Her parents might be canonized; she tells us their story

Married in Malta in 1944, Inez and Henry Casolani are the first married couple from Malta to have their canonization cause sent to the Vatican. While the Rome process is still in initial stages, it's possible that one day, we will have a Sts. Inez and Henry Casolani. If so, it's also possible that their feast day would be April 19, since it was on that date that they married.

The Casolanis had only one child, a daughter, who discovered in her young adulthood that God was calling her to the religious life. She is now a sister; at the age of 19, she joined the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition, taking her first vows in 1966 and final vows in 1971.

Now, she's able to participate in the process for her parents' canonization cause, sharing the privileged space that only she had in witnessing firsthand day after day the life of saints. While some canonization causes are able to avail of a living family member, many are not.

Aleteia asked Sr. Cecilia to tell us about her parents, and why she thinks the Holy Spirit might have chosen them as potential models of holiness for the universal Church. For a biographical overview of their lives, see here.

It's rather rare in the Church to hear from family members of saints: Carlo Acutis and Gianna Molla are exceptions but, in general, theirs is not a very common occurrence. We would like to hear from you: What does it feel like to be the daughter of potential canonized saints, and to be able to share firsthand accounts of their lives?

Sr. Cecilia Casolani: I must say I feel really graced to have been the daughter of such holy Parents. I rarely speak about my parents, for the simple reason that they are my parents; but when asked direct questions by those who are truly interested, I am only too delighted to do so.

They were simple in their ways, very different from each other in character, and appreciated by many -- because they were outstanding in their way of living, as whatever they did, they did to the best of their capacity. 

My mother was an all-rounder, the jolly type who is very often the heart and soul of the group. Like my father, she was known for her listening ear and great empathy. Both were always ready to offer love and help to those who approached them. They were always ready to repay by good deeds the offenses received.

My mother prayed continually for the protection of unborn babies. She was an avid reader and when reading stories to me, the characters became fully alive. She was a great woman of prayer. Under the direction of her spiritual director, she was the foundress of the Night Hour Adoration in their parish. God was everything to her. I have no words to describe her closeness to Him.

As to my father, though quite a reserved person, he was endowed with such a jovial nature that all enjoyed working with him. He respected all and was so precise in his work that all his directors and work companions loved and trusted him. He was unanimously considered by them as “an apostle of peace”!

Both my parents spent time with God, at Mass and Communion, as well as daily visits, at home, at work….

Virtues? They seem to have had them all! And as days pass by and I meditate on their holy life, I find more and more, and all these I have witnessed myself: honesty and integrity, self-control, respect for others and for authority, joy, contentment, perseverance, humility, compassion, responsibility, willingness and ability to work, fidelity, courage, purity, kindness, generosity, love of peace, a pleasant sense of humor.

My father would speak about God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness anywhere, even when in a doctor’s waiting room! I used to marvel at my mother's joy and happiness at the slightest compliment, and at my father's youthful freshness in his words.

Would you agree that the story of your parents' lives could be described as "ordinary" -- that they lived "ordinary holiness"? Or how would you describe their "brand" of sanctity?

Sr. Cecilia Casolani: Yes, I would say that their story is one of "ordinary holiness." They weren't known for extraordinary actions or exceptional charisms, but rather for living an ordinary life in an extraordinary way. My mother went about her daily chores like everyone else, only she did it with love, as if she were doing it for Jesus. 

My father, apart from being a wonderful husband, was a most loving father to me. He was exemplary at work, as all his work companions witnessed. He did his duty faithfully, helping his companions at work, including young apprentices, uniting them to pray together, but also cracking a joke, to ease the tension, when work was heavy and tedious. 

Both my father and mother knew how to enjoy life, as well as to accept its difficulties, too. God remained always foremost in their life.

Your mother shared little reflections on God and her faith in letters. Are there any sayings from her (or from your father) that you remember her repeating often?

Sr. Cecilia Casolani: As their daughter, I can recall many little sayings and expressions that my parents often repeated. These weren't grand pronouncements, but rather simple, heartfelt phrases that reflected their deep faith and shaped my own daily life.

From my mother, I often heard, "Whatever God sends is most welcome!” which was her way of accepting whatever came their way, good or bad, with humility, grace, and trust. “I am in His Hands and I accept all He sends joyfully," she would say.

Whenever she corrected me, she would tell me: “When I die, I have to give an account to God about you.” Also, when I used to see her so inventive in whatever she undertook, she used to tell me: “I must give an account to God for all that I do!” She made sure I enjoyed myself but never accepted waste of time. Her words: “Time waits for no one!”

Though she enjoyed good health, she was certain she would die before my father, which she did. So, not to hinder my work, as I was an only child, she decided to go, together with my father, to retire in one of our convents, where parents of Sisters were welcomed, so that, when the day came, my father would be settled. When they were lodging there, I used to call and encourage them to return home, a home they had really loved and enjoyed. But Mama’s only reply was: “I have the Blessed Sacrament with me here; don't you understand that I will never leave this place?” 

She was so close to God and yearned to be much closer: “Nail my heart to Thee and never let me go!”

Towards the end, when she felt death was slowly approaching, she told me: “I feel I have finished all that God wanted me to do on earth.” She often used to tell me: “Don't you worry if I die. I am always ready. He may come for me when He wants. That is why I always keep myself ready, in the grace of God.” 

