The Bucci Family Album
Holy First Communion for Padre Bucci’s
Sister Gemma and Brother Agostino Bucci
Once, little Gemma hid under Luisa’s bed, perhaps to give Aunt Rosaria a surprise and unwittingly witnessed a mystical phenomenon. Luisa had a bedside table on which stood a glass bell containing a figurine of the Child Jesus. At a certain point my sister was aware of something unusual. A great silence fell, not even the chatter of the girls working in the next room could be heard. Then Gemma came out from under the bed and saw the Child who had come to life, whom Luisa had taken in her arms and was covering with kisses.
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Seminary Student Giuseppi “Peppino” Bernardino Bucci
With his Sister Luisa Bucci
Padre Bucci’s name Giuseppi and the name of his sister Gemma were suggested to their parents by Luisa
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Fra Bernardino Giuseppe Bucci, a Capuchin student
with the other students in a souvenir photograph
(standing, second from the left beside the director)
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Seminarist Giuseppe Bucci standing next to Father Cataldo Tota
Giuseppe wearing a gift from Luisa Piccarreta
A surplice hand made by Luisa still in possession to this day
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Giuseppe Bucci again next to Fr. Tota in procession of the Pilgrim Madonna
At the church of Saint Francis in Corato, Italy
Fr. Tota knew Luisa very well according to Padre Bucci
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Photos from the Priestly Ordination of Padre Bernardino
On March 14, 1964, he was ordained a priest by Archbishop Nicodemo of Bari in the Capuchin church of Triggiano
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First Holy Mass celebrated by Father Bucci
In the Mother Church Cathedral of Corato, Italy
Card from First Holy Mass celebrated
by Father Bernardino
In the Mother Church Cathedral of Corato, Italy
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Padre Bucci at the wedding of his sister, Gemma
Brother Luigi Bucci (1920) far Left, Maria Bucci (1929)
Nunzia Garofalo next to Padre Bucci (June 15, 1935)
Gemma Bucci, Luisa Bucci (1926)
Aunt Rosaria (April 4, 1898) far right
Luisa Bucci prepared Luisa for her funeral because
Aunt Rosaria and Luisa’s sisters were too distraught
Aunt Rosaria at the right of the Groom and Nunzia Garofalo to left of Bride Gemma Nunzia lost her husband and two children all in the same year. Left without any income or support and out of food she prayed for Luisa’s help. At that exact moment a young man appeared at her door with a month’s supply of food.
He left the food and without a word and disappeared from her sight. She later was able to find work support herself.
Aunt Rosaria on the left next to Sister-in-law Rita married to Luigi Bucci
Gemma in center next to her husband and Padre Bucci on far right
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IMAGES OF LUISA
The Servant of God writes her diary gazing at the crucifix
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Luisa Piccarreta reading the Sacred Scriptures
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Corato, Via Maddalena: where the Servant of God
Luisa Piccarreta lived in the last years of her life
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Balcony at Luisa’s House where she had vision of
Jesus carrying the Cross
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Luisa outside Praying the Rosary
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Luisa praying before the Crucifix and small
picture of St. Therese the Little Flower
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Luisa praying with the Crucifix in hand
Luisa at the Orphanage in Corota founded by St. Annibal
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Luisa sees Jesus alive on the Cross
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Luisa’s Sister Angelina on right of Luisa
Luisa’s Niece Guiseppina in Center
Aunt Rosaria on Right
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Early Photo Luisa with her Sister Angelina
Angelina was godmother at the baptism and sponsor
For Padre Bucci’s sister Gemma
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Later Photo of Luisa with her Sister Angelina
Luisa holding Bambino Jesus
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For 64 years until her death Luisa stayed in bed basically not eating, drinking or sleeping. Luisa was nourished by receiving the Most Holy Eucharist during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass daily said in her room. This special blessing was given by Pope Saint Pious X and Pope Leo XIII his predecessor. Luisa also lived on the food of the Divine Will, which Jesus said in the Gospels, “a food that you do not know of….”
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Luisa’s Daily Life by Padre Bucci
Luisa, assisted at daily Mass celebrated in her little room by the confessor assigned to her by the Bishop or by some other priest who occasionally substituted for him.
She received the Holy Eucharist daily and it was the only food she retained.
After the celebration of the Mass she remained in silence for two hours giving thanks and at about 8 AM many girls came to her house to learn tombolo lace-making.
Luisa at work teaching lace making
Towards noon, they brought her food that the wealthy families of Corato sent her, (often my sister Gemma and I went to the Cimadomo house to pick up what they had prepared.
