Dicastery for the Saints
Advances the Cause
of Fr. Constantine Vendrame
The Report on His Virtues,
submitted on Sept. 19, 2023, was presented by Fr. Szczepan Tadeusz Praskiewicz,
OCD, and the Salesian postulator general Fr. Pierluigi Cameroni; it had been
drafted by Dr. Lodovica Maria Zanet, a collaborator of the Salesian Postulation
Office. The 9 consultants were tasked with responding to the question regarding
the heroic exercise of Christian virtues practiced by the Servant of God, along
with his reputation for holiness and “signs.” Based on this judgment, the cardinal
and bishop members of the Dicastery will subsequently express their opinion.
This news has brought great
joy, particularly to Colle Umberto (Treviso), birthplace of Fr. Vendrame, and
the diocese of Vittorio Veneto, where a group of people has been promoting the his
cause for several years. He distinguished himself for his apostolic zeal as a “conqueror
of souls,” earning the title “St. Francis Xavier of Northeast India.”
“In this Holy Year dedicated to
Christian hope and on the 150th anniversary of the first Missionary Expedition
initiated by Don Bosco, the testimony of Fr. Vendrame is that of a true pilgrim
of hope. Animated by the apostolic zeal of Gospel missionaries, he announced
the Word of salvation, walking up to 50 kilometers a day, inspiring joy for
life in all he met, and opening many doors and hearts to hope,” commented Fr.
Cameroni on the news.
Fr. Constantine Vendrame was
born in San Martino di Colle Umberto, near Treviso, on Aug. 27, 1893, into a
modestly poor family with strong Christian values, tested by illness and
bereavement. Constantine felt a vocation for the priesthood at a very young age
and entered the seminary of the diocese of Ceneda, near Vittorio Veneto, in
1908. In 1912, he joined the Salesians due to his love for the missions.
He was a novice in 1913 and
made temporary profession in 1914, then perpetual vows in 1920 after his period
of practical training. During the World War I, he was a soldier but remained
faithful to his vocation. He was ordained on March 15, 1924, in Milan and
received the missionary cross at the basilica of Mary Help of Christians in
Turin on Oct. 5. He departed for Assam in Northeast India and arrived in
Shillong on Dec. 24, 1924.
As a missionary (and almost
always a parish priest) in Shillong-Laitumkhrah, Jowai, Wandiwash in Tamil Nadu
(southern India), and finally Shillong-Mawkhar from 1951 until his death, he
traversed immense distances on foot to reach distant souls. He lived among the
poor, touched even the hardest hearts, and endured the wear and tear of
apostolic life with a smile.
He attracted thousands of souls—Protestants, pagans, Muslims, and Hindus—to Christ and the Church, earning the respect of all as a true man of God. During World War II, as an Italian citizen in the British Empire, he was interned, first under Gurkha custody, then at Deoli, and finally at Dehra Dun. Even in this apparent immobility, he exhibited strength that consoled and supported others.
Afflicted by severe arthritis
in his spine and excruciating pain until he fainted, he lived his final months
in total self-offering, hospitalized in Dibrugarh, where he passed away on the
eve of the feast of St. John Bosco, Jan. 30, 1957. His funeral was a triumph of
faith and gratitude. During his life, he was widely reputed for sanctity and “signs”
and was compared to St. Paul, St. Francis Xavier, and St. Vincent de Paul.
It was said of him, “We
remember Fr. Vendrame as a priest who loved us with the heart of Christ—warm
and human, strong and faithful, ready to give his life for us.”
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