Holdings of works

This page presents the holdings relating to certain works. To reconstruct their history, it is essential to consult also the archives of the Province within which they were carried out, as these often contain files of correspondence between the site manager and the Provincial, as well as information found in the historiae domus and the Provincial’s memoirs.

Apostleship of Prayer

The Apostleship of Prayer is a pontifical organisation founded in 1844 and entrusted to the Society of Jesus. Prayer was the organisation’s primary means of action; each month it selected themes and social issues – known as ‘intentions’ – for which members prayed.

Our archive holds the archival collection of the Apostleship of Prayer in Italy, whilst the documentation produced centrally by the organisation is held at ARSI. The collection held in our archive comprises documentation produced between 1864 and the 2000s. Documentation produced after the pontificate of Pius XII is not available for consultation.

In this fond it is possible to find documentation on various topics: the consecration of families to the Sacred Heart, assistance to workers through the ‘Opera dei Ritiri di Perseveranza’, activities for tram drivers, the Crusade and Eucharistic congresses, devotion to the Sacred Heart and to St Joseph, conferences organised by the Apostleship of Prayer, and relations with the dioceses.
Women played a particularly significant role within the Apostleship of Prayer, as they made a substantial contribution to its activities and to the consecration of individuals and families. They were called ‘zelatrici’.

The collection contains correspondence from the directors, monthly prayer intentions, documents relating to the activities of the ‘zelatrici’, and photographs. A considerable part of the Apostleship of Prayer’s archive consists of printed material: cards for monthly prayer intentions, votive pictures, resource materials, and leaflets on organised activities, cards containing prayers to be recited, annuals, calendars and manuals for the apostolate in parishes.

Over the decades, the Organisation has also published many journals for children and young people, which are now available in our reading room.

Opera Massaruti

The Opera Massaruti was founded at the behest of Fr Carlo Massaruti, who was dedicated to the spiritual care of the Carabinieri. The Jesuit had noticed that the young soldiers, stationed in Rome, were far from their families, often poorly educated and had no points of reference in the city. He decided to found the organisation, initially within the Pio Latin American College, to provide them with spiritual and material support, thanks in part to funding from Pius X. Here, the Carabinieri could attend catechism classes, take lessons to obtain a qualification, attend Mass, and have spaces for recreational activities.

Over time, other members of the security forces also enrolled: from the police to the army, and it was also opened up to civilians. The Opera Massaruti was effectively an evening school that enabled its members to obtain a school-leaving certificate and either progress through the ranks or find better employment.

To reconstruct the history of the organisation and the biography of the Jesuit, it is worth consulting the book written by his brother, Fr Giuseppe Massaruti: Fr Carlo Massaruti of the Society of Jesus, Apostle to the Military: Memoirs of his Brother Giuseppe, Isola del Liri, 1933.

The collection contains documents from the early years of the Opera, enrolment registers from 1954 to 2004, and photographs. Most of the collection was produced after 1958; the pupils themselves or their descendants may, only consult the enrolment registers produced before this date, as they contain pupils’ personal data. However, the pupils’ academic records (certificates, reports and personal files), which were transferred to other educational institutions at the time, are not held here.

Ricreatorio S. Giuseppe, Firenze

The Maltese Jesuit Father Joseph Strickland founded the recreation centre in the early 20th century. The Jesuit wished to dedicate a space to recreational activities for children and young people in the ‘Le Cure’ neighbourhood of Florence, which was then on the outskirts of the city. In this way, he offered an alternative to life on the streets for the children of workers and labourers. Here, the children could attend catechism classes, put on theatre performances, play football, watch films, and even use the library. The recreation centre also housed joinery and carpentry workshops, which enabled the children to learn a trade.

The documents produced by the recreation centre date from 1903 to the mid-1960s, when the centre closed.

The collection is held within the archives of the Residenza di Firenze and includes minutes of meetings, regulations, membership lists, photographs, expenditure ledgers and sheet music. Printed material is also preserved: invitations to theatre performances, posters and the newsletter.