Luigi Beltrame Quattrocchi (12 January 1880 – 9 November 1951) and Maria Corsini-Beltrame Quattrocchi (24 June 1884 – 26 August 1965) were two married

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

laypeople who became the first couple to be

beatified Beatification (from Latin ''beatus'', "blessed" and ''facere'', "to make”) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their nam ...

together in 2001.''1951 Hagiography Circle''
an

News Saints lists online; Faithweb.com; accessed June 2018 According to

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

, they lived "an ordinary life in an extraordinary way". They are commemorated on 25 November—their wedding anniversary."Luigi and Maria Beltrame Quattrocchi", ''Saints Resource'', RCL Benziger
/ref>

Luigi Beltrame Quattrocchi

Luigi was born in

Catania Catania (, , Sicilian and ) is the second largest municipality in Sicily, after Palermo. Despite its reputation as the second city of the island, Catania is the largest Sicilian conurbation, among the largest in Italy, as evidenced also by ...

in 1880 to Carlo and Francesca Beltrame Vita. The second surname was added when Luigi was raised (and then adopted) by his childless aunt and uncle, Stefania and Luigi Quattrocchi, while maintaining a close relationship with his birth parents. He attended school at

Ancona Ancona (, also , ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region in central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region. The city is located northeast of Rome, on the Adriatic S ...

and then moved to

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, where he lived in the area of

Esquiline The Esquiline Hill (; la, Collis Esquilinus; it, Esquilino ) is one of the Seven Hills of Rome. Its southernmost cusp is the ''Oppius'' (Oppian Hill). Etymology The origin of the name ''Esquiline'' is still under much debate. One view is ...

. He studied

jurisprudence Jurisprudence, or legal theory, is the theoretical study of the propriety of law. Scholars of jurisprudence seek to explain the nature of law in its most general form and they also seek to achieve a deeper understanding of legal reasoning a ...

Sapienza University of Rome The Sapienza University of Rome ( it, Sapienza – Università di Roma), also called simply Sapienza or the University of Rome, and formally the Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza", is a Public university, public research university l ...

, graduating in 1902 with a degree in law. Following his graduation, Quattrocchi took a legal position with the Inland Revenue Department, and later went on to hold a number of posts on the boards of a variety of banks including the

Bank of Italy The Bank of Italy (Italian: ''Banca d'Italia'', informally referred to as ''Bankitalia''), (), is the central bank of Italy and part of the European System of Central Banks. It is located in Palazzo Koch, via Nazionale, Rome. The bank's curre ...

Maria Corsini

Maria Luisa Corsini was born in

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

in 1884, a member of the noble

Corsini family The House of Corsini is the name of a Florentine princely family. From Poggibonsi to the 14th century The Corsinis originated from the areas of Poggibonsi and from the “Pesa” valley, which are between Siena and Florence. They arrived in Flor ...

. Her father, Angeiolo Corsini, was a Royal Army captain of

grenadiers A grenadier ( , ; derived from the word ''grenade'') was originally a specialist soldier who threw hand grenades in battle. The distinct combat function of the grenadier was established in the mid-17th century, when grenadiers were recruited from ...

. Her mother was Julia Salvi. Because of her father's frequent military transfers, the family lived in

Pistoia Pistoia (, is a city and ''comune'' in the Italian region of Tuscany, the capital of a province of the same name, located about west and north of Florence and is crossed by the Ombrone Pistoiese, a tributary of the River Arno. It is a typi ...

Arezzo Arezzo ( , , ) , also ; ett, 𐌀𐌓𐌉𐌕𐌉𐌌, Aritim. is a city and ''comune'' in Italy and the capital of the province of the same name located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about southeast of Florence at an elevation of above sea level. ...

and

. Corsini had an excellent education from a young age. Parish priests taught her literature classes, which gave her the background to write essays and books on education, religion, the family, and the spiritual upbringing of children. She followed a strict, religious life which included religious counseling, attending mass, receiving daily Communion, and reciting prayers. Although she had been enrolled at a parish school in Rome run by nuns, when one of the nuns talked ill of the king, Corsini transferred to a state run school. After graduation, she became a professor of education and lecturer.

