Father Gaudentius Rossi, C.P., St. Paul of the Cross Province (1817-1891)

Born May 10, 1817 in Ospitaletti, Genoa, Italy, he professed his vows on May 25, 1837. On December 19, 1840 he was ordained a priest by Bishop Vespignani at the Lateran Basilica in Rome. In 1842 he was sent to England to assist Father Dominic Barberi, C.P. on the new English mission. There Father Rossi was an active preacher of retreats and missions. As a companion to Father Barberi he preached over one hundred and thirty missions. In 1852 he founded the Sisters of the Cross and Passion for the purpose of protecting working girls in the Manchester, England area. This congregation of women eventually came to the United States. Father Rossi was told by his superiors to come to the United States to assist in the new mission which had begun in 1852. He arrived in Boston, Massachusetts on December 5, 1855. This was an appointment by the Passionist General Superior requested from Father John Dominic Tarlattini, C.P. who was the superior of the United States foundation. Father Rossi was specifically needed because of his ability to preach in English. In 1863 he was elected first provincial consultor in the new United States Province of St. Paul of the Cross. In 1866 he was elected as the master of novices and in 1869 he was once again elected as the first provincial consultor. When his health began to fail him in his later years he turned to writing and wrote The Voice of Jesus Suffering which dealt with doctrine and unction, as well as The Christian Trumpet. The latter book dealt with the topic of alleged prophecies of the era. In July 1891 he fell ill and never left his sick bed. He died at St. Michael’s Monastery, West Hoboken, New Jersey.