Bartolo Longo was born in 1841 in the Italian village of Latiano. His parents were devout Catholics and prayed the Rosary every day.
A Young Radical
However, the sympathy of the young Bartolo lay with the revolutionary Italian nationalists. This radical group advocated atheism and Masonic practices. They viewed the Catholic Church as an obstacle to the unification of Italy. The sovereignty of the pope in the Vatican was a thorn in their side. The nationalists, therefore, wanted to abolish the papacy altogether.
Supported by many intellectuals and inspired by the military victories of Giuseppe Garibaldi, the nationalists gained prestige among students. One of them was the law student, Bartolo Longo.
The nationalist struggle against the Church in the 1860s had a spiritual aspect. Occultism was advancing. Séances invoking the spirits of the deceased gained popularity. Longo participated in these practices. Eventually, he had himself ordained as a satanic priest. The fight against Catholicism dominated his life.
Longo did everything in his power to undermine the Church’s influence on morals, education and culture. He convinced many Catholics to join him in his occult practices. Many left the Church.
Gathering Darkness
Nonetheless, as with many satanists, he was controlled by the dark forces he summoned. Often, he felt the presence of a “dark companion,” an “angel” who was, of course, a demon.
All this time, Longo grew increasingly unhappy. Depression, paranoia and nervous illness characterized his life. He suffered from diabolical visions that filled him with horror.
However, even in his darkest moments, Bartolo received graces. At least once, he heard the voice of his deceased father tell him, “Return to God! Return to God!”
Conversion
This experience affected Bartolo so much that he contacted an old friend from the days before he turned to satanism. The friend convinced Bartolo to leave Satan and serve the true Lord. Under the guidance of a Dominican priest, Longo returned to the bosom of the Mother Church.
One evening, Longo had a mystical experience. He later wrote about it. “While I was thinking about my condition, I felt a deep despair and almost committed suicide. Then I heard in my ear the echo of Brother Alberto’s voice, repeating the words of the Blessed Virgin Mary, ‘If you seek salvation, spread the Rosary. This is Mary’s own promise.’ These words enlightened my soul. I got down on my knees. ‘If it’s true… I will not leave this valley until I have spread your rosary.’”
After graduation, Longo worked as a lawyer. Simultaneously, he devoted all his free time to the faith. He tirelessly visited cafes and parties to warn young people about occultism. He founded a confraternity of the Rosary and engaged in charitable works.
A Life of Charity
During those charitable works, Bartolo met and became friends with Countess Mariana di Fusco. She was a wealthy widow. On the advice of Pope Leo XIII, they married. Their marriage was a ‘Joseph’s marriage’, in which the spouses remained celibate, following the example of Mary and Joseph.
Longo’s religious zeal was contagious. He lived much of his adult life in Pompeii. That city became a place of pilgrimage due to the miraculous effect of a painting of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary that Bartolo received as a gift from his sister. Given the influx of believers, he decided to build a church, a task which took fifteen years. Today, this is the Basilica of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in Pompeii.
Bartolo Longo continued to distribute and promote the Rosary until he died in 1926 at the ripe old age of 85.
Hope for Those Whose Loved Ones Embrace Evil
Pope Leo XIV canonized Bartolo Longo on October 19, 2025.
Today, Catholics invoke his intercession in the fight against the increasing waves of occultism and satanism. It was a sign of Divine Providence that Longo’s canonization was proclaimed in the weeks leading up to Halloween. Lamentably, the eve of All Saints’ Day has become the new solemnity observed by the neopagan culture that Bartolo Longo so insistently warned against.
Originally published by the Dutch TFP’s “My Immaculate Heart Will Triumph” campaign on October 22, 2025.