Blessed Father of the Poor
Blessed Father of the Poor — most likely referring to Blessed Giacomo Cusmano (born March 15, 1834 AD in Palermo, Sicily, Italy; died March 14, 1888 AD in Palermo, Sicily, Italy) — was a Sicilian Catholic priest and physician who devoted himself entirely to the care of the poor of Palermo, founding charitable institutions and a religious congregation dedicated to the service of the destitute. He was known popularly as "Padre dei Poveri" (Father of the Poor). He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on October 30, 1983. His feast day is March 14.
Stored in Cargo: Blessed Father of the Poor
| Blessed Father of the Poor | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | March 14 |
| Profession | Italian Catholic physician and priest; founder of the "Boccone del Povero" (Morsel for the Poor) charitable association (1867) and the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart; known as "Padre dei Poveri" (Father of the Poor); devoted his medical training and priestly life entirely to the service of the destitute of Palermo, Sicily; 19th-century Sicilian Catholic social reformer |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (founded by Cusmano); Boccone del Povero charitable organization; Sicilian Catholic tradition; 19th-century Italian Catholic social charity; Sacred Heart devotion |
| Patronage | Sicily; Palermo; the poor; physicians; priest-physicians; those who serve the destitute; charitable organizations; Sicilian Catholic heritage; the "Boccone del Povero" |
| Attributes | Priest's vestments; medical bag (physician); bread (for the poor, the "boccone"); March 14 feast; Palermo skyline; Sacred Heart image |
| Birthplace | Palermo, Sicily, Italy |
| Death Place | Palermo, Sicily, Italy |
| Cause of Death | Natural death; died March 14, 1888, in Palermo; Blessed Giacomo Cusmano (known as "Padre dei Poveri," Father of the Poor) was a Sicilian physician and Catholic priest who renounced a medical career to devote himself entirely to charitable work among the poor of Palermo; he founded the "Boccone del Povero" (Morsel for the Poor) charitable association and the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart; he spent his life serving the destitute, the sick, and the abandoned of Palermo; he was beatified by Pope John Paul II on October 30, 1983; his feast day is March 14 (the day before his birthday — he died the day before his 54th birthday, parallel to Blessed Eugenia Picco who died on her birthday) |
| Primary Shrine | Palermo, Sicily, Italy; feast March 14; beatified JPII October 30 1983 |
| Liturgical Class | Not in universal Roman calendar; March 14 feast in Sicily and with the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart |
| Historic Class | Not in 1962 calendar |
Biography
Giacomo Cusmano was born March 15, 1834, in Palermo, Sicily. He qualified as a physician, but feeling a deeper calling, he sought ordination and was ordained a Catholic priest.
As a priest-physician in Palermo, he witnessed the extreme poverty and destitution of the city's poor and felt compelled to respond. In 1867 he founded the "Boccone del Povero" (Morsel for the Poor), a charitable association that provided food, shelter, and assistance to the destitute of Palermo.
He also founded the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart to continue his charitable apostolate.
He spent his entire priestly life in radical service of the poor of Palermo, giving himself without reserve to the destitute, the sick, and the abandoned. He became known popularly throughout Sicily as the "Padre dei Poveri" — the Father of the Poor.
He died March 14, 1888, in Palermo — one day before his 54th birthday.
He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on October 30, 1983. His feast day is March 14.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Palermo, Sicily, Italy
Death location: Palermo, Sicily, Italy
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Feast day
March 14
Veneration
Blessed Giacomo Cusmano, "Father of the Poor" (1834–1888), was a Sicilian physician and Catholic priest in Palermo who founded the "Boccone del Povero" charitable association and the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, devoting his life entirely to the destitute of Sicily; beatified John Paul II on October 30, 1983. Feast March 14.
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