Saint John Leonardi – Feast Day today

Pure luck that I stumbled across this today. Born in 1541, founded a religious order, Clerics Regular of the Mother of God and died in 1609 caring for the sick during a plague. He is the patron saint of pharmacists named such in 2006 as he was a pharmacist before becoming a priest!

John lived after the Protestant Reformation and the Council of Trent. He and his followers projected a new congregation of diocesan priests. For some reason the plan, which was ultimately approved, provoked great political opposition. John was exiled from his home town of Lucca, Italy, for almost the entire remainder of his life. He received encouragement and help from Saint Philip Neri, who gave him his lodgings—along with the care of his cat! In 1579, John formed the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, and published a compendium of Christian doctrine that remained in use until the 19th century.