Saint of the Season
St. Ignatius of Santhiá - September 22
In the Duchy of Savoy, in what is northwestern Italy today, Lorenzo Maurizio Bellvisotti, later known as St. Ignatius of Santhiá, was born to a large, wealthy family on June 5, 1686. When he was eight years old, his father died. To provide him with a male role model, his mother entrusted him to a relative who was a priest, an educated and pious man who impressed the boy.
In 1706 Lorenzo entered the seminary in Vercelli. He was ordained at the age of 24. His career in the Church developed very quickly. Before the age of 30 he was in charge of a large parish in Casanova Elvo and canon and rector of the collegiate church I his hometown.
In 1716 he gave up his functions and apostolic work and entered the Capuchins in Chieri near Turin. He wanted to become a missionary in a land where the Gospel had not yet been preached. But his superiors ordered him to stay in the country and deliver simple ministry work near Turin. In 1731 the order appointed him master of novices. He performed that role with great commitment until 1744, when illness forced him to resign. In a way, he realized his dream of missionary work because many of his charges became missionaries. When one of the novices lost his sight, St. Ignatius asked God to make him sick instead, and for some time, he remained blind.
When we regained some of his health, he was ordered to organize ministry work for the army of Sardinian King Emmanuel III during the military campaign of 1745 – 1746. He took care of the sick in military hospitals. He spent the rest of his life in Turin. He died on September 22, 1770. He was beatified by Pope Paul VI in 1966 and canonized on May 19, 2002.
Jesus,
in order to teach your disciples,
You formed their minds and hearts
with great patience and love.
We ask You through the intercession of St. Ignatius of Santhiá
to grant that all our words and deeds serve those
whose good you have entrusted to our care.
You live and reign for ages and ages.
Amen.
For Ordinary Lives, Extraordinary People.