During the meeting on May 24th, in fact, some ecclesiastical representatives who had the opportunity to experience life episodes with her will speak, while other speakers will talk to us about the Holy Face of Manoppello to which the nun was devoted. The following will speak at the meeting, moderated by journalist Dr. Angela Ciciriello:
- Nunzia De Astis, President of the Volto Santo Association (headquarters in Ruvo di P.)
- Dr. Antonio Bini, journalist and scholar of the Holy Face
- Don Mimmo Francavilla, Director of Caritas Diocesana – Andria section
- Don Peppino Lapenna, former parish priest of the church of San Michele Arcangelo in Andria
- Michele Ippedico, author of the book “The Pupazza di Dio” (dedicated to the life of Sister Amalia)
The veil depicting the Holy Face, displayed inside the Sanctuary of Manoppello, is in fact strongly linked to the life of Sister Amalia.
Brief story on the figure of Sister Amalia: “It happens that, before taking her vows, Amalia Di Rella is often ill. There are many doctors who visit her, but none of them are able to give a connotation to the cause of her illnesses, and not by precisely identifying her illness, it is not even possible to prescribe a certain cure. Some doctors define her illness as inexplicable. Amalia begins to have visions: Jesus and other religious figures, such as Padre Pio and Padre Domenico da Cese, her spiritual guide. , appear to her and speak to her. She suddenly recovers from all her illnesses while she is in front of the “Holy Face” of Manoppello, an important sanctuary in Abruzzo, a destination for pilgrims from Italy and all over the world those who knew her tell of stigmata on her hands and feet, of a wound on her side and a wound on her forehead in the shape of a crown of thorns and of a laceration on her left ankle. To many people, these marks remind us of Christ when he was chained together to the other two thieves, as he ascended Calvary. Sister Amalia appears to be the only one to have received this latest wound. After a few years, we are in the early 70s, Amalia founds the association of Holy Face of Manoppello; in 1976 he took his vows, while in 1981 he pronounced his perpetual vows, under Monsignor Grazia, bishop of the then diocese of Bitonto-Ruvo, in the church of Purgatory in Ruvo. In 1986 he founded the order of diocesan nuns called Disciples of the Holy Face under the guidance of Don Tonino Bello.
“His life and works – writes Nunzia De Astispresident of the Volto Santo association of Ruvo – do not have just a religious aspect, but a cultural correlation with the common people, with our traditions and with our history”. The intention of the meeting is also to start a path towards his possible cause for canonization and beatification.
