Luigi Rosania was born in Italy in 1895. At 15 years of age, he came to the United States. When he was 17 years old, his father and brother decided to return to Italy, leaving him in the United States alone, as he liked the country and had found work. He had nobody to take care of him and, in his own words, he did whatever his evil heart desired. In 1916, at the age of 21, he met a man who came from Waterbury, CT, to work in Newark, NJ. This man stayed at the same house where Luigi lived, and faithfully read his Bible and prayed.
One day he asked Luigi where his soul would be if he were to die. Nobody had ever asked him anything like that before. Luigi responded that nobody could know where he or she would be until after death. The man answered that he knew where he would be after he died, and that he had been saved and sure of heaven for three years. He immediately invited Luigi to a gospel meeting, and Luigi agreed to attend. This was the first time in his life that Luigi had ever attended a place where the gospel was preached. One day, about 2 weeks after he had attended the meeting, Luigi was working in the clothing factory when the Holy Spirit brought to his mind what he had heard at the gospel meeting. He was convicted of his sins and was convinced that if he died after the way he had lived for 21 years, he would be in the flames of hell. All day long, he felt miserable, and he wanted to be saved, but did not know what he could do to obtain salvation.
That night, December 28, 1916, at 21 years of age, he went to his home looking for help. His young friend read to him from God’s Word, in the Gospel of John, the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. “I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved.” He asked Luigi to put His name in the verse: “That if Luigi Rosania entered in he would be saved.” The thought arose in Luigi’s mind that the Lord was the door, the only way for him to be saved from his sins. He realized that the Lord Jesus Christ had died for his sins in order to bring him to God. He realized that it was the precious blood of Christ that was shed for the remission of his sins. The Lord had risen from the dead and was able to save any person who would come to God through Him. He understood that if any man, woman, boy, or girl would enter through the Lord Jesus Christ, he would not hope to be saved, but would be saved indeed.
That night he knew for sure that he was on his way to heaven. In his own humble words, he bowed in prayer and said, “Thank You Lord for saving my soul from hell and opening the way of salvation through Your death on the cross for my sins.” He wrote years later that this was the finest moment of his life, and that his only regret was not having been saved sooner.
Luigi Rosania became an active servant of Christ in proclaiming the gospel among the Italian people. He labored with Mr. Caesar Patrizio in gospel tent meetings in Terryville, CT, in 1924, when many were saved. He continued his labor throughout the region for the duration of his life, and faithfully led many others to the door that had been opened to him. He went home to be with his Savior on May 12, 1959.
