Saint Ignatius of Santhia
Saint Ignatius of Santhia (born June 5, 1686 AD in Santhià, Piedmont, Italy; died September 22, 1770 AD in Mondovì, Piedmont, Italy) was an Italian Capuchin friar and spiritual director who spent his life in the Capuchin houses of Piedmont ministering to the poor and sick. He was known for extreme poverty, long hours in the confessional, and mystical prayer. He was beatified in 1966 and canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2002. His feast day is September 22.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Ignatius of Santhia
| Saint Ignatius of Santhia | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | September 22 |
| Profession | Capuchin friar; priest; spiritual director; confessor; mystic |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (Capuchins); priest and spiritual director in Piedmont |
| Patronage | Santhià; Piedmont; Capuchin Order; confessors; spiritual directors; the poor |
| Attributes | Capuchin habit; crucifix; confessor's stole; the poor (his charity) |
| Birthplace | Santhià, Vercelli Province, Piedmont, Italy |
| Death Place | Mondovì, Cuneo Province, Piedmont, Italy |
| Cause of Death | Natural causes; died at the Capuchin friary at Mondovì, September 22, 1770 |
| Primary Shrine | Capuchin Church, Mondovì, Piedmont, Italy — associated with his life and death; his relics are venerated here |
| Liturgical Class | Not in universal Roman Calendar; feast September 22; observed in the Diocese of Vercelli, Capuchin Order, and Piedmont |
| Historic Class | Not in universal 1962 calendar |
Biography
Lorenzo Maria Gravitelli was born on June 5, 1686 in Santhià, Piedmont. He entered the Capuchin Order and was ordained a priest in 1710, taking the name Ignatius. He spent the rest of his life — sixty years — in the Capuchin houses of Piedmont, primarily at Mondovì.
He was known above all as a confessor and spiritual director of great gentleness and insight. He spent many hours daily hearing confessions, particularly of the poor and marginalized. His ascetic life — he slept little, fasted often, and practiced corporal mortification — was combined with a tireless exterior charity. He ministered to the sick and dying in hospitals.
He died at Mondovì on September 22, 1770. Pope Paul VI beatified him in 1966; Pope John Paul II canonized him on May 19, 2002.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Santhià, Vercelli Province, Piedmont, Italy
Death location: Mondovì, Cuneo Province, Piedmont, Italy
Notable location: The Capuchin friary where he spent much of his life and where he died; center of his apostolate among the poor and sick; the place associated most closely with his memory and his spiritual direction ministry (Mondovì, Cuneo Province, Piedmont, Italy)
Notable location: His birthplace; his birth name was Lorenzo Maria Gravitelli; he was ordained a Capuchin priest in 1710 and took the name Ignatius; the town of Santhià celebrates his memory and he is the most notable saint associated with it (Santhià, Vercelli Province, Piedmont, Italy)
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Feast day
September 22
Veneration
Saint Ignatius of Santhia is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church with a feast day on September 22, observed in the Diocese of Vercelli and the Capuchin Order.
Prayers
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