Francis Mary of Camporosso
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| Saint Francis Mary of Camporosso, O.F.M. Cap. | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 27, 1804 Camporosso, Liguria, Italy |
| Died | September 17, 1866 Genoa, Italy |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Beatified | June 30, 1929 by Pope Pius XI |
| Canonized | December 9, 1962 by Pope John XXIII |
| Feast | September 19 |
Saint Francis Mary Croese, O.F.M. Cap., (1804 - 1866) was a Capuchin lay brother from the town of Camporosso, in the Liguria region of modern Italy.
He was beatified by Pope Pius XI on June 30, 1929 and canonized by Pope John XXIII on December 9, 1962.
Saint Francis' feast day is celebrated on September 19.
Biography
Francis was born to Anselmo Croese and his wife Maria Antonia Garza in the village of Camporosso, today belonging to the Province of Imperia in the Ligurian region of northwestern Italy. As a youth, he helped his father in the farmwork.
In 1825 he entered the novitiate of the Capuchin friary of Saint Barnabas in the hills of Genoa.
After the novitiate year, he was sent to the friary of the Immaculate Conception, close to the center of Genoa and to the port area. There he was appointed as the quaestor (alms collector of the city) for the community, devoting his life to collecting donations for the support of the friars and their charitable works. He was to spend the next 40 years of his life at this task.
As he used to say, he was more blessed in giving than in receiving, providing help and comfort to everybody in need by disseminating mercy and examples of virtue amongst the workers and the poor people of the port.
During an epidemic of cholera in 1866 he gave his help to the victims of the plague. He contracted cholera and died on September 17 of that year.
The Genoese people call him Padre Santo, that is to say, the "Holy Father".
Cult and iconography
His body rests exposed for the veneration and the prayers of his devotees in a dedicated chapel of the friary of the Immacualte Conception, where he spent most of his life.
Popular iconography shows him as a tall, lean and austere friar.
There are many images of the saint represented by painters and sculptors; among them is a copper engraving of his face done by Antonio Frixione when he was still alive, as well as a monument to him in the port area, done by Guido Galletti.
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