Like my father, she firmly believed in forgiveness and repaid hurts with kind deeds. Her words: “To err is human to forgive Divine!” and “Cec, be always sweet and humble with everyone.”

Her words, so perfectly in tune with her loveable character, were always gentle and kind. She used to tell me and even write to me: “Whatever you do, keep God’s presence in front of you and always keep room for Him in your own loving heart.” Also, “Whatever you do, do it with love and with love for Jesus.”

Yet one day she shocked me when, for no reason, she told me: “Cec, you know well enough to what an extent I really love you, but no one will take God's place in my life, not even you!” All she ever wrote, she truly lived. She actually had the courage to summarize her life by writing, just a couple of minutes before her death: “I take record of God. In Thee I have had my earthly joy!”

My father, more reserved by nature, had his own characteristic phrases. His language was simple; in simple terms he used to explain to me all about galaxies, light years, and the immensity of the universe. Immediately my mother would take up and bring out the omnipotence and grandeur of God.

Dad had a great devotion to Our Lady. When one day, as a teenager, feeling more important, I told him that I pray to Jesus, he calmly, but convincingly, replied: “You do well. But what you ask Our Lady you will surely receive. Jesus refuses His Mother nothing! Nothing!” At the end of his life, it was to Mary that he turned his thoughts and very last words: “Holy Mother, have mercy on me!"

He was always happy with whatever he had. Whenever my mother asked whether he was feeling hot or cold his regular reply was: “I am fine exactly as I am.” 

After fracturing his wrist in three different places because of a fall, in spite of atrocious pain, he simply said: “There is nothing wrong. Can't you see? I am walking.” He made no fuss about his ailments, but just referred to the Passion of Christ saying: “Who knows what Christ suffered!” On his death bed, when asked by a nurse whether all was well, his immediate reply was “Oh yes, I'm fine!” and to the priest who came to anoint him on the last day, he clearly said “May God bless you!”

He was detached from everything, to the extent that he wanted to give all he possessed: “Give everything, everything.” When I reacted, he continued: “Then take everything yourself. Everything!” Then very slowly he uttered: "Keep just one bankbook in case of necessity.” 

He believed so much in the good of each person. How he admired the Good Thief, because he was the only person who was ever told the date of his death. In a discussion with me he defended Judas, believing that after having despaired because of his wrongdoing, he would have repented and thus would have been granted forgiveness. He loved everyone and truly so: “I write always to praise, never to criticize!” On occasions, he preferred to suffer himself, rather than allow others to get the blame. Having been called as a juror several times, he suffered and finally asked not to be called any more. “Who am I to judge another?” he to used to say.

On one occasion he told me: “I have only one record: that I never said anything against anyone.” On another occasion, as I questioned this, he humbly and sincerely repeated this and added: “Always. Even as a child! It is true; I couldn't stand the fact of saying the slightest word against anyone.” This I can never forget as the fact was repeated by all those who knew him from his early stages to his very last days.

These are only some of their sayings, though there are several others that keep on flitting through my mind. They weren't just words; they were a window into my parents' souls. They are a constant reminder of the values they instilled in me and the example they set.

Why do you think the Holy Spirit would propose your parents to the universal Church as models?

Sr. Cecilia Casolani: As I ponder over this question several points come to mind:

All are called to holiness and my Parents witnessed to this universal call, as they were lay people, not the priests and religious we are used to seeing beatified. They lived out their faith with extraordinary love and dedication in their everyday roles as husband, wife, and parents. Their lives show that holiness is attainable for all, regardless of their state in life and anyone can reach that stage.

They were models of evangelical life. They embodied the virtues of faith, hope, and charity in their daily interactions, showing kindness, compassion, and forgiveness to those around them, even when they were not appreciated. Their lives were a testament to the power of the Gospel to transform ordinary people into extraordinary witnesses of God's love.

They were staunch Catholics. They were most charitable and believed in the good of each one. Yet, they did not hesitate to speak and write openly against abuse and wrong doing.

For them faith was a source of immense joy, knowing that they were loved by God and could face any challenge with His grace. 

Saints were their daily friends and they spoke to them and about them as such. They were aware that the saints accompanied them on their pilgrim journey with their prayers and protection.

Lastly, my parents were outstanding examples of Christian joy, which shone even in their faces. Despite the challenges and hardships they faced, they maintained a joyful spirit, radiating hope and optimism to those around them. (For example, when Dad was in the operating theatre, having a pacemaker inserted, the surgeon came out baffled saying that Dad had them all in stitches with his jokes. When once I asked Mama what was the cause of pain in her feet, she jokingly replied that they had carried her all her life and she had never had them replaced.)

At this stage my parents are on the way to beatification. They lived out the Gospel virtues and radiated Christian joy throughout their life, and at their death both had the fame of sanctity.  Their lives, though simple and ordinary, were a powerful witness to the transformative power of faith and love, and their example can inspire others to seek holiness in their own lives.

Their lives are a reminder that holiness is attainable for all and that even the most ordinary of lives can be a source of inspiration and renewal for the Church and the world.

~

Follow their cause, make a donation, or report a miracle here.

Donations can be made to the Henry and Inez Casolani Association at APS bank account IBAN MT57APSB77013000000044359020015