Saint John Leonardi

John Leonardi was born in Lucca, Tuscany, in 1541. He studied pharmacy, but left that and studied for the priesthood. He was ordained in 1572, after which he became very active in ministry, especially in hospitals and prisons. He preached and taught, and his example and dedication attracted a group of laymen who assisted him, and they too later became priests. Fr. John became interested in the reforms proposed by the Council of Trent, and as a result proposed a new congregation of secular priests in 1574. Oddly, great opposition to his proposal developed and he was exiled from his home town of Lucca for nearly the rest of his life. He received encouragement and help from St. Philip Neri and St. Joseph Calasanctius, and his association was recognized, in spite of the oppostion, in 1583 by the bishop of Lucca with the approval of Pope Gregory XIII. The congregation was confirmed in 1595 by Pope Clement VIII, who appointed John to reform the monks of Vallombrosa and Monte Vergine. In 1621 this group was formally designated Clerks Regular of the Mother of God.

In 1579 Fr. John was also associated with the founding of the first society of priests dedicated to working in foreign missions, which later grew into the College for the Propagation of the Faith, and he published a compendium of Christian doctrine that was used until the 19th century. In addition, he restored discipline in various religious congregations by his charity and wisdom. He died in Rome on October 9th, 1609, of disease contracted while he was ministering to those stricken by the plague. After his death he was venerated for his miracles and religious fervor. He was canonized in 1938 by Pope Pius XI. His feast day is October 9th. The Clerks Regular of the Mother of God have never had more than 15 churches by the deliberate policy of Fr. John, and therefore form only a very small congregation.


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