The Motherhouse of theSociety of the Divine Savior

Every religious community has a central house. Some call ittheir “Motherhouse,” others call it their “General House.” Our Motherhouse is located in Rome, just steps away from

St. Peter’s Square. It serves as the home of the SuperiorGeneral and his Council, and it houses the Founder’s Chapel as well as the archives of the Society.

Our presence in that house dates back to our Founder, FatherFrancis Mary of the Cross Jordan. Our Society began onDecember 8, 1881, at 96 Piazza Farnese, the house where St. Bridget of Sweden lived in the 14th century. Within a year, Fr. Jordan needed more room for the growing number ofcandidates. On November 1, 1882, he began renting roomsnear St. Peter’s Basilica in the Palazzo Cesi, which then had an address of Borgo Vecchio 165.

In 1894, the owner of the palace, Duca Francesco di Paola Negroni Caffarelli, who used only the firstfloor, decided to sell the building. Jordan seized the opportunity to buy it. The acquisition of theproperty took place in the autumn of 1894, and the final agreement was signed on the July 20, 1895.

In the 1930s, the Italian government created a major boulevard – the Via della Conciliazione – leadingfrom the Tiber River to the open arms of St. Peter’s Square. The Motherhouse, which had been facing anarrow street little bigger than an alley, suddenly found itself with a new address, fronting on one of themost important streets in all of Rome.

In 1956, the body of Father Jordan was finally transferred tothe Motherhouse from Tafers, Switzerland, where Jordan haddied in 1918.

The Motherhouse also has a historical name: “Palazzo Cesi.”The original owner, Cardinal Francesco Armellini, started theconstruction of the building from the years 1517-1520. Thefoundation was laid around the same time as the foundation ofthe present Basilica of St. Peter. In 1565, Cardinal Pier Donato

Cesi, from whom the historical name comes, bought the palace. Cesi was Bishop of Narni from 1546 to1566. He moved to Rome to assist the Pope in various diplomatic functions, and after he was made acardinal in 1570, he restored his palace, entrusting the task to a Lombardian architect, Martino Longhiil Vecchio. The result of his work is visible even now.

After the Cesi era, the palace changed owners several times. In the 19th century, two Graziolinibrothers: Giovanni Battista and Giuseppe, owned the palace. The son of Giuseppe – Giulio – sold thepalace in 1862 to Count Gustavo Candelori Moroni, who in 1875 bequeathed it to his son, Gustavo, andhis widow, Amallia Rosati Kinsky. In 1879, Duca Giuseppe Caffarelli Negroni bought the palace, andthree years later his son – Duca Francesco Di Paola Negroni Caffarelli – received it in bequest. FatherJordan bought it from him in 1895 and since then, thisbuilding has been the property and Motherhouse of theSociety of the Divine Savior.

The Cesi palace was built in a square form with an interiorcourtyard. On the north side, a renaissance façade byMartino Longhop il Vecchio is preserved from the 16thcentury. At the same time that the Via della Conciliazionewas built, the west wing of the Cesi palace was removedas part of the project of renewing the area. Between 1944and 1946 the Salvatorians added a new part called “CasaFrancesca” on the south side. For many years it housed Salvatorian students studying for the priesthood.

That part was completely remodeled at the beginning of the21st century and is now the Residenza Palazzo Cesi hotel.

In the interior of the palace, there are many well preservedelements which give witness to its rich past. The bestpreserved ones are the historical ceilings in the halls on thefirst floor and the present chapel, library and parlor. Thereare 16th century frescos in the so called King SolomonAula, and otherfrescos by NicolaMartinelli andTommaso Laureti.

The street between the Motherhouse and the Vatican officebuilding has been named Via Pancrazio Pfeiffer, honoring the

memory of the Society’s secondSuperior General, who played ahistorical role as intermediarybetween the pope and theGerman high command during the occupationof Rome during World War II. His workbehind-the-scenes saved numerous lives fromdeath at the hands of the Nazi occupiers.

An exciting time for our Motherhouse comes whenever there is an election ofa new Pope. All eyes turn to Rome, and one group that gets a bird’s-eye viewof all the action is the General Council of the Society. From the rooftop patioyou can peer over the Piazza and see the Basilica and the Papal Apartments inview.

The German television network ZDF – ZweitesDeutsches Fernsehen – wired the house severalyears ago so that they could broadcast from therooftop of the Motherhouse anytime they report onthe Vatican. During hectic events like Papalelections, they spend nearly as much time at theMotherhouse as the members of the Generalate!

THE MOST FAMOUS VISITOR TO THE MOTHERHOUSE

On March 19, 1999, Pope John Paul II came to the Motherhouse at the invitation of the Generalate. He was the first Pope to ever visitthe Motherhouse. There he spoke to the community and prayed atthe tomb of our Founder - Father Jordan.

This was an important sign to our community that our Founder wasconsidered worthy of the Church’s admiration.

In January 2011, Pope Benedict XVI issued a decree on the Virtues of Father Jordan, who could thenbe called “Venerable.” This was a “big step” needed before the Beatification of the Founder. In June2020, the Vatican approved a 2014 miracle attributed through the intercession of Father Jordan and hisbeatification was scheduled. He was beatified on May 15, 2021, and is now known as “Blessed FrancisJordan.” His feast day is celebrated on July 21, the anniversary of his ordination.

In Preparation for the Beatification

- Refurbishment of the Motherhouse Chapel -

One of the major preparations in the spiritual framework of the Beatification of the Founder was

the transfer of his mortal remains to the main chapel of the Motherhouse of the Society of the

Divine Savior in Rome. In order to offer the new Blessed a worthy place, the Generalate began,

more than six months before the Beatification, a process of remodeling and renovation of the

chapel in which the community celebrates the Eucharist every day. Fr. Marko Ivan Rupnik SJ,

who has made a name for himself as a mosaicist and painter of numerous churches, such as the

Redemptoris Mater chapel in the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City, the church of San Giovanni

Rotondo, the shrines of Fatima and Lourdes, and the cathedral of La Almudena in Madrid, has

given clear inputs for this big remodeling.

The main paintings in the chapel of the Motherhouse depict in the apse "the Baptism of the

Lord", where God the Father indicates that "This is my beloved Son, listen to him!" Whoever

wants to know the Father, let him approach the Son, the Savior of the world, who reveals in a

unique and definitive way who God is. The second painting, at the back of the chapel, depicts

the scene of the Ascension and Pentecost, where the apostles are sent to announce the Good

News to all peoples. The central figure is the Virgin Mary, who symbolizes the Mother who

stands for the Church whose head is Christ and participates in the mission of the Savior. Like

the apostles, we Salvatorians are also called to participate in the mission of the Savior, listening

to him closely and feeling ourselves sent to all peoples to proclaim salvation.

In the center of the chapel there is a simple but solid tombstone with the relics of Blessed

Francis Mary of the Cross Jordan, to which hundreds of people will come to pray for his

intercession.

On May 13, 2021, the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, the Motherhouse community,

presided over by the Superior General, Fr Milton Zonta, celebrated the first Mass in this new

spiritual space which will lead many to pray for the strengthening and active participation in the

mission of the Savior.

Blessed Francis Mary of the Cross Jordan

Intercede for your spiritual sons and daughters

in the Salvatorian Family around the world.