Luigi Maria Monti

Memorial plaque for the Se. Luigi Maria Monti

Luigi Maria Monti (born July 24, 1825 in Bovisio near Milan , Italy ; † October 1, 1900 in Saronno ) was a lay brother and founder of the congregation " Sons of the Immaculate Conception ". He worked to heal the physical and mental wounds of the sick and orphans and was beatified by Pope John Paul II on November 9, 2003 .

history

Luigi was born into a humble family and lost his father at the age of twelve. He was the eighth of eleven children and worked as a carpenter to support his mother and siblings . During this time, many peasants and artisans of his age gathered in oratorios and organized their evenings. Under the name of the “Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus”, they took care of the poor, the sick and orphans in the spirit of the Gospel . Monti worked as a nurse in the Brescia hospital . In 1858 Monti moved to Rome together with the nun Ciprano Pezzini, from an order of Mary, and founded a religious lay organization for the care of the sick in the “Hospital of the Holy Spirit” . He graduated from the University of Rome in Phlebotomy and Medicine .

His calling

At the age of 21 (1846), Monti had begun his novitiate and took his vow of chastity with the "Sons of the Immaculate Conception" ( Baboonians ), who had been founded five years earlier by Blessed Lodovico Pavoni . He took over the leadership of the religious order in Bovisio. Under the influence of the local pastor , an opposition to Monti formed, who accused him of political conspiracies and of cooperation with the Austrian occupiers. This led, together with his companions, to his arrest in 1851, with his release after 72 days, a trial was initiated through which he was released as innocent. In 1857 he took the full religious vows on poverty, chastity and obedience ( Evangelical Councils ) and developed the idea of ​​founding an independent “Congregation for the Service of the Sick in Rome”. In 1877 he was taken over by Pope Pius IX. appointed superior and headed the religious community until death. Luigi Monti expanded his work and idea beyond the limits of the Roman hospital; During the strong epidemics he founded other working communities and pointed out the bad situation of the farmers. In 1882 he was inspired by a monk to expand his previous work in nursing to include the care of orphans, whereupon Monti opened the first orphanage in Saronno in 1886 and one in Cantù in the same year .

The beatification

In 1941, the Archbishop of Milan , Alfredo Ildefonso Schuster , initiated the episcopal phase of beatification. It was only completed in 1951. Another 50 years later, in 2001, the " Congregation for the Causes of Saints " had processed the work and was concluded in 2003 with the beatification decree. On November 9, 2003, Luigi Maria Monti was beatified by Pope John Paul II. In his sermon on the occasion of the beatification, he says:

“Luigi Maria Monti, who was fully dedicated to healing the physical and mental wounds of the sick and orphans. He liked to call them "the poor of Christ" and was inspired by a living faith in his service to them, supported by intense and constant prayer. In his devotion to the Gospel he always followed the example of the Most Blessed Virgin and placed the congregation he founded under the protection of the Immaculate Virgin Mary. "

The liturgical feast day is set for September 22nd.

Web links

• Eucharistic celebration for the beatification of Luigi
• Angelus on November 9, 2003
• CV of Luigi Maria Monti (English)