July 5
Saints of the Day
 

Saint Anthony Mary Zaccaria, 1502-1539
The Doctor in Medicine who became a priest to reform the Church at the time of Martin Luther. He died at 36.

    At the same time that Martin Luther was attacking abuses in the Church, a reformation within the Church was already being attempted. by Anthony Zaccaria who founded two societies to do so.

    Doctor in Medicine in Padua at age 22. Working among the poor in Cremona, he felt called to the religious life. He bequeathed his inheritance to his mother, worked as a catechist, and was ordained at age 26; legend says that angels were seen around the altar at his first Mass.

In Milan he established the congregations, the Society of Clerics of Saint Paul (Barnabites) (men religious), and the Angelics of Saint Paul (uncloistered nuns), and helped introduce the Forty Hours' Devotion. These groups helped reform the morals of the faithful, encouraged laymen to work together with the apostolate, and frequent reception of Communion. While on a peace mission, Anthony became ill and died at his mother's house; tradition says that in his last moments he had a vision of Saint Paul.

Born 1502 at Cremona, Lombardy, Italy

Died 5 July 1539 of natural causes at Cremona, Lombardy, Italy; buried at Saint Paul's Convent of the Angelics at Milan, Italy

Canonized 27 May 1897 by Pope Leo XIII

Images Gallery of images of Saint Anthony

Additional Information

http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/sainta48.htm
http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintOfDay/default.asp?id=1435

Barnabites
Biography at Barnabites

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