History of Vocationist Fathers and Sisters
Click on Years to find the historical points

1891 - 1911

1912 - 1922

1923 - 1933

1934 - 1944

1945 - 1955

1956 - 1966

1967 - 1977

1978 - 1988

1989 - 1999

2000 - 2007

1891

 Fr. Justin Russolillo, the Founder of the Society of Divine Vocations, was born in Pianura, Naples, Italy on Jan. 18, 1891.
  Fr. Justin was baptized in Pianura, Naples on January 19, 1891

1906

 Fr. Justin had received the minor orders, or “ministries” as they are called today, on September 22, 1906.

1910

 In 1910, Justin organized a group of the “fedelissimi” (the most faithful); he initiated them into the study of Latin and love for religious life. 

1912

 Fr. Justin became sub-deacon on July 28, 1912.

1913

 Fr. Justin was ordained a deacon on March 22,1913, in the chapel of the seminary of Pozzuoli, the same chapel in which St. Francis De Gironimo, the Apostle of Naples, had been ordained.
  The morning of September 20, 1913, the day of his priestly ordination, Fr. Justin made a vow to found a religious congregation for the “cultivation, service and apostolate of God’s vocations to faith, to the priesthood and to holiness.”
  On September 20, 1913, in the Cathedral of Pozzuoli, through the laying of the hands by the Most Reverend Michael Zezza, Justin was ordained priest.

1914

 On April 30, 1914, Fr. Justin gathered a group of twelve boys who wanted to be priests, but who were too poor to pay the seminary tuition. His parents Luigi and Giuseppina, were very happy to welcome these twelve young men into their home, and cared for them as for their own children.

On April 30,1914, Fr. Justin and his group of twelve “fedelissimi” started their first experience of community life, in the Russolillo’s home.
  After intense spiritual preparation, on August 15, 1914, in his own home before an image of the Blessed Mother, he consecrated as “Slaves of Mary” the first twelve ladies.

1915

 On March 25, 1915, after a month of intense preparation, the Slaves of Mary mobilized the town of Pianura; on the feast of the Annunciation, they organized groups of people from every neighborhood and at the same hour all these groups started moving in an organized fashion toward the Church of the Holy Rosary.

1916

 During the First World War, all those who had not been drafted for health reason were mobilized on March 14, 1916. Fr. Justin, who was in this category, had to report to the army.

1917

 In March, 1917, Fr. Justin wrote to Cardinal Gasparri asking his advice on the “project of founding a new religious family dedicated to free education for vocations.”
1920 In July 1920, Bishop Farina invited him to the city of Troia and offered him the position of director of the diocesan seminary plus a convent where he could freely develop his work for vocations.
  That same year, the first community of the Society of Divine Vocations, which became known as the "Vocationist Fathers," came into being at the Rectory of St. George's Parish.
  On September 20, 1920, after having spent a week in spiritual retreat with the Dominican Fathers, Fr. Justin  was installed as pastor of St. Georgio’s parish in Pianura.
  Shortly after Fr. Justin had been appointed pastor, on October 18,1920, the community life officially started again in the parish house.
1921 The large group of young ladies who were aspiring to religious life under the leadership of Rachele Marrone were contributing with their labor and donations to the construction of the vocationary. They were also working for the religious education of all the youngsters of the parish. The “pious union” in 1921 became the first group of Vocationary Sisters.