Married life

Corsini met Quattrocchi—the son of a family friend—at her family's home in Florence. The two married on 25 November 1905 in the Cappella Corsini in the

Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore The Basilica of Saint Mary Major ( it, Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, ; la, Basilica Sanctae Mariae Maioris), or church of Santa Maria Maggiore, is a Major papal basilica as well as one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome and the larges ...

located in Rome. In the early years after their marriage, they lived together with parents and grandparents. She was a highly devout person while her husband, in the initial years, was not. In the first three years of marriage, Corsini gave birth to three children: Filippo (born 1906), Stephania (born 1908), and Cesare (born 1909). Diagnosed with

placenta praevia Placenta praevia is when the placenta attaches inside the uterus but in a position near or over the cervical opening. Symptoms include vaginal bleeding in the second half of pregnancy. The bleeding is bright red and tends not to be associated wi ...

during her fourth pregnancy, and given the dangers at that time of carrying the baby to term, doctors counseled the couple to abort the pregnancy. Her husband was advised that, barring a medical intervention, he should expect to be a widower with three small children to attend to. The doctors were able to induce labor, however, and deliver the baby prematurely. Corsini attributed her faith in God to her and her baby's survival. Enrichetta (born 1914), along with two of her siblings, were present for their parents' beatification (in 2001). Maria worked for the

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...

during the

Second Italo-Ethiopian War The Second Italo-Ethiopian War, also referred to as the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, was a war of aggression which was fought between Italy and Ethiopia from October 1935 to February 1937. In Ethiopia it is often referred to simply as the Itali ...

and served as a Voluntary Nurse in the

Italian Red Cross The Italian Red Cross (IRC, it, Croce Rossa Italiana or ''CRI'') is the Italian national Red Cross society. The Italian Red Cross was one of the original founding members of the International Committee of the Red Cross in 1919. History Early h ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The couple's home was open for those in need during wartime. Corsini was active with women's causes in the St. Vitale parish, and the women's division of "Catholic Action".

Children

The couple had four children: * Filippo (October 15, 1906 - February 20, 2003), Benedictine priest, known as Don Tarcisio or ''Don Tar''. * Stefania (March 9, 1908 - March 1, 1993),

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

nun, known as Suor Cecilia. * Cesare (November 27, 1909 - December 31, 2008), Trappist monk, known as Father Paolino.''Father Paolino''
2009 * Enrichetta (April 6, 1914 - June 16, 2012), whose cause of beatification opened in 2018. Don Tarcisio and Father Paolino joined ASCI as children and following their ordinations they became scout chaplains. When ASCI joined with the girl guides and became AGESCI (

Associazione Guide e Scouts Cattolici Italiani The ''Associazione Guide e Scouts Cattolici Italiani'' ( en, Association of Italian Catholic Guides and Scouts, italic=yes, link=yes, AGESCI) is a Catholic Scouting and Guiding association in Italy. It is coeducational and has 183,925 members, ...

), both joined the new association.

Organizations

The couple were among the founders of many Catholic organizations: * ASCI (

Associazione Scouts Cattolici Italiani The ''Associazione Scouts Cattolici Italiani'' (Association of Italian Catholic Scouts, ASCI) was a Catholic Scouting association active in Italy from 1916 to 1974, while being suspended under Fascism. In 1974, after a long debate, ASCI was merged ...

), the Italian Catholic

scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement **Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom **Scouts BSA, sectio ...

association; *

Azione Cattolica The Azione Cattolica Italiana, or Azione Cattolica (Catholic Action) for short, is a widespread Roman Catholic lay association in Italy. History In Italy in 1905, Azione Cattolica was established as a non-political lay organization under the dir ...

, the biggest lay organization of Catholics in Italy; * UNITALSI, an organization which carries infirm people on pilgrimages to

Lourdes Lourdes (, also , ; oc, Lorda ) is a market town situated in the Pyrenees. It is part of the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region in southwestern France. Prior to the mid-19th century, the town was best known for the Château ...

and other sanctuaries. Both were members of the

Third Order Regular of St. Francis of Penance The Third Order Regular of St. Francis of Penance or simply the Third Order Regular of St. Francis ( la, Tertius Ordo Regularis Sancti Francisci) is a mendicant order rooted in the Third Order of St. Francis which was founded in 1221. The me ...

. They started

scouting Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking ...

groups for children in the poorer neighborhoods of Rome. Although initially supportive, they soon became disenchanted with fascism. During the Second World War, their home on Via Depretis became a shelter for

Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

and other refugees.Sullivan, Mary Ann. "Heroic in marriage", ''Marian Helper'', Spring 2002
/ref> Corsini and her husband were associated with many religious institutions. Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martin noted that "they made their family an authentic domestic church, open to life, prayer, witness of the Gospel, the social apostolate, solidarity with the poor, and friendship... Intimately united in love and Christian ideals, they walked together on the path of holiness." The couple also established a

Scouting Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking ...

group in Rome.

Death and burial

Blessed Maria and Luigi Beltrame-Quattrocchi's tomb

Luigi died 9 November 1951 in Rome. Maria died on 26 August 1965 at her ''La Madonnina'' home in Serravalle di

Bibbiena Bibbiena () is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Arezzo, Tuscany (Italy), the largest town in the valley of Casentino. It is located from Florence, from Arezzo, from Siena, and from the Sanctuary of La Verna. There are approximately 11 ...

