Sebastian Valfrè (9 March 1629 – 30 January 1710) was a Catholic priest and a member of the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri. He is called the Apostle of Turin for his long years of service to the people of that city, where he served as the provost of the local Oratory for many years.

Life

Valfrè was born in Verduno, then in the

Duchy of Savoy The Duchy of Savoy ( it, Ducato di Savoia; french: Duché de Savoie) was a country in Western Europe that existed from 1416. It was created when Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, raised the County of Savoy into a duchy for Amadeus VIII. The duc ...

, now in the Province of Cuneo in the Piedmont region of Italy. He was born to a family of poor farmers,"Blessed Sebastian Valfrè', The Oxford Oratory
/ref> but through struggle and effort he managed to attend various universities in the region, until he graduated from the University of Turin. Valfrè joined the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri in Turin on 26 May 1651, the

feast day The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context d ...

of their founder, St. Philip Neri, and was ordained a priest on the following 24 February. He was awarded the degree of

Doctor of Theology Doctor of Theology ( la, Doctor Theologiae, abbreviated DTh, ThD, DTheol, or Dr. theol.) is a terminal degree in the academic discipline of theology. The ThD, like the ecclesiastical Doctor of Sacred Theology, is an advanced research degree equiva ...

in 1656. In his ministry to the people of Turin, Valfrè gained a reputation for caring for the sick and as a confessor with deep insight. He became the confessor for Duke

Victor Amadeus II Victor Amadeus II (Vittorio Amedeo Francesco; 14 May 166631 October 1732) was Duke of Savoy from 1675 to 1730. He also held the titles of Prince of Piedmont, Duke of Montferrat, Marquis of Saluzzo and Count of Aosta, Moriana and Nice. Louis XIV ...

of the

House of Savoy The House of Savoy ( it, Casa Savoia) was a royal dynasty that was established in 1003 in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, the family grew in power from ruling a small Alpine county north-west of Italy to absolute rule of ...

and many of the members of the royal court. He had a strong concern too, though, for the poor and needy of the kingdom, finding help for the widows and orphans and providing comfort to prisoners, whom he would visit. He eventually was offered the office of Archbishop of Turin, but declined the appointment. Valfre is known for his service to the poor during the famine of 1678-80 and the 17-week siege of Turin during the war between Piemonte and Louis XIV. He is still invoked as patron of military chaplains for his ministry to soldiers during the war."Blessed Sebastian Valfre, C.O.", The New Brunswick Oratory of St. Philip Neri
/ref> Valfrè had a great devotion to the

Shroud of Turin The Shroud of Turin ( it, Sindone di Torino), also known as the Holy Shroud ( it, Sacra Sindone, links=no or ), is a length of linen cloth bearing the negative image of a man. Some describe the image as depicting Jesus of Nazareth and bel ...

, and he can be seen in an illustration from the period supervising some repair work done on it in 1694. He also had a concern for the religious education of the people, personally instructing many in the teachings of the Catholic faith as found in the

Catechism A catechism (; from grc, κατηχέω, "to teach orally") is a summary or exposition of doctrine and serves as a learning introduction to the Sacraments traditionally used in catechesis, or Christian religious teaching of children and adult c ...

of the Council of Trent. Additionally, out his devotion to the

Blessed Mother Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

, he inspired the duke to erect the Basilica of Superga. Valfrè's interests and influence were not limited to the duchy. He helped to found the Pontifical Academy of Ecclesiastical Nobles in Rome in 1701, which was established to train diplomats for the Papal States. Under its current name of the

Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy The Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy ( la, Pontificia Ecclesiastica Academia, it, Pontificia Accademia Ecclesiastica) is one of the Roman Colleges of the Catholic Church. The academy is dedicated to training priests to serve in the diplomatic c ...

, it still fulfills that function for the Vatican City State. Valfrè died in Turin on 30 January 1710, and his remains are now preserved in a silver urn in the Oratory Church of Turin. He was beatified by Pope Gregory XVI on 15 July 1834, with his feast day celebrated by the Congregation of the Oratory on 30 January.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Valfre, Sebastian 1629 births 1710 deaths 17th-century people from Savoy Beatified Oratorians 17th-century Italian Roman Catholic priests 18th-century Italian Roman Catholic priests 17th-century venerated Christians 18th-century venerated Christians Italian beatified people Clergy from Turin