The Memorial of Egidio Maria of Saint Joseph
Egidio Maria of Saint Joseph is the Patron Saint of
- Taranto
- Ill people
- Outcast people
- Children
- People looking for work
Egidio Maria of Saint Joseph Date of Birth, Country of Birth, Profession, Place of Work, Date of Death, Place of Death, Feast Day, Beatification Date, Canonization Date, Matrimony/Holy Orders, Monks who became Saints
Egidio Maria of Saint Joseph brief life History |
|
| Date of Birth | 16 November 1729 |
|---|---|
| Country of Birth | Italy in Europe |
| Profession | Frair of the Order of Friars Minor |
| Place of Work | Italy |
| Date of Death | 7 February 1812 (aged 82) |
| Place of Death | Naples, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies |
| Feast Day | 7 February |
| Beatification | By Pope Leo XIII on 5 February 1888 at Saint Peter’s Basilica, Kingdom of Italy by |
| Canonization | By Pope John Paul II on 2 June 1996 at Saint Peter’s Square, Vatican City |
| Patron Saint of | Taranto Ill people Outcast people Children People looking for work |
Egidio Maria of Saint Joseph Short life History
Egidio Maria of Saint Joseph was also known as
• Aegidius Mary of Saint Joseph Pontillo
• Egidio Maria da Taranto
• Egidio Maria de Saint Giuseppe
• Saint Giles Mary-of-Saint-Joseph
• Francesco Postillo
• Francis Pontillo
• Idzi Maria od sw Józefa
• Saint of the Little Way
He was born to a pious family and raised in a small village. When his father died in 1747, Francesco took up the trade of rope maker to support his mother and siblings. Drawn to a religious life, he applied to the Discalced Friars Minor of Saint Peter of Alcantara at Naples, Italy in 1754 at age 25. He wished to become a priest, but lacked the education, and was received as a lay brother.
Porter and gate-keeper at his monastery‘s seminary, a position that put him in constant contact with those in need. He had a special ministry to the sick, and worked with lepers, travelling outside the city to help those who had become shunned and isolated; he often carried an icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary in a depiction known as Our Lady of the Well when he made sick calls.
Giles himself suffered from sciatica, which caused severe leg pain, difficulty walking and led to the use of a cane which is often seen in depictions of him; he also suffered from asthma and, late in life, dropsy (fluid retention leading to high blood pressure).
Today’s Egidio Maria of Saint Joseph Quote:
Even in life he was considered by locals as a saint and patron of the sick and outcast. Legend says that when he was charged with distributing food and alms to the poor, Saint Joseph would intervene to insure he never ran out.
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