Domenico Mazzarella

Attracted by the austere life of the Discalced Franciscans (the Alcantarines), Domenico began frequenting the Santa Caterina d'Alessandria convent in Grumo Nevano. Under the spiritual direction of Father Fortunato della Croce, his Franciscan vocation was confirmed. In November 1822, he entered the novitiate of the Santa Maria Occorrevole convent in Piedimonte Matese. There, he donned the Alcantarin habit and took the religious name Modestino di Gesù e Maria (Modestino of Jesus and Mary), in homage to a spiritual brother, Brother Modestino of Ischia, who had died shortly before.

He pronounced his solemn vows on November 27, 1824. After completing his studies in philosophy at Santa Lucia al Monte (Naples), dogmatic theology at Grumo Nevano, and moral theology at Portici, he was ordained a deacon. Noting his exceptional zeal, the Minister General of the Order, Father Giovanni da Capistrano, requested that he be ordained a priest without delay. Domenico was thus ordained a priest on December 22, 1827, in the Cathedral of Aversa by Bishop Mgr. Francesco Saverio Durini.

Father Modestino subsequently exercised his ministry in various convents in the Campania region, notably in Grumo Nevano, Marcianise, and Portici, and assumed the role of guardian (superior) in Mirabella Eclano and Pignataro Maggiore. In 1839, he was transferred to the Santa Maria della Sanità convent, located in one of the poorest and most densely populated districts of Naples. It was there that he would spend the rest of his life, dedicating himself body and soul to the most destitute.

He spent long hours in the confessional, becoming an apostle of reconciliation. He assiduously visited the sick, pregnant women, and the prisoners of Castel Capuano. His charity, simplicity, and gentleness earned him the deep affection of the Neapolitan people, who affectionately nicknamed him "Gesùcristiello" (the little Jesus Christ). His reputation for holiness and as a spiritual counselor attracted people from all social conditions: from the poor of the Sanità district to the most influential figures, such as King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies and Pope Pius IX, who called him affectionately "the madman of the Blessed Virgin" because of his Marian devotion.

In 1854, a terrible cholera epidemic struck Naples. Refusing to flee or spare himself, Father Modestino spent himself without counting the cost for the dying in the slums of the Sanità district. Exhausted by the privations and penances he inflicted upon himself, he contracted the disease in turn and died a victim of charity on July 24, 1854.

As soon as his death was announced, an immense crowd gathered to pay him a final tribute. The popular emotion was such that the authorities had to intervene to channel the crowd, with some faithful even attempting to dismantle his confessional to keep pieces of it as relics. He was initially buried in the catacombs of San Gaudioso, adjacent to the Basilica of Santa Maria della Sanità.

The cause for beatification was introduced in Naples with the opening of the diocesan informative process in 1877. On March 11, 1891, Pope Leo XIII signed the decree introducing the cause, conferring upon him the title of Servant of God. After a long period of interruption, the cause resumed under the pontificate of John Paul II. On May 14, 1983, the Sovereign Pontiff approved the decree recognizing the heroic nature of his virtues, and the decree was officially published on June 9, 1983, declaring him Venerable.

To allow for his beatification, a miracle attributed to his intercession was examined by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. This miracle concerns the unexplained preservation of a young child who fell from a balcony several stories high in Frattamaggiore, after his mother had desperately invoked Father Modestino. The decree recognizing this miracle was approved by Pope John Paul II on December 23, 1993.

On January 29, 1995, Pope John Paul II celebrated the solemn beatification of Domenico Mazzarella (under his religious name, Modestino of Jesus and Mary) in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. During the homily, the Pope presented him as an "artisan of hope" and a singular witness of divine mercy for southern Italy.

His mortal remains, long kept in Naples, were solemnly transferred on October 18, 2015, to the church of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria in Grumo Nevano, where they are now venerated in the cappella della Madonna del Buon Consiglio.

The spirituality of Blessed Modestino is deeply rooted in the Franciscan charism of poverty, humility, and fraternal service. He lived in intimate union with the suffering Christ, whom he contemplated through the poor and the sick.

Another pillar of his spiritual life was his filial devotion to the Virgin Mary, under the title of the Mother of Good Counsel (Madre del Buon Consiglio). He constantly carried an image of this Virgin with him, which he presented to the sick and sinners to obtain graces of healing and conversion. His spiritual motto, which he inscribed on all his letters and repeated as a greeting, was: « Lodiamo sempre insieme col Figlio la Dolce Madre del Buon Consiglio » (Let us always praise together with the Son the sweet Mother of Good Counsel).

Nicknamed the "Apostle of nascent life" because of his particular solicitude for pregnant women and newborns, he remains today a model of pastoral charity and confident abandonment to Divine Providence.