Blessed Francesco Saverio Seelos
Blessed Francesco Saverio Seelos (born September 11, 1819 AD in Füssen, Bavaria, Germany; died October 4, 1867 AD in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA) — better known as Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos — was a Bavarian-born Redemptorist priest who spent his entire priestly ministry in the United States of America, working as a parish priest, confessor, and mission preacher in several American cities before dying of yellow fever in New Orleans on the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on April 9, 2000. His feast day is October 5.
Stored in Cargo: Blessed Francesco Saverio Seelos
| Blessed Francesco Saverio Seelos | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | October 05 |
| Profession | Bavarian-born American Redemptorist priest; parish priest at Saint Philomena Parish, Pittsburgh (1843-1854); novice master; Redemptorist mission preacher; parish priest in New Orleans (1866-1867); died of yellow fever October 4, 1867; colleague and friend of Saint John Neumann |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists, CSSR); German-American Catholic immigrant community; American Catholic Church; New Orleans Catholic tradition; 19th-century American Catholic mission |
| Patronage | United States; Bavaria; New Orleans; German-Americans; Redemptorist priests; confessors; the sick; those who die of epidemic disease; Pittsburgh |
| Attributes | Redemptorist habit; October 5 feast; New Orleans setting; confessor's stole; yellow fever victims; Bavarian Alps (birthplace) |
| Birthplace | Füssen, Bavaria, Germany |
| Death Place | New Orleans, Louisiana, USA |
| Cause of Death | Natural death from yellow fever; died October 4, 1867 — the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi — in New Orleans, Louisiana; Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos had gone to New Orleans in 1866 to serve the German-speaking Catholic community there; yellow fever epidemics swept New Orleans regularly in the 19th century; Seelos contracted yellow fever while nursing the sick during an epidemic and died from it on October 4, 1867; his death on the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi is noted by his biographers as a meaningful coincidence — he died on the feast of the saint whose name he bore (Francis Xavier, missionary, was named for Saint Francis of Assisi's lay order); he was beatified by Pope John Paul II on April 9, 2000 |
| Primary Shrine | Shrine of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, New Orleans, Louisiana; October 5 feast; beatified JPII April 9 2000 |
| Liturgical Class | Not in universal Roman calendar; October 5 feast in the United States and with the Redemptorists (his feast is October 5, the day after his death — October 4 is Saint Francis of Assisi) |
| Historic Class | Not in 1962 calendar |
Biography
Francis Xavier Seelos was born September 11, 1819, in Füssen, Bavaria, Germany. He entered the Redemptorist Order and was ordained a priest. In 1843 he emigrated to the United States to serve German-speaking immigrant Catholics.
He was assigned to Saint Philomena Parish in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where his pastor was Father John Neumann — later canonized as Saint John Neumann (1977). Seelos worked under Neumann and eventually became pastor himself. He developed a reputation as an outstanding confessor, preacher, and spiritual director. He also served as a Redemptorist novice master and mission preacher, working in cities including Cumberland (Maryland), Annapolis, and Detroit.
In 1866 he went to New Orleans to serve the German-speaking Catholic community there. He contracted yellow fever while nursing the sick during an epidemic and died on October 4, 1867 — the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi.
He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on April 9, 2000. His feast day is October 5.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Füssen, Bavaria, Germany
Death location: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
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Feast day
October 5
Veneration
Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos (1819–1867) was a Bavarian Redemptorist priest who ministered to German-American Catholics in Pittsburgh and New Orleans, renowned as a confessor and preacher, who died of yellow fever on the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi (October 4, 1867); beatified John Paul II on April 9, 2000. Feast October 5.
Prayers
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External links
- catholicsaints.info – Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos
- Shrine of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, New Orleans