Saint of the Day – 18 April – Blessed Luca Passi (1789-1866) “Apostolic Missionary”

Saint of the Day – 18 April – Blessed Luca Passi (1789-1866) Priest, Founder of the Teaching Sisters of Saint Dorothy, Apostle of the poor and of education of the young unde the Papal title of “Apostolic Missionary” – born on 22 January 1789 in Bergamo, Italy and died on 18 April 1866 in Venice, Italy of natural causes, aged 77.   Patronage – the Teaching Sisters of Saint Dorothy.   Following the example of their paternal uncle, two of his brothers became Priests and Passi himself, moved to Venice in order to dedicate himself to both his preaching and educational missions.

Luca was born in 1789 in Bergamo as the first of eleven children to the nobles Enrico Passi (a teacher) and Caterina Corner.   Two brothers were the priests Giuseppe Celio and Marco.   His paternal uncle was the priest Marco Celio Passi.   During his childhood, the volatile political circumstances, forced the family to relocate to a villa in Calcinate.

In 1810 he became the Director of the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament at Calcinate and in 1811 became the Director of the Confraternity of the Christian Doctrine.

He began his studies for the priesthood in 1811 and was ordained as such on 13 March 1813.

His brother Marco aided him in founding the Pious Society of Saint Dorothy in 1815 for the education of both children and adolescents.   This was an establishment that Pope Pius VII praised and who also encouraged that the organisation expand and spread to other towns in the region.   In 1838 he founded the Teaching Sisters of Saint Dorothy. Pope Gregory XVI granted him the title of “Apostolic Missionary.”

Blessed Luca died on 18 April 1866.   He is buried at the Motherhouse of the Institute of the Teaching Sisters of Saint Dorothy in Venice.

Pope Benedict XVI approved a miracle on 28 June 2012 and confirmed that Fr Luca could now be Beatified.   Cardinal Angelo Amato Beatified him on 13 April 2013 on behalf of Pope Francis at the Basilica of San Marco, Venice.

During the homily of the Beatification Mass of Fr Luca Passi, Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect for the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, described the now Blessed Passi, as “a great witness to God for the young and the poor.”