Father Giuseppe Di Gennaro, a prominent Jesuit priest, poet, academic, and spiritual guide, has died in Naples. He passed away at an assisted care facility on the Posillipo hill. A key figure in L’Aquila’s cultural and religious landscape for over half a century, he left a profound mark on the city’s academic life, spirituality, and social commitment.
Born in Vico Equense (Naples) in 1932, Di Gennaro arrived in L’Aquila in 1968, summoned by Rector Ernesto Pontieri to contribute to the nascent state university project. He also played a role in the university’s acquisition of the Palazzo dei Gesuiti.
He often expressed his immediate connection to the city, stating, “When I arrived, I immediately breathed the marvelous air of this city.” L’Aquila, for him, was “an inverted Jerusalem, tested by time, but always capable of rising from its ashes” – a concept he frequently reiterated, especially after the 2009 earthquake. That quake destroyed the headquarters of his ‘Dono di Gesù’ house, which was largely rebuilt in subsequent years.
Di Gennaro served as a professor of Spanish Language and Literature in L’Aquila and of History of Spanish Culture at Rome’s LUMSA University. In the Abruzzo capital, he founded the University of Prayer, a study and meditation experience inspired by Saint Ignatius of Loyola and personally promoted by Mother Teresa of Calcutta during her visit.
He led both in-person and online spiritual retreats and directed the “Più Vita” Therapeutic Assistance Service for drug addiction treatment.
In 1980, he was chosen to represent the city’s cultural associations during Pope John Paul II’s visit to L’Aquila. Di Gennaro maintained contact with Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, Bulgarian philosopher Tzvetan Todorov, and various other international figures in both political and religious spheres. He was the last Jesuit to remain in L’Aquila even after his Order decided to leave the city.
A memorial Mass is scheduled for this afternoon at the University of Prayer facility.
Riproduzione riservata © Copyright ANSA