Giovanni Calabria
John Paul II | |
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Feast | 4 December |
Attributes | Priest's attire |
Patronage |
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Giovanni Calabria (8 October 1873 – 4 December 1954) was an
Pope John Paul II beatified him in 1988 and then canonized him a decade later in 1999.[3] His liturgical feast is 4 December.
Life
Giovanni Calabria was born in Verona, Italy on 8 October 1873[4] as the youngest of seven sons to Luigi Calabria and Angela Foschi. His mother was taught by Nicola Mazza.[3]
His education was interrupted due to the death of his father in 1882 and it was around this time that the rector of San Lorenzo Pietro Scapini saw Calabria's potential and became his private tutor in order to prepare him for the examination that would determine if he could commence his studies for the
One cold night in November 1897 he returned home from the hospital where he was visiting the ill to find a child on his doorstep who told him that he was fleeing those who would beat him. Calabria took him in and shared his room with him.
On 26 November 1907 he founded the "Poor Servants of Divine Providence" in Case Rotte and it relocated in 1908 to Via San Zeno. It received diocesan approval on 11 February 1932 from the
On 17 April 1910 he established the Poor Sisters Servants of Divine Providence. The first members of that congregation made their vows on 13 December 1911 and appointed Maria Galbraith (1874-1917) as the first superior of the order.[3] It received diocesan approval on 25 March 1952 before receiving papal approval decades later on Christmas in 1981.
He had a great friend and admirer in the Giulio Facibeni and on 8 September 1943 - during
Calabria died on 4 December 1954 and on 3 December offered himself to God to die in the place of the ill Pius XII. The pope rallied and learned of Calabria's death and sent an official telegram of condolence.[3]
Sainthood
The beatification process commenced in both an informative and apostolic process in order to collect documentation and a range of witness interrogatories. Theologians collected his writings to assess if such writings were in line with the faith and approved them on 1 June 1968. The official start to the cause came on 6 March 1981 and Calabria was titled as a
Theologians approved the Positio on 8 October 1985 and the cardinal and bishop members of the C.C.S. did so as well on 10 December.
The second miracle that was needed for full sainthood was investigated and validated on 10 February 1995 in Rome and went on to receive the approval of the medical board on 4 July 1996 and then that of the theologians on 10 January 1997. The C.C.S. also approved it on 8 April 1997 while John Paul II issued the final approval needed for it on 7 July 1997 and then canonized Calabria on 18 April 1999.
References
- Martin Moynihan (ed.) The Latin Letters of C. S. Lewis: C. S. Lewis & Don Giovanni Calabria. Indiana: St. Augustine's Press, 1998