Saint John Leonardi
Saint John Leonardi (born c. 1541 AD in Diecimo, Lucca, Italy; died October 9, 1609 AD in Rome, Italy) was an Italian priest who founded the Clerks Regular of the Mother of God (Leonardini) and co-founded the institution that became the Pontifical Urbaniana University — the principal missionary training institution of the Catholic Church. He dedicated his life to the reform of Catholic life in the parishes and to the formation of missionaries. He was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1938. His feast day is October 9.
Stored in Cargo: Saint John Leonardi
| Saint John Leonardi | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | October 09 |
| Profession | Priest; founder; pharmacist (before ordination); missionary formation |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Clerks Regular of the Mother of God (founder); co-founder of what became the Pontifical Urbaniana University |
| Patronage | Lucca; pharmacists; missionaries; missionary formation; those reforming parish life |
| Attributes | Priest's vestments; pharmacy mortar (his early trade); missionaries (his legacy); Our Lady (his congregation's title) |
| Birthplace | Diecimo, Lucca Province, Tuscany, Italy |
| Death Place | Rome, Italy |
| Cause of Death | Natural causes; died in Rome on October 9, 1609, having contracted plague while nursing plague victims; October 9 is the feast of Saint Denis, which he shared |
| Primary Shrine | Church of Santa Maria in Portico, Rome — associated with his congregation; also Church of San Giovanni Leonardi, Rome |
| Liturgical Class | Optional Memorial (Roman Calendar, October 9) |
| Historic Class | Feast (October 9) |
Biography
John Leonardi was born around 1541 in Diecimo near Lucca in Tuscany. He worked as a pharmacist's apprentice for several years before hearing the call to the priesthood; he was ordained in 1572. He immediately threw himself into parish mission work in Lucca — catechesis, care of the sick, and reform of Christian life at the popular level.
In 1574 he founded the Clerks Regular of the Mother of God, a congregation of priests dedicated to parish mission and education. The congregation was opposed locally and eventually he was expelled from Lucca. He traveled to Rome, where Pope Clement VIII formally approved the Clerks Regular in 1595.
Working in Rome, he collaborated with Cardinal Vives y Marió in founding the Collegium pro gentibus conuertendis — a college for training missionaries, which eventually became the Pontifical Urbaniana University, still the central institution for missionary formation in the Catholic Church.
He died on October 9, 1609, having contracted plague while nursing sick patients in Rome. Pope Pius XI canonized him in 1938.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Diecimo, Lucca Province, Tuscany, Italy
Death location: Rome, Italy
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Dynamic content
Parishes
No parishes dedicated to John Leonardi have been added to the database yet.
Media
| Media | Length | AuthorCreator |
|---|---|---|
| October 8 Saint John Leonardi | Under 5 minutes | Breski1 |
| Prayer for the Feast of St. John Leonardi / Patron Saint of Pharmacists | Under 5 minutes | Joy of Heaven |
| Saint John Leonardi: Founder of the Clerics Regular and Dreamer of Missions (Part 1) | Under 5 minutes | Leyendas De Santos |
| Saint John Leonardi: Founder of the Clerics Regular and Dreamer of Missions (Part 2) | Under 5 minutes | Leyendas De Santos |
Shrines
Dynamic shrines
No results
No shrines where this saint is the primary saint.
Feast day
October 9
Veneration
Saint John Leonardi is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church on October 9 as an Optional Memorial. He is the founder of the Clerks Regular of the Mother of God.
Prayers
Authored
There are prayers authored by this saint in prayers list yet.
Intercessory
There are no prayers asking for this saint's intercession in prayers list yet.