Capuchins in Loreto: 90 Years of Presence

A solemn commemoration of the 90th anniversary of Pius XI's pontifical chirograph, entitled “Essendosi” (Being) by which the Pope entrusted the entire care of the Shrine of Loreto to the Capuchin Order was held on Sept. 24, 2024, in the Sanctuary of Loreto at the Sala Macchi. In the chirograph, dated Sept. 24, 1934, the Pope wrote: “It is our desire that the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, called by us for the officiating and custody of our basilica and especially for the ministry of sacred confession, establish there, under the direction of a father delegated by the general minister, a community of religious entirely exemplary, as befits the sanctity of the House of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the dignity of the Holy See. It is our will that they be housed in the Apostolic Palace and its dependencies according to the plan approved by us, and we trust that they will correspond corde magno et animo volenti to the expectation of the faithful and of this Apostolic See.”

The ceremony of the 90th anniversary of the pontifical document was attended by Msgr. Fabio Dal Cin, Archbishop of Loreto, Br. Roberto Genuin, General Minister of the Capuchin Order, Br. Maurizio Placentino, General Councilor and Delegate for the Shrine of Loreto, Br. Sergio Lorenzini, Provincial Minister of the Capuchins of the Marches, promoter of the celebration, Br. Alessandro Ferrari, rector of the Loreto Shrine, numerous Capuchins, priests, religious and lay people.

Br. Sergio Lorenzini eloquently evoked the presence and activity of the Capuchins at the shrine throughout the centuries, since 1558, when they went there from Recanati to carry out simple ministries. He recalled some stages: in 1596 the friars obtained permission to open a hospice in Loreto to live there occasionally; in 1608, given their growing commitment to the shrine, the friars accepted the invitation of Cardinal Protector Antonio Maria Gallo to build a new hospice or friary in Loreto; then, beginning in l640 they built a more solid one, taking on new commitments, both liturgical and for the people’s welfare (distribution alms to poor pilgrims, assisting at the hospital, care of the sick, mostly foreigners, etc. ). In 1883 Bishop Tommaso Gallucci entrusted the Capuchins with the direction of the Universal Congregation of the Holy House, appointing Brother Peter of Malaga as its first director.

Finally, Br. Sergio recalled that, by decree of the Order's General Minister Br. Mauro Jöhri, dated March 25, 2015, the service of the Capuchins at the Shrine of Loreto passed from the Capuchin Province of the Marches - to which it had been entrusted since 1934 - to the direct dependence of the General Minister, who began to provide personnel directly, drawing from the various circumscriptions of the Order, especially from outside Europe.

After the provincial minister's speech, the mayor of Loreto, Mr. Moreno Pieroni, conferred upon the Capuchin fraternity serving at the Shrine of the Holy House a “Benemerenza”, the first issued by the municipality to a religious fraternity of that location, adding his esteem and recognition for their many years of service toward the pilgrims. This was followed by the certificate of another “Benemerenza,” issued by Archbishop Fabio Dal Cin, who expressed his sincere gratitude for the praiseworthy apostolate of the friars at the Loreto Shrine, primarily for the ministry of hearing confessions.

This was followed by the presentation of the “Dizionario Lauretano,” compiled by Br. Giuseppe Santarelli, introduced by Archbishop Fabio Dal Cin, who conferred on the author the honorary distinction of “Chaplain of Honor of the Holy House,” granted by Leo XIII in 1879 to persons deserving towards the Shrine, and the “Croce Lauretana.”

The commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the pontifical chirograph reached its most solemn moment with the celebration of the Eucharist in the Basilica, presided by Br. Roberto Genuin with the participation of more than fifty Capuchin concelebrants, during which the General Minister, in a meditative homily, recalled the valuable service of his confreres at the Shrine of the Holy House.

The celebrations closed with a lavish feast, offered by the Archbishop for the numerous participants.