Giovanni Leonardi was born in Lucca, Tuscany, in 1541 and was ordained as a priest in 1572. In 1574 he founded the Congregation of the Regular Clergy of the Mother of God and worked to spread devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, frequent reception of the Holy Eucharist and the devotion of the Forty Hours. In Rome he met Saint Philip Neri who entrusted him with the task of reforming the Benedictine Congregation of Montevergine. John co-founded the great Roman College of Propaganda Fide. He died in Rome in 1609, was beatified by Blessed Pope Pius IX in 1861 and was canonised by Pope Pius XI in 1938.
O God, who for the propagation of the faith among the nations was pleased in a wondrous manner to raise up blessed John your confessor, and through him gathered together in your Church a new family for the instruction of the faithful, grant to us your servants that we may so profit by his teaching as to attain everlasting rewards. Through our Lord...Also on this day according to the ROMAN MARTYROLOGY:
At Paris, the birthday of the holy martyrs Denis the Areopagite, bishop, Rusticus, priest, and Eleutherius, deacon. Denis was baptised by the blessed Apostle St. Paul, and consecrated first bishop of Athens. Then going to Rome, he was sent to Gaul by Pope St. Clement to preach the Gospel. He proceeded to Paris, and after having for some years faithfully filled the office entrusted to him, he was subjected to the severest kinds of torments by the prefect Fescenninus, and at length, being beheaded with his companions, completed his martyrdom.
The same day, the commemoration of the holy patriarch Abraham, father of all believers.
At Julia (now Borgo-San-Donnino) near Parma, on the Via Claudia, St. Domninus, martyr, under the emperor Maximian. As he was trying to escape the raging persecution, he was overtaken by his pursuers, and being transpierced with a sword, died gloriously.
At Cassino, St. Deusdedit, abbot, who was cast into prison by the tyrant Sicardus, and being there consumed with hunger and misery, yielded up his soul.
In Hainaut, St. Gislenus, bishop and confessor, who, resigning his See, led the monastical life in a monastery built by himself and was distinguished by many virtues.
At Valencia in Spain, St. Louis Bertrand, of the Order of Preachers, who, being filled with the apostolic spirit, confirmed, by the innocence of his life and the working of many miracles, the Gospel which he had preached in America.
At Jerusalem, the Saints Andronicus, and Athanasia, his wife.
At Antioch, St. Publia, abbess, who, while Julian the Apostate was passing by, sang with her religious these words of David: “The idols of the Gentiles are silver and gold” and “Let them that make them, become like unto them.” By the command of the emperor she was struck on the face and severely rebuked.
And in other places, many other holy martyrs, confessors and virgins.
Thanks be to God.
