, May 22, 2021, having received the Sacraments. Fr. Michael was a faithful priest for 27 years, provided valuable guidance to our foundress, and was a close friend of our ministry's spiritual director.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him.
May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God,
rest in peace.
Please join us in prayer for the repose of the soul of Fr. Josiah "Cy" Nicholas Booth, age 34, from the diocese of Covington, KY, where he had served several parishes and schools. He entered eternity on January 31, 2020, having received the Sacraments in the days prior. Known to our ministry from his early years in seminary at the Josephinum, he was a faithful encourager of our Adopt-a-Seminarian program.
V /. Oremus et pro frátribus, vivis atque defunctis.
R /. Salvos fac servos tuos, Deus meus, sperantes in te.
V /. Mitte eis, Dómine, auxílium de sancto.
R /. Et de Sion tuere eos.
V /. Réquiem aeternam dona eis, Dómine.
R /. Et lux perpétua lúceat eis.
V /. Requiescant in pace.
R /. Amen.
In English:
V. Let us pray for our brethren, living and dead.
R. Save your servants, my God, that hope in you.
V. Send them, O Lord, help from your holy place.
R. And from Sion watch over them.
V. Grant them eternal rest, O Lord.
R And let perpetual light shine upon them.
V. May they rest in peace.
R. Amen.
Please join us in prayer for the repose of the soul of Seminarian Michael Kitson, age 20, who attended the Pontifical College Josephinum and was a seminarian for the Charlotte Diocese. He entered eternity on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 27, 2014. Michael was a faithful Catholic and had received the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist in the day(s) prior to his death.
Servant of God
Father Candido Amantini
Although not related to our ministries in life, we have "adopted" Fr. Candido Amantini, as it were, to privately ask him to intercede for our ministries as he lived an exemplary life as a priest, following our Lord Jesus Christ.
Of note:
--St. Padre Pio famously held Fr. Candido in extremely high regard. When pilgrims traveled from Rome to seek Padre Pio's help, he redirected them, saying: "You have a saint at the Scala Sancta! Go to him!"
--Fr. Candido was a Passionist priest, and was appointed an exorcist for the diocese of Rome, a position he held from 1956 until his death in 1992 (36 years).
--Fr. Candido was the mentor of Fr. Gabriel Amorth, who was appointed chief exorcist for the diocese of Rome after Fr. Candido's death.
--Fr. Amorth, in his book "An Exorcist Tells His Story", relates that St. Padre Pio said of Fr. Candido: “Father Candido is a priest according to God’s heart.”
--Fr. Candido served in the capacity of exorcist or chief exorcist, under these Popes:
- Pope Pius XII (1939–1958)
- Pope St. John XXIII (1958–1963)
- Pope St. Paul VI (1963–1978)
- Blessed Pope John Paul I (1978)
- Pope St. John Paul II (1978–2005)
--Fr. Candido entered eternity on the feast of St. Candido, September 22, 1992.
How the cause of the Servant of God, Fr. Candido Amantini is progressing:
March 21, 2012: Twenty years after his entrance into eternity, the human remains of Fr. Candido Amantini were exhumed and moved (translated) from Rome's Verano Cemetery to the Church of the Holy Staircase (Scala Santa) in Rome. (of interest, March 21 is also the day St. Benedict of Nursia entered eternity, and is celebrated in Benedictine monasteries world-wide; thus the date links these 2 heroes of the faith who were both well-known for their efforts in spiritual warfare).
October 2018: At the 47th General Chapter of the Passionists in Rome: "Awaiting Decree of Validity"
What this means: The local Church, having gathered witness testimonies, having reviewed Fr. Candido's writings and life, having complied documentation on his virtues, have sealed everything and sent it to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints in Rome, and they are in the process of reviewing whether the diocesan inquiry was conducted properly and according to canonical norms. If it was, they issue the Decree of Validity.
September 2022: At the 16th General Synod of the Passionists in Rome -"The Positio super virtutibus is being reviewed".
What this means:
A "Positio super virtutibus" (in English: Position on the Virtues) is a massive Vatican document arguing that a Catholic candidate for sainthood lived a life of heroic virtue. Its review is a major step toward a candidate being declared "Venerable". It means the Diocesan phase is complete which is the local investigation into his life and virtues. The Vatican phase is now underway. Theological consultants and bishops will now review the Positio to determine if Fr. Candido lived a life of heroic virtue.
If approved, the way is open for him to be declared Venerable, which is the stage just before beatification.