John Leonardi

Infobox Saint
name=Saint John Leonardi
birth_date=1541
death_date=October 9, 1609
feast_day= October 9
venerated_in=Roman Catholic Church


imagesize=300px
birth_place=Diecimo, City-state of Lucca, (now Lucca, Tuscany, Italy)
death_place=Rome, Papal States
titles=Confessor
beatified_date=1861
beatified_by=Pope Pius IX
canonized_date=1938
canonized_by=Pope Pius XI
major_shrine=Santa Maria in Campitelli

Saint John Leonardi ( _it. San Giovanni Leonardi)(1541 – October 9, 1609) was founder of the Clerks Regular of the Mother of God of Lucca. He was born in the City-state of Lucca, Tuscany in the year 1541. He was ordained as a priest in 1572. He first dedicated himself to the Christian formation of young people in his parish (Lucca). Then he founded the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine.

In 1574, he founded a community charged to deepen faith and devotion; this foundation occurred as part of the movement known as the Counter-Reformation. John Leonardi worked with this community to spread devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, devotion to the Forty Hours, and for frequent reception of the Holy Eucharist.

This foundation received approval from Pope Paul V in 1614. John Leonardi took his work to Rome where he became friends with Philip Neri. Neri held him in high regard for his qualities of firmness and judgment and entrusted him to delicate works, such as the reform of the Benedictine congregation of Montevergine.

John then founded with J. Vivès the seminary of the Propagation of the faith. He died in 1609, dedicating himself to his brothers suffering from the influenza epidemic that was raging in Rome at the time.

The final Rule of his community was published in 1851. Two houses of the Clerks of the Mother of God were opened when he died, three others were opened during the seventeenth century. John was beatified in 1861 and canonized in 1938. St John Leonardi's feast day is celebrated on October 9.

ource

*"Encyclopédie des Saints et de la Sainteté," Hachette fr icon

External links

* [http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=359 Catholic Online-Saints & Angels: "St. John Leonardi"]
* [http://www.sqpn.com/saintj47.htm Patron Saints Index: "Saint John Leonardi"]