St. Leonard of Port Maurice (1676-1751)
Image: St. Paul Street Evangelization
(CNA) Born in Italy at Port Maurizo, he was given the name Paul Jerome Casanova by his seafaring father Capt Domenico Casanova and mother Anna Maria Benza — When young Paul was 13 yrs of age, he was placed in the care of his uncle Agostino to study for a career as a Physician however when he decided that he wanted to pursue something besides Medicine his uncle disowned him.
Subsequently entered the Jesuit College in Rome and joined the ‘Riformella’ (branch of the Franciscans) according to SQPN and took the name Brother Leonard, in 1703 he was Ordained.
For a period of time thereafter, Fr. Leonard began to teach, expecting to become a Missionary to China however a bleeding ulcer kept him from traveling afar, it took him several years to recover and to regain his strength.
In 1709 following his recovery, Fr. Leonard was sent to Florence where he would minister in the city and nearby region becoming known as a great preacher, Fr. Leonard was soon invited to visit and minister in other areas. where he worked to increase devotion to the: Blessed Sacrament; Sacred Heart; Immaculate Conception and the Stations of the Cross. — One of his chief accomplishments which he became widely known for was to set up the ‘Stations of the Cross’ in over 500 different places including the Roman Colosseum.
Fr. Leonard in 1744 was sent by Pope Benedict XIV as a Missionary to Corsica in order to restore discipline to the Holy Orders, local politics however would greatly limit his success in his ministry. Sometime thereafter, Fr. Leonard would return to Rome exhausted, where he would spend the rest of his life. — Fr. Leonard, passed away this month in 1751 at the Monastery of Saint Bonaventura.
In 1796 Fr. Leonard was Beatified by Pope Pius VI and in 1867 he was Canonized by Pope Pius XI and named Patron of Parish Missions.
More here from Catholic Online and here by Fr. Dominic Devas
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