Father José Maria: the “Marian prophet”

Father José Maria (Giuseppe Rason, Vigo di Fassa 1942): missionary in Brazil since September 23, 1970, devotee of Our Lady of Sorrows and apostle of the Rosary

Born in a small village among the mountains, in the town of Vigo di Fassa, Italy, in the year 1942. He came to Brazil on mission on the day of the death of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, September 23, 1970, where he recounts that inside the ship he heard: “today Father Pio, the saint of Pietrelcina, returns to God”.

Father Giuseppe Rason, “José Maria”, as he was affectionately called, bore in his own name the name of the one whom he said was the woman of his life, Mary. Among so many virtues, he stood out for his love for the poor, for the Eucharist, for the souls in purgatory, and for Mary, his “little mother”. During his 29 years as parish priest in one and the same parish in the interior of Minas Gerais, Ituiutaba, every day in the morning and in the afternoon he was seen making the “Via Dolorosa”, and he would go from picture to picture of the seven sorrows of Our Lady, touching the image, praying and conversing with Our Lady. To some who did not know him he was seen as “mad”. To those who had him close by he was seen as a Marian prophet and a prophet of the poor, names given by his parish priest Father Romeu, also a student of Locus Mariologicus, who lived with him during this last year and bore witness to his life of holiness.

His love for Our Lady, especially under the title of Our Lady of Sorrows, made him get up every day deep in the small hours of the morning to recite his rosary for the souls in purgatory, for the conversion of priests, and for his spiritual children.

He was also an exorcist priest. How many times we heard the cries of the poor who, under the weight of the enemy of God, shouted his name and told him to go away because he was beloved of Mary.

He faced the loneliness of the prophet, the contempt of some, the pain of the loss of his parents in Italy. He also faced cancer in the year 2018. Concerning this last event, there are testimonies from those who accompanied him in the hospital: he would always wake at night and converse alone with “someone”, whom he called the Mother of Heaven.

Father José Maria lived a life wholly dedicated to the Gospel. He was not very learned, he did not have much schooling, he spoke with a difficult accent and a hoarse voice. Even so, his voice reached so many places and became a practice of love. He converted children, young people, priests. We even have testimonies of bishops who had their lives changed merely by his presence.

Today we write about him so that his memory may still be lived by many generations. Today we celebrate his 7th day of Eternal Life. For many, a “loss”, especially for the poor who knocked at his door every day. For so many, an intercessor in Heaven who, together with the souls in purgatory, for whom he nourished so great a devotion, will go on interceding for us who remain here in this “valley of tears”.

We wish to offer this small tribute on the day of Our Lady of Sorrows to this man who did so much good on this earth and will go on doing even more in Heaven. May Our Lady of Sorrows, who as spiritual Mother received the children of God as her inheritance, also teach us day after day love for others, especially for the one who has nothing to give us in return.

And does the reader have any experience with Our Lady of Sorrows? Comment here below!

To deepen prophetic Marian spirituality, consult the document of Paul VI: Marialis Cultus on devotion to Mary and its evangelizing dimension in the life of the Church.

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