This Friday, the Passionist Family celebrates the Feast of the Blessed Lorenzo Salvi, CP, an Italian Passionist who was born in Rome in 1782.
This was only 7 years after the death of St. Paul of the Cross, the founder of the Passionists.
The zeal of the first generation of Passionists would influence the young man’s life as he reached maturity.
Because of his father’s position administering the estate of the Count of Carpegna, his family had a secure living. Lorenzo was first schooled by the Carpegna family tutors, and as he matured, he entered the Jesuit Colegio Romano in Rome, an ecclesiastical college held in high esteem because of the prominence in the Church of many of its graduates.
At the Colegio, Lorenzo kept good company. One of his fellow students was the future St. Gaspare del Bufalo (who would found the Missionaries of the Precious Blood). He was a student of Mauro Cappellari, the future Pope Gregory XVI. While a student, Lorenzo went to hear a Passionist preacher of renown whom Pope Pius VI had invited to preach throughout the city.
The Passionist preacher was Vincent Strambi, CP, who would later be known as Saint Vincent Strambi, CP.
From this encounter came Lorenzo’s desire to become a Passionist.
However, his family opposed him because many considered the religious life to be a career with no future honors attached.
However, his father agreed that if after a further year of reflection, Lorenzo still wished to enter the Passionists, he would give his paternal consent.
In November 1801, Lorenzo entered the Passionist novitiate on Monte Argentario, was professed in 1802 and ordained a priest in December 1805.
Lorenzo Salvi is known as “the Apostle of the Infant Jesus” because in 1812, while gravely ill, he invoked the Infant Jesus to be able to return to his ministry. He was cured of his illness.
From that day on, the mystery of the Incarnation, as seen in the Infant Jesus, became the hallmark of his preaching and ministry.
May we make this time of seasonal rest and vacation an expression of our care for one another.
