March 3-4, 2012 are dates to remember: a great event that involved the entire city of Modica and the diocese of Noto. Not only because of the request for the official start of the long process of initiating the diocesan investigation into the cause of beatification of Nino Baglieri, but also because it was the Rector Major of the time, Fr Chávez, who requested the introduction of the process, visiting these places for the first time.
The rite was presided over by the ordinary, Ordinary, Bishop Antonio Staglianò, in the presence of the Bishops emeritus Salvatore Nicolosi and Giuseppe Malandrino, who had known Nino Baglieri during his lifetime. In addition, Fr Pierluigi Cameroni, Postulator General of the Causes of Saints for the Salesian Family, who in all these years has followed the cause, was present.
In recent years, the Tribunal Appointed by the Bishop and the Theological Censors and the Historical Commission have taken all the necessary steps. The Historical Commission, in particular, has researched, collected, studied and presented the many documentary sources pertaining to the Cause: Nino's personal documents (civil, religious, medical, etc.); Writings – published or not – of the Servant of God (such as the Letters and the fundamental ‘boccascritti’ (written by mouth) Notebooks-Diary); significant writings to the Servant of God and writings about the Servant of God (from books to articles, from reports of thanks to many attestations of the good done by Nino and initiatives in his honour). The Historical Commission has delivered envelopes to the Tribunal with over fifteen thousand pages of writings, as well as a Report that illustrates the work done, evaluates the sources and presents a first Critical Biography of the Servant of God.
The Court focused its attention on hearing, under oath, from over 100 witnesses: family members, friends (including those of Nino as a teenager) and acquaintances. They accurately reported facts, events, words and experiences with Nino.
Now a new stage is added to this process: the closure of the diocesan investigation. Once this phase is completed, all the documents produced by the diocese will be sent to the Vatican to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to begin another phase of the process, where both the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints in the Vatican and the Salesian General Postulation will work on the next stages.
To make the most of these moments, the Diocese of Noto, together with the local Salesian Family, has decided to create different opportunities for reflection.
The program includes the musical "Sulle ali dell 'Amore"next Thursday, 2 May, at 8:00 p.m.,, curated by the Cinecircolo Giovanile Socioculturale (CGS) Life of Biancavilla, at the Garibaldi theatre in Modica, with a free show, however reservations are required.
On Friday, 3 May in the morning, the film on Nino Baglieri will be screened at some educational institutions, while in the afternoon, at the Palazzo della Cultura, a journalist seminar will be held open to citizens, entitled: "Communicating the sacred. The cross and the light, the case of the Servant of God, Nino Baglieri".
On the eve of the closing celebration of the diocesan inquiry, Saturday, 4 May, at 8 p.m. local time, Fr Cameroni will preside over a meditation and prayer across the places of Nino Baglieri.
The most important moments are scheduled for 5-6 May. On Sunday 5th, at 6:00 p.m., in the Mother Church of St Peter in Modica Bassa, the bishop of Noto, Bishop Salvatore Rumeo, will preside over the Eucharistic Celebration with the closing rite of the diocesan investigation of the process of Beatification and Canonisation of the Servant of God.
On Monday, May 6, the feast of Saint Dominic Savio for the Salesian Family and the anniversary of his fall from the scaffolding on which he was working, from which came the paralysis that accompanied him throughout his life, at 6:30 p.m. there will be a celebration at the Salesian oratory in Modica, presided over by Don Chávez, at the end of which there will be a moment of fraternal agape typical of the Salesian tradition.