Luisa ate very little because the food was generally consumed by her sister Angelina and by her parents, or by people who later took care of her.
Shortly thereafter, her sister or Fr. Bucci’s aunt Rosaria would come in with a basin and Luisa brought up everything she had eaten — the little she had eaten — entirely and now it had not the odor of vomitus but a perfumed scent.
After dinner, Luisa would retire to meditate and pray for about three hours. In the late afternoon several pious women, among whom were the sisters Cimadomo, and they began to pray the holy Rosary in its entirety, with meditations that Luisa had on the Divine Will.
After everyone had left, Luisa would close herself in prayer. Her little room was closed and during this time she daily, in obedience to the directives of her confessor who had ordered her to write everything down without neglecting a single detail, she would write down that which occurred between herself and Our Lord.
The following morning, at about 5 A. M., the caregiver would come into her room to make ready the altar for Mass while awaiting the arrival of her confessor. Luisa was always seated in her bed with her head tilted to the right, rigid and immobile as though in rigor mortis.
Photos from Luisa’s Funeral
Next to her: her sister Angelina, her faithful Rosaria and
Sisters of the Divine Zeal paying her a visit
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Everyone was under the impression that Luisa had fallen asleep and was not dead. In fact, her body, laid on the bed, did not undergo rigor mortis.
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On the day of her funeral official mourning was declared in the town. Luisa’s body remained exposed for public veneration to satisfy the thousands of people of Corato
The special coffin, designed with front and side windows
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Troops from the US Army provided security for Luisa’s funeral
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Like a queen, she remained sitting on her bed. It proved impossible to lay her out, so that a special “p” shaped coffin had to be built for her, the front and sides of glass so that everyone could see her for the last time
Funeral Procession for Luisa Piccarreta
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Sisters of Divine Zeal carry Luisa
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All the townspeople of Corato bid their last farewell to
Luisa “the Saint”.
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The Sisters of the Divine Zeal surround the coffin
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All the people of Corato followed the body to the cemetery. Everyone tried to take home a keepsake or a flower, after having touched her body with it; a few years later, her remains were translated to the parish of Santa Maria Greca.
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Luisa was buried in the Calvi family chapel
Per request of her Confessor Fr. Benedetto Calvi
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Ceremony of the transfer of Luisa’s mortal remains
July 3rd 1963
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Fr. Benedetto Calvi, Luisa’s prays before the mortal remains of Luisa
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Tomb of Luisa in St. Mary Greca Chruch in Corato
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Those who personally knew Luisa Piccarreta
Fr. Benedetto Calvi
Luisa Piccarreta’s Last
Confessor
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Rosaria Bucci who took
care of Luisa for 40 Years
*** Fr. Terenzio from Campi Salentina,
a great enthusiast of Luisa Piccarreta
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Fr. Salvatore da Corato a Capuchin totally focused on Luisa the Saint.
“… I believe that in a little while the Lord himself will put her on the lamp stand“
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Most of the Capuchin friars pictured in the group
had direct contact with Luisa Piccarreta and Saint Annibale
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Saint Annibale, extraordinary confessor
and ecclesiastical reviser of Luisa Piccarreta’s writings
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Luisa Piccarreta and Blessed Padre Pio of Pietrelcina knew one another for some time without ever having met, for Luisa was always confined to the bed where she sat, while Padre Pio was enclosed in the friary of the Capuchin Fathers of San Giovanni Rotondo.
In about 1930, a well-known figure arrived at Luisa’s house, sent personally by Padre Pio. He was Federico Abresch, a convert of Padre Pio. Federico spoke at length with Luisa. What they said we are not given to know; but one thing is certain. Federico Abresch became an apostle of the Divine Will and regularly visited Luisa, with whom he always had long conversations.
When his little son received his first communion from Padre Pio’s hands, he was also immediately taken to see Luisa who, according to the story, foretold that he would become a priest. The small boy of that time is now a priest and works at the Congregation for Bishops in Rome; he is known by the name of Mgr. Pio Abresch.
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Federico Abresch, a Franciscan Tertiary. Close friend of Luisa Piccarreta.
Complying with wishes of Padre Pio of Pietrelcina,
he was the first apostle of the Divine Will in S. Giovanni Rotondo
and did much to spread Luisa Piccarreta’s writings
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Frederico Abresch receiving Communion from his son,
Mgr. Pio Abresch
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A young Padre Bucci with Photo of Luisa
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Semper Deo Gratias, and blessed be the Divine Will