PALLOTTI, VINCENT, ST.

Religious founder; b. Rome, April 21, 1795; d. there, Jan. 22, 1850. He was the son of a prosperous grocer. From his early years he developed a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin and an intense compassion for the poor. After studying in Rome at the Roman College and at the Sapienza, he was ordained (1818). He taught theology at the Sapienza for ten years before he devoted himself completely to spiritual guidance and preaching. In 1827 he became spiritual director at the Roman College and often acted as confessor at various national colleges for future priests. He was intimately acquainted with St. Gaspare del bufalo and Nicholas wiseman. As rector of the church of Santo Spirito dei Neapolitani, he suffered for more than a decade from slanders by the other priests there, who were jealous of his promotion and resentful of his zeal. Vincent interested himself also in projects to revive artisan guilds and to establish schools for young workers and farm boys. During the cholera epidemic of 1837 he organized relief for the plague-stricken. His spiritual and charitable ministrations so impressed the Romans that they referred to him as a second St. Philip neri. In 1835 he founded the pallottines, and later, the Sisters of the Catholic Apostolate, from whom developed the pallottine missionary sisters. Vincent shared Rome's hopes for the conversion of England arising out of the oxford Movement and sent priests to assist Frederick William faber. His inspiration was instrumental in the founding of the mill hill missionaries and of several mission colleges. His fame for sanctity was increased by his reputation as a thaumaturge and prophet. Pius XI called him a forerunner of catholic action. His body lies incorrupt in the church of San Salvatore in Onda, Rome. Vincent Pallotti was beatified on Jan. 22, 1950, by Pope Pius XII, and he was canonized on Jan. 20, 1963, by Pope John XXIII.

Feast: Jan. 22

Bibliography: e. weber, Vincent Pallotti: Apostle and Mystic, tr. from the Ger. (New York 1964). j. frank, Vincenz Pallotti, 2 v. (Friedberg 1952–63). f. bonifazi, Soul of a Saint (Staten Island NY 1963); Yearning of a Soul (Boston 1979).

[h. e. schaak]