Saints celebrated on the 5th of May
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| SAINT NUNZIO SULPRIZIO, BLACKSMITH |
Nunzio, who was named after his recently deceased grandfather, was born on April 13, 1817 to Domenico and Rosa Luciani Sulprizio
during a great famine in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, Italy. His devout parents had him baptized straight away. His father died when Nunzio was only three years old.
Faced with the prospect of abject poverty while trying to provide for Nunzio and his younger sister, Rosa Sulprizio was married again in 1822 to a significantly older man. He detested young Nunzio and treated him harshly and with contempt. Nunzio attended a school run by a local priest, and, along with studying the ordinary subjects of reading and writing, he developed a love for the Mass and stories about the lives of the saints, which helped him learn how to live a holy, faith-filled life.
When his mother died, Nunzio was sent to live with his grandmother. She encouraged Nunzio to remain strong in his faith. But she, too, soon died, and Nunzio was sent to live with and to work as an apprentice blacksmith for his Uncle Domenico. His uncle was a cruel man who did not see to Nunzio’s physical comfort or health and who overworked him. Domenico would beat or curse Nunzio if his work was unsatisfactory. Eventually Nunzio became very ill. He offered his pain and suffering to God.
In time, another uncle introduced him to a fellow soldier who provided for Nunzio’s care and for his needs. Through this soldier, Nunzio became acquainted with Saint Gaetano Errico - later canonized by Pope Benedict XVI. Errico was the founder of the religious order Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in Naples. He promised young Nunzio a place in the order.
Nunzio made some progress, but the pain persisted. In 1835 the doctors decided to amputate his leg as their sole option but his pain still continued. His situation worsened in March 1836 and his suffering increased when his fever soared. He continued to place his trust in God and was well aware of the fact that the end was near. Two months later on the date of his death he asked for a crucifix to be brought to him before summoning his confessor and to receive the sacraments for the last time. Nunzio went to his eternal reward on May 5, 1836. His remains are now located in the Church of San Domenico Soriano in Naples.
On his path to sainthood, Saint Nunzio Sulprizio was known for his gentleness, holiness, and patience. A few years after his death, efforts to have him canonized began and Pope Pius IX initiated his cause for sainthood. He was declared “Venerable” for a “life of heroic virtue” and a patron of workers and blacksmiths and the disabled by Pope Leo XIII in 1891. Two healing miracles were attributed to his intercession and Pope John XXIII accepted their validity shortly before dying. Pope Paul VI beatified Nunzio at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome . On October 14, 2018, Pope Francis named him a saint of the Church.
Sources:
https://dioceseoftrenton.org/news/blessed-nunzio-sulprizio-a-poor-kid-who
http://www.saintsresource.com/nunzio-sulprizio
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nunzio_Sulprizio
https://catholicsaints.day/nunzio-sulprizio/
PRAYER:
Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that the venerable feast of Saint Nunzio 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.
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