Oct 5th, The Feast of Blessed Bartolo Longo

Today’s feast we celebrate the life and faith of a man who took one of the most circuitous and strange paths to sainthood that you will ever find.
Sure, there are other saints that we wayward or evil in their youth, some were adulterers, some murderers, some accessories to murder like Saint Paul himself, but Bl Bartolo (soon to be Saint Bartolo) is the first satanic priest to become a saint as far as I know.
His early years were spent in church like many Italians then and now, but growing up in the era of the unification of Italy, there was an air of antagonism from the revolutionaries of that era, especially the leader of Risorgimento, Giuseppe Garibaldi.
What started with an apathy towards religion, became a resentment and rejection, then in college he began to experiment with the occult and spiritualist practices that were so popular in 19th century Europe. He eventually was drawn to theistic Satanism, going so far as to become a priest that would perform the rituals and ceremonies of their sect.
When he became ill he was visited by what he called “his angel, and dark companion.” This being was undoubtedly a demonic entity and he began experiencing signs of demonic possession that was noticed by his professors and by several clergy at the university who began to minister to him.
He reconnected with the faith of his parents and renounced all former beliefs and practices of satanism and the occult. Bartolo went on to dedicate his life to catechizing the poor people of Pompeii who were in desperate need of it, and doing works of charity.
He went on to his eternal reward at the age of 85 and lives on in heaven with the God and saints he once rejected, but came back to like the prodigal son.
Bartolo is an example, like all the saints, that nobody is too far gone to come back home.

Bl Bartolo Longo, pray for us, and all who have strayed from the light of Christ.