An Intercessor for Russia and Ukraine?

The news from Russia and Ukraine is so worrisome, especially with hints from both sides that churches are likely to be bombed during Easter services (which, for the Orthodox, will be this weekend). That led me to think of dear Msgr. Bernardo Antonini, who died during Holy Week, as the perfect intercessor.

Venerable Bernardo Antonini was a priest of the Diocese of Verona, a member of the Pauline Family (Institute of Jesus the Priest), and for the last twelve years of his life, fullfilling a lifelong dream, a missionary in Russia. During his years there, Antonini was like another Paul: he carried out a media apostolate, founded the Queen of Apostles Seminary (in Moscow), and organized events for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, traveling across the continent for the sake of the Gospel. The interactive map of his visitations across Russia, into Ukraine (western Kyiv), and into various regions of the former Soviet Union is enough to make your head spin. (Most glorious of all, those visits are still bearing fruit!)

He died quietly in Kazakhstan on Tuesday of Holy Week 2002, after the Chrism Mass. 

A year and a half ago, when the world was pretty much under lockdown, the Pauline Spirituality Center in Rome interviewed by Zoom people who had known this man of God on the occasion of an important stage in the canonization process of Msgr. Bernardo Antonini, . I was so impressed by what I heard that I took it on myself to do an audio translation of the entire video (except for the clip from Italian TV, which far surpassed my ability to keep up). You can listen to the whole thing yourself in the YouTube video below. You can also read an article from a 2010 issue of our Cooperators' magazine.  

Here is my (unofficial) translation of the prayer for his intercession (taken from the website donbernardoantonini.it), should you wish to offer this prayer for the countries and peoples he loved:

Most Holy Trinity,
We thank you for having given us, in your servant Father Bernardo Antonini, the shining example of an ardent and active priest who put all of his special gifts at the service of the Church. In joyful obedience, he used every possible media to spread the light of the Word, and with all of his strength gave witness to your love for every creature.
We ask you to glorify this faithful minister of yours even here on earth, and, through his intercession, to grant us the grace that we ask:
Glory Be...

Holy Virgin Mary, Queen of Apostles,
Grant that we, too, following your devoted son Father Bernard, may be always ready and available to serve God and neighbor.
Hail, Holy Queen...

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