April 30-St. Joseph Benedict Cottolengo: Franciscan & Vincentian

 St. Joseph Benedict Cottolengo

1786-1842, April 30

In some ways Joseph exemplified St. Francis’ advice, “Let us begin to serve the Lord God, for up to now we have made little or no progress.”

            Joseph was the eldest of 12 children. Born in Piedmont, he was ordained for the diocese of Turin in 1811.  Frail health and difficulty in school were obstacles he had to overcome to reach ordination.

            During Joseph’s lifetime Italy was torn by civil war while the poor and the sick suffered in neglect. Inspired by reading the life of St. Vincent de Paul and moved by the human suffering all around him, Joseph rented some rooms to nurse the sick of his parish and recruited young women of the area to staff it.

            In 1832 at Voldocco Joseph founded the House of Providence, which served many different groups (the sick, the elderly, students, the mentally ill, the blind). All of this was financed by contributions. Popularly called “the University of Charity,” this testimonial to God’s goodness was serving 8000 people by the time of Joseph’s beatification in 1917.

            To carry on his work, Joseph organized two religious communities, the Brothers of St. Vincent de Paul and the Sisters of St. Vincent de Paul. Joseph, who had joined the Secular Franciscans as a young man, was canonized in 1934.

QUOTE: “Almighty, eternal, just and merciful God, grant us in our misery that we may do for your sake alone what we know you want us to do, and always want what please you; so that, cleansed and enlightened interiorly and fired with the ardor of the Holy Spirit, we may be able to follow in the footsteps of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and so make our way to you, Most high, by your grace alone.” (St. Francis, in a Letter to a Chapter)

COMMENT: How do you know God’s will for us? Is God’s will static? Only 21 years after his ordination did Joseph begin the work for which he is most famous. Years of praying and searching certainly kept Joseph alert to God’s call. However well we have responded to our neighbor’s need in the past, God is surely calling us to greater generosity. That must have been what Francis meant when he said, “Let us begin to serve the Lord God.”

 

McCloskey, Patrick. Franciscan Saint of the Day. St. Anthony Messenger Press, 1981.