Tag Archives: Hermitage of the Holy Cross

Action Items, Call to Action

The Hermitage of the Holy Cross? — An appeal

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by Br. Alexis Bugnolo

By next Tuesday, I will be in Rome. As soon as I can, I will make a video and publish it here, as I visit one of the Sacred Basilicas of the City.

As  you know, I am returning to Rome to do what little I can by being a part of the Church of Rome and standing against the spirit of apostasy which coagulating there in our days.

When I came to Rome to defend Pope Benedict XVI in 2019, on October 19th, I never thought I would be in the city so many years. Nor did I know where I would find help to do that. It was by an inspiration to fight back, after an important Vatican secretary attempted to gaslight me via telephone, that I decided to start FromRome.Info as a daily electronic journal. It was through this means I found the support for my work defending Pope Benedict XVI and explaining why he was still the pope.

Being a Franciscan I had to beg, because having taken the vow of poverty back in 1993, I had already given everything I had to the poor and have lived by begging for my needs. And while that is necessary, I am always worrying that I might waste the support of my benefactors.

While I was in Rome from 2019 to 2023, in rent alone I spent 900 to 1300 a month in rentals. Over four years that amounted to more than 52,000 euros, since I lost one of my deposits.

Thus, now that I am about to return I am concerned to not waste my benefactors monies as much as I can. Those who deal in such things tell me that I should consider having the non profit which helps me, purchase a place, rather than collect your donations to pay rents to others, money that disappears.

Until recently I have never seen a property suitable to be a hermitage which was inexpensive. But while spending so much time looking at real estate sites in the last two weeks, I rant upon this offer which seems would be an ideal hermitage.

A Possible Hermitage

It sits on two acres and is about 1900 square feet in livable space. Plus its remote and in rather good condition. Best of all it is located in one of the suburbican Dioceses of Rome, so by living there I would keep my ecclesiastical residence at Rome.

I think you will agree from these photographs, that it is a beautiful place:

The asking price is 129,500 Euro, or about $140,000 USD or 108 thousand pounds sterling. That is a very good price for Italy.

As I have never raised so much, I have contacted the owner to see if they would agree to a rent to own, on a ten year basis, which would amount to something like 1,250 euro a month (including financing costs).  Considering that the last rental you helped me live in cost 1300 a month, this seems doable.

So, I am asking those who want to help me in the most economical way obtain a hermitage (which will be owned by a non profit), to consider make a donation for this purpose. — All funds will be placed in a 501(c)(3) dedicated account for this purpose. — It’s you alone who can make this possible. I ask your prayers and I thank each of you who can help in any way, in advance. May the Lord Jesus give you His Thrice Blessed protections!

Via PayPal (Credit Card)

Or Bankwire

Add the note: Hermitage to your transfer.

For Bank Wires in Euros from countries in the EU and SEPA systems:

Account Name: Ordo Militaris Inc
IBAN: BE77967318468342
Swift/Bic: TRWIBEB1XXX
Account Number: 3184683
Bank: Wise, Avenue Louise 54, Room S52, Brussels, 1050, Belgium

For Bank Wires in AUD from banks in Australia:

For Bank Wires in Canadian Dollars, from Canadian Banks:

For Bank Wires in British Pounds Sterling (£), from Banks in the United Kingdom:

For Bank Wires in British Pound Sterling (£) from Banks outside the United Kingdom:

Basilicas of Rome

At Rome, it is the Feast of St. Alexis, the poor man of God

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by Br. Alexis Bugnolo

In 1965, there was discovered in a nook at the foot of the bell-tower of the Basilica of St. Alexis at Rome, one of the best preserved medieval Catholic frescoes ever seen at the time. Years later, two intrepid art-historians found mention of it in literature, tracked it down, and with the help of the Italian government undertook a restoration (see featured image).

The image depicts the Patron Saint of the Basilica standing to the left of Christ the Lord, Himself depicted as a pilgrim to Rome.

What most Catholics do not know, is that the figure of St. Alexis played an important role in the devotion of Medieval Catholics at Rome, before Saint Francis of Assisi, came on the scene. If in the year 1200 A. D., you had asked any Catholic who was the “poor man of Christ”, who gave up everything for love of Him and lived in the most abject poverty, all would have responded, “St. Alexis”.

Pope Honorius III, who approved the Rule of Saint Francis, was very devoted to this Saint. In fact, several years before he had ever cast eyes on St. Francis, he had ordered the restoration of the Saint’s basilica on the Aventine. Perhaps this was because Honorious was elected in a Conclave on the very feast day of the Saint in 1216 A. D., the day after the sudden demise of the great Pope Innocent III (Lothar of Segni) had passed. Saint Francis himself was canonized on the vigil of St. Alexis, in the year 1228 A. D., by Pope Gregory IX.

Here is the website of the Basilica:

This new website contains many photos and videos, not previously published, under the tab, “HOME”.

You can read more about the discovery and restoration of this fresco of St. Alexis and Christ here, in an article containing many photos and a video by ANSA.

I told the story of St. Alexis, here, in 2021 and 2022, where I also shared the beautiful image of the Patroness of the Hermitage of the Holy Cross, where I live: the Icon of Our Lady, before which I have for nearly 20 years asked the grace to find a place as a hermitage. — I named Her patroness, because in this place from which I am now writing, when I visited to look it over as a possible rental, I found no other image, but a holy card depicting this icon.

And AJ and I did a program on what this Saint’s example teaches about true Christian courtship, here, in 2020.

Be assured of my prayers to Our Lady of St. Alexis and my patron Saint, since without a doubt all of you are also part of the answer to my 18 year long novena!