, which had been built by her husband. Both are buried in the crypt of the

Santuario della Madonna del Divino Amore Santuario della Madonna del Divino Amore, or the Shrine of Our Lady of Divine Love, is a Roman Catholic shrine in the southern outskirts of Rome dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary that consists of two churches: an old church built in 1745 and a ...

in Rome.

Legacy

The Foundation Luigi and Maria Beltrame Quattrochi, established in their honour, has the objective of helping couples to marry and to advise them on cementing their marital life.

Beatification

The beatification process commenced on 18 October 1994 which would allow for the two to hold the title of

Servant of God "Servant of God" is a title used in the Catholic Church to indicate that an individual is on the first step toward possible canonization as a saint. Terminology The expression "servant of God" appears nine times in the Bible, the first five in th ...

. A local process was held from 25 November 1994 to 4 December 1996 in order to collect documentation and testimonies. The process was validated on 20 June 1997 with the

Positio In the Catholic Church, a ''positio'' (''Positio super Virtutibus'') is a document or collection of documents used in the process by which a person is declared Venerable, the second of the four steps on the path to canonization as a saint. Des ...

submitted to the

Congregation for the Causes of Saints In the Catholic Church, the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, previously named the Congregation for the Causes of Saints (), is the dicastery of the Roman Curia that oversees the complex process that leads to the canonization of saints, pa ...

in 1999. Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, said that they "made a true domestic church of their family, which was open to life, to prayer, to the social apostolate, to solidarity with the poor and to friendship"."Luigi Beltrame Quattrocchi and Blessed Maria Corsini", ''L'Osservatore Romano'', 10 October 2001, p. 11
/ref>''Blessed Maria Corsini Beltrame Quattrocchi''
CatholicSaints. Info. Updated 14 January 2018. Web. Accessed 2 June 2018.''Blessed Luigi Beltrame Quattrocchi''
CatholicSaints. Info. Updated 5 October 2017. Web. Accessed 2 June 2018

approved their lives of

heroic virtue Heroic virtue is a phrase coined by Augustine of Hippo to describe the virtue of early Christian martyrs and used by the Catholic Church. The Greek pagan term hero described a person with possibly superhuman abilities and great goodness, and "it ...

and proclaimed them to be

Venerable The Venerable (''venerabilis'' in Latin) is a style, a title, or an epithet which is used in some Western Christian churches, or it is a translation of similar terms for clerics in Eastern Orthodoxy and monastics in Buddhism. Christianity Cathol ...

on 7 July 2001. In that same decree, he also recognized a miracle that had been attributed to their intercession. He beatified them both on 21 October 2001.Pope John Paul II. "Homily on the beatification of the Servants of God, Luigi Beltrame Quattrocchi and Maria Corsini", 21 October 2001, Libreria Editrice Vaticana
/ref> in the presence of three of their four children. Their sons concelebrated the Mass with the Pope.Kennedy, Carol Puccio. "Beautiful Together: Luigi Quattrocchi and Maria Corsini", ''Lay Witness'', May/June 2002
/ref> The day of the beatification was special, as it marked the 20th anniversary since the publication of the ''Familiari Consortia'' an Apostolic Exhortation. A second miracle needed for their canonization was investigated from 11 March 2014 to 17 December 2014. If declared verified, the two will be canonized as saints. Their relics are contained in a crypt at the

in Rome.

Selected works by Corsini

Corsini wrote several books about education: * (1912) ''La madre : nel problema educativo moderno'' * (1924) ''Voce di madre : lettere ai giovani'' * (1924?) ''Incontro al Re d'amore : raccolta di prediche'' * (1940) ''Il fucco à da ardere'' * (1950) ''Il libro della giovane'' * (1955) ''Mamma vera'' * (1968) ''Una testimonianza: M. Amabile Damiazzi''

References

External links

*
Article about Luigi and Maria Beltrame Quattrocchi
from a scout magazine of

AGESCI The ''Associazione Guide e Scouts Cattolici Italiani'' ( en, Association of Italian Catholic Guides and Scouts, italic=yes, link=yes, AGESCI) is a Catholic Scouting and Guiding association in Italy. It is coeducational and has 183,925 members, ...

. *
father Paolino Beltrame Quattrocchi, one of their sons
{{DEFAULTSORT:Quatrocchi, Luigi Beltrame and Maria Corsini Italian beatified people Religious leaders from Florence Religious leaders from Catania Married couples 1880 births 1884 births 1951 deaths 1965 deaths Beatifications by Pope John Paul II Venerated Catholics by Pope John Paul II 20th-century Italian lawyers Italian nurses Women nurses Italian women writers Italian writers Italian Franciscans Secular Franciscans