BL. CLEMENT MARCHISIO, PRIEST - 16 DECEMBER

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN DECEMBER

Saints celebrated on the 16th of December

WELCOME!

BLESSED CLEMENT MARCHISIO, PRIEST

Clement (Clemente) Marchisio, born on March 1, 1833  was an Italian Roman Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Turin. Clement served as an assistant priest before travelling across Italian cities as word of his mission and holiness spread. In the spirit of evangelical and devotional zeal he established the Daughters of Saint Joseph of Rivalba to suit the religious needs of females. The order had an emphasis on the Eucharist and on Saint Joseph himself. 

His schedule consisted of waking up at 5:00am and spending two hours in reflection prior to the celebration of Mass. He would then recite two rosaries: one in the morning and one in the evening before he went to sleep. 

Clement said of the Eucharist (to which he had an ardent devotion) that

"I also find sometimes associated under the weight of tribulations, but I assure you that, after five minutes with a living faith before Jesus Sacrament, I feel fully revived, so that all that first seemed too hard and became unbearably light and easy".

He also underwent a visit to Lourdes in 1875 for spiritual reflection.

Clement's pastoral mission became so intense that he travelled across various Italian cities and received certificates from heads of dioceses and archdioceses alike in recognition of his good works - one such one came from the Cardinal Patriarch of Venice Giuseppe Sarto who would become Pope Pius X. The Order received a papal decree of praise of Leo XIII in 1901.

His health started to decline due to his intense schedule. He celebrated his final Mass on December 14, 1903. On the following December 16 Clement died, uttering the names of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

He was beatified in 1984.

Further reading:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clemente_Marchisio

PRAYER:

Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that the venerable feast of Blessed Clement may increase our devotion and promote our salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.