Filippo Smaldone
Filippo Smaldone (born July 27, 1848 in Naples , Kingdom of Sicily , † June 4, 1923 in Lecce , Kingdom of Italy ), Catholic priest, founder of the " Salesian Sisters of the Sacred Heart ". Smaldone was devoted to deaf children. He is the second patron saint for the deaf next to Francis de Sales .
On October 15, 2006 he was welcomed by Pope Benedict XVI. canonized .
Life
Filippo Smaldone was born in Naples, Italy in 1848. Very early on he decided to become a priest, so he entered the seminary of Naples. During the time of his studies he came into contact with the large number of deaf people who were then in Naples and for whom no one particularly cared. The aid to the Deaf that he started as a student will affect his whole life.
He was ordained a priest on September 23, 1871. In the early years of his priesthood, in addition to his efforts to help the city's deaf people, he also taught catechism and visited the sick. He did so when an epidemic of smallpox broke out in Naples. He was infected by visiting the sick and almost died himself. When he wanted to volunteer for the mission, his confessor was able to convince him that his true mission was not in distant lands, but with the deaf people of Naples. He then devoted himself fully to this work and engaged other priests and lay people for it. Above all, he developed his own sign language in order to be able to communicate better with the deaf.
Foundation of the Salesian Sisters of the Sacred Heart
In March 1885 Smaldone moved to Lecce. There he founded his first facility for the deaf on March 25, 1885, together with the priest Lorenzo Apicelia and a group of women. From this institution the Congregation of the “Salesian Sisters of the Sacred Heart” arose. Smaldone chose the name "Salesian Sisters" because he wanted to put his religious community, which is supposed to take care of the deaf above all, under the special protection of St. Francis de Sales , the patron saint of the deaf. The Salesian Sisters of the Sacred Heart quickly gained a foothold and blossomed. Just a few years later, Smaldone was able to found another house in Bari. To this day, the main task of the religious order is the upbringing of deaf children, but they also dedicate themselves to other disabled children, orphans and children who have been abandoned by their parents. The spiritual basis of the religious community is Salesian spirituality , so that they are counted as part of the Salesian family .
The last years of life
In addition to his work for the deaf, Filippo Smaldone was also a confessor and spiritual guide for priests, seminarians and various religious communities, including the missionaries of St. Francis de Sales . He also founded another religious community, the so-called “Eucharistic League of Adoration Priests and Adoration Women”. He was also named Canon of Lecce Cathedral and received a record from the City of Lecce for his services to the deaf. He died on June 4, 1923 in Lecce at the age of 75 of severe diabetes and heart failure.
Beatification and Canonization
Smaldone was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1996 . On October 15, 2006 he was welcomed by Pope Benedict XVI. canonized .
The feast day of Blessed Filippo Smaldone is June 4th. He is next to St. Francis de Sales the second patron of the deaf.
Web links
- Ecumenical Lexicon of Saints
- Salesians of the Sacred Heart Official Italian website
- Salesian Sisters of the Sacred Heart Italian
- Lexicon on Francis of Sales and Salesian Spirituality
- Pedigree of the Salesian Family
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Smaldone, Filippo |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Italian Catholic priest and saint |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 27, 1848 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Naples , Italy |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 4, 1923 |
| Place of death | Lecce , Italy |