Attempts To Be Baptized
On 5 June 1932, Widtsoe came to Naples to baptize Di Francesca, but a revolution between the fascists and anti-fascists had broken out in Sicily, and the police at Palermo refused to let Di Francesca leave the island. The following year, Widtsoe asked Di Francesca to translate portions of Joseph Smith's autobiography into Italian and to have 1,000 copies published. Di Francesca took his translation to a printer, Joseph Gussio, who took the material to a Catholic bishop. The bishop ordered the printer to destroy the material. Di Francesca brought suit against the printer, but only received from the court an order for the printer to return the original booklet.
When Widtsoe was released as president of the mission in 1934, Di Francesca started correspondence with Joseph F. Merrill, who succeeded Widtsoe as president of the European Mission. Merrill arranged to send Di Francesca the Millennial Star, which he received until 1940 when World War II interrupted the subscription.
In January 1937, Richard R. Lyman, successor to Merrill, wrote that he and Hugh B. Brown would be in Rome on a certain day. They said that Di Francesca could meet them there and be baptized. However, the letter was delayed because of war conditions, and Di Francesca did not receive it in time.
From 1940 until 1949, Di Francesca was cut off from all news of the LDS Church, but he remained a faithful follower and preached the gospel.
Read more about this topic: Vincenzo Di Francesca
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