John Leonardi
Encyclopedia
Saint John 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 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.
Clerks Regular of the Mother of God of Lucca
The Clerks Regular of the Mother of God of Lucca are a Roman Catholic congregation of priests.They were founded by Saint Giovanni Leonardi, son of middle-class parents, who was born in 1541 at Diecimo, Republic of Lucca. He was ordained on December 22, 1572....
. He was born in the City-state
City-state
A city-state is an independent or autonomous entity whose territory consists of a city which is not administered as a part of another local government.-Historical city-states:...
of Lucca
Lucca
Lucca is a city and comune in Tuscany, central Italy, situated on the river Serchio in a fertile plainnear the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Lucca...
, Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
, 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
Counter-Reformation
The Counter-Reformation was the period of Catholic revival beginning with the Council of Trent and ending at the close of the Thirty Years' War, 1648 as a response to the Protestant Reformation.The Counter-Reformation was a comprehensive effort, composed of four major elements:#Ecclesiastical or...
. John Leonardi worked with this community to spread devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, devotion to the Forty Hours, and frequent reception of the Holy Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
.
This foundation received approval from Pope Paul V
Pope Paul V
-Theology:Paul met with Galileo Galilei in 1616 after Cardinal Bellarmine had, on his orders, warned Galileo not to hold or defend the heliocentric ideas of Copernicus. Whether there was also an order not to teach those ideas in any way has been a matter for controversy...
in 1614. John Leonardi took his work to Rome where he became friends with Philip Neri
Philip Neri
Saint Philip Romolo Neri , also known as Apostle of Rome, was an Italian priest, noted for founding a society of secular priests called the "Congregation of the Oratory".-Early life:...
. 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
Influenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
epidemic that was raging in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
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.