Giovanni Battista de' Rossi
Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista de' Rossi, Rome, Italy | |
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Feast | 23 May |
Attributes | |
Patronage | Voltaggio |
Giovanni Battista de' Rossi (22 February 1698 – 23 May 1764) was an
Rossi's canonization was celebrated on 8 December 1881. It had begun decades before but was suspended due to tensions in Europe that meant work could not be pursued regarding the cause; it was later revitalized and he was beatified in 1860.[1]
Life
Education and ordination
Giovanni Battista de' Rossi was born in February 1698 in Voltaggio, the last of four children to Carlo and Francesca Anfosi de' Rossi, who were poor but pious.[4]
His initial education was under the care of the two priests Scipio Gaetano and Giuseppe Repetto who noted his potential and brilliance and held him as their favorite student. In 1708 he met after Mass a noble couple (Giovanni Scorza and Maria Battina Cambiasi) from Genoa who, with his father's approval, took Giovanni Battista in as a page after noting his potential and he went to school there.[1] His father's sudden death in 1710 saw his mother plead with him to return home but Rossi was firm in his resolve to continue with his studies; his older brother died not long after their father. Rossi met two Capuchin friars at the Scorza residence one evening who thought well of him and offered to help him continue his studies. He had known the friars - or of them - as he mentioned to them that an uncle was a Capuchin.[2][3]
At the suggestion of his cousin, Lorenzo de' Rossi,
His desire to become a priest was strong but was hampered due to his epilepsy which, under normal circumstances, would exclude one from the
Canon
His cousin Lorenzo wanted him as coadjutor to ensure Rossi would become his successor; Giovanni Battista accepted in February 1735. But his cousin soon had a major stroke so violent that it shattered him to the point where his benign character became abrasive and often violent. Lorenzo's servants kept their distance but Rossi alone remained loving and faithful to his ailing cousin.[4] Lorenzo raged that Rossi was the cause of his suffering and often threw medicine bottles at Rossi's head drawing blood.
In 1737, after his cousin's death, he became the
Declining health and death
In 1748 his health became weakened to the point that he moved to
His condition deteriorated on 21 May 1764; he died on 23 May 1764 at 9:00am after multiple strokes. His mortal remains were interred in the main altar of the church of Santissima Trinità dei Pellegrini in Rome, but were relocated in 1965 to a new church named in his honor. Elizabeth Herbert wrote a biographical account of Rossi in English.[1]
Titular church
A
This church - since 1969 - has been a titular church for those cardinals with the rank of
Sainthood
The cause for canonization began under
On 8 December 1881 the acknowledgement of two more miracles in 1881 enabled Pope Leo XIII to canonize him as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church.
References
- ^ a b c d e f Pettiti, Gianpiero. "Saint Giovanni Battista de' Rossi". Santi e Beati. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
- ^ a b c d "Saint Giovanni Battista Rossi". Saints SQPN. 17 May 2015. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f "Spiritual Newsletter". Abbey of Saint-Joseph de Clairval. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
- ^ a b c Mougeot, E., St. John Baptist de Rossi, Benziger Bros., 1906
External links
- Catholic Exchange
- Holy Spirit Interactive Archived 2017-03-28 at the Wayback Machine
- EWTN