The first five Vocationist Sisters gathered in community life in three rooms rented in the Caleo Building on the evening of October 1,1921.
  In 1921, the Rev. Francesco Sepe, a diocesan priest, joined Fr. Justin, thus becoming the first Vocationist after the founder. Fr. Sepe was a tremendous help both for the parish and for the vocationary which, by this time, already had twenty-eight students.
1922 In 1922, Sr. Maria Giovanna felt clearly her religious calling; generous and docile, humble and patient, at age twenty-seven she went back to school to finish her basic education and to pursue her studies in early childhood education.
  Fr. Justin seemed to go from one crisis to another, but he always overcame them. At the beginning of community life, during the winter of 1922, he suffered an exceptional health crisis.
1926 On May 30, 1926, Fr. Justin wrote the following to his spiritual director: “The eleventh of May, without any preparation on my part, without any association of ideas that might have led me to it, sweetly, with intimate, unshakable certainty, it was infused into me (allow me this terminology) the firm belief that the Blessed Trinity was assigning the Blessed Virgin, in a very special way, really unique, as our immediate Superior, present and active in our midst, in all our missions, in all our present and future houses, the only and the most sufficient Superior.”
  In 1926, the first two Vocationist priest, both from the town of Pianura, were ordained priests – Fr. Salvatore Polverino and Fr. Giorgio Mele.
1927 The Society of Divine Vocations received its first Diocesan approval on May 26, 1927.
  In 1927 Fr. Justin wrote: “So far the vocationary has sent some candidates to the Dominicans, Franciscans, Augustinians, Jusuits, Salesians, Saverians and the Priests of Charity … Oh, how we rejoiced to hear that the superiors are happy with them! Currently, at least fifteen are getting ready to follow them. We would like to present a larger group every year to each and every religious order! They are our greatest love.”
1928 In 1928, the first novices pronounced their religious vows and the small family was blessed with the priestly ordination of Fr. Giuseppe Di Fusco. With the canonical erection’s decree, the bishop appointed Fr. Justin superior general of the congregation.
  In Vallo, during the Mass celebrated in the bishop’s chapel on January 18,1928, Fr. Justin's  thirty-eighth birthday, he pronounced his religious vows.
1930 On October 3, 1930, with thirteen other sisters, Giovanna pronounced her religious vows. Soon after the community received diocesan approval, Giovanna was appointed Superior General by the Bishop of Pozzuoli, and she was reelected Superior General by the sisters after the apostolic visitation which had lasted from August 1945 to November 1946.
  In 1930 in Pianura, the Vocationist Fathers had their first general chapter assembly in the church of the cemetery. The constitutions were revised and explained and the superior general and his council were elected.
1931 Another serious crisis was caused by heart problems in 1931. He had to spend a long period of rest in Baia, where he remained a guest of the Vocationist Sisters.
  On June 2, 1931, the congregation for the Religious, upon request from the Bishop of Vallo, granted the validation of the decree of canonical erection granted by the Bishop of Pozzuoli and soon after, the congregation, which had always retained its Mother House in Pianura as the main center of its activities, was returning with the blessings of the Bishop of Vallo under the patronage of the Bishop of Pozzuoli.
1932 On June 21, 1932, the founder was granted a private audience with the Holy Father, Pius XI.
1933 In 1933, the Second General Chapter assembly was held and with letters of commendation from twenty bishops it initiated the process for Pontifical approval. The request for approval addressed to the Holy Father was signed by the entire general council and was completed by the approval and recommendation of Bishop Petrone.
1934 March 30, 1934, Fr. Antonio Palmieri, who was director of the Seminary of Orte,  who was a vocationist priest died suddenly and left this earth to begin the Vocationist family in heaven.
  From December of 1934 to November of 1941, the congregation was in a state of purification that was mortifying and vivifying at the same time.
1936 In 1936 he suffered his most dangerous crisis up to that point; he even asked for the last rites. Fr. Nicola Verde administered the Anointing of the Sick and the Viaticum. In his first sermon to the community after he recovered, he began with the example of King Hezekiah who, on his deathbed, with his tears had obtained from the Lord twenty years extension to his life. Everyone thought that Fr. Justin had made a mistake; they all knew that after that sickness of King Hezekiah the Lord extended his life fifteen years and not twenty (Cf. 2 Kings 20:6). The twenty years extension was correct for him! He died exactly twenty years later.
1937 In 1937, Fr. Justin started the publication of spiritus Domini,  the periodical of the Society of Divine Vocations, in which he began a study of vocations.
1939 On June 27, 1939, the founder pleaded to the Holy Father, Pius XII, “for the grace to reopen the admission to the novitiate and to the vows so that we may not have to witness the agony and death of the congregation and its activities.
1941 On July 2, 1941, the Congregation for the Religious appointed Fr. Baldini of the Servants of Mary as apostolic visitor for the congregation. This appointment was like a dawn of hope.
1947 On April 10, 1947, the cardinal Lavitrano who was the prefect of Religious congregation, personally presided at the general chapter assembly of the Society of Divine Vocations in which the founder was reelected superior general. The following year the Holy Father appointed Cardinal Lavitrano as “the Cardinal protector of the two Vocationist Congregation.”
  Vocationist Sisters received the Pontifical right on May 24, 1947.
1948 Vocationist Faters received the Pontifical right on January 3, 1948.
  On May 2, 1948, Cardinal Luigi Lavitrano, Prefect of the Congregation of Religious, appointed by Pope Pius XII to be protector of the two Vocationist congregations, went to Pianura for his first visit to the two Mother Houses.
1950 In 1950, the Vocationist took on their first foreign mission in Bahia, Brazil.
  on, on April 29, 1950, the town united itself with the first three Vocationist to leave on a mission to Brazil – Fr. Fraraccio, Fr. Torromacco, and Bro. Prisco.
1951 The Lord called Fr. Justin's mother to her heavenly home on February 10, 1951.
1953 In 1953, Fr. Ciro, brother of Fr. Justin, finally left Italy to go as a missionary to Brazil.
1954 In 1954, Fr. Ciro came to the United States, trying to study the feasibility of establishing a religious house.
1955 Fr. Justin completed his earthly mission at 9:00 PM on August 2, 1955, comforted by the Sacraments of the Church.
1956 Fr. Justin's body was transferred to the church of the Mother House on April 14, 1956.
1962 In 1962 they began their mission in the United States at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Newark, NJ.
1969 Mother Giovanna remained in that office as Mother Superior until her death on May 5, 1969.
1978 Said petition was readily granted on April 3, 1978,
1989 With the generosity of many friends and benefactors, they were able to establish Fr. Justin Vocationary, in Florham Park, NJ, which was dedicated on May 27, 1989.
1995 The Vocationist Sisters began their mission in India in 1995. Archbishop Mar Joseph Kundukulam from the Arch diocese of Thrissur, Kerala, welcomed Vocationist Sisters into his diocese with open hearted.
1996

 

 The Vocationist Fathers began their mission in India in 1996 in the Archdiocese of Thrissur, Kerala, India.
1997 On December 18, 1997 Pope John Paul the Second officially declared that Fr. Justin had practiced the Christian Virtues in a heroic manner and therefore he was being raised to the dignity of VENERABLE.

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 Last Updated: March 04, 2008  - Vocationist Calendar
 

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