Gaetano Errico
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Gaetano Errico (19 October 1791 – 29 October 1860) was an
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 ...
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priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
from
Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
and the founder of the Missionari dei Sacri Cuori di Gesù e Maria. Errico was born to devout and hardworking parents whose income was modest but sufficient for him to do his ecclesial studies in Naples. It was common for him to be seen twice a week tending to the ill despite his studies and he also helped his father on occasion at his
warehouse A warehouse is a building for storing goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial parks on the outskirts of cities ...
. He became a
teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...
after his
ordination Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorization, authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominational ...
and later a parish priest. Errico became better known for having had a
vision Vision, Visions, or The Vision may refer to: Perception Optical perception * Visual perception, the sense of sight * Visual system, the physical mechanism of eyesight * Computer vision, a field dealing with how computers can be made to gain un ...
while on a retreat in 1818 in which Saint Alfonso Maria de' Liguori came to him in a vision requesting he both found a
religious congregation A religious congregation is a type of religious institute in the Catholic Church. They are legally distinguished from religious orders – the other major type of religious institute – in that members take simple vows, whereas members of religio ...
and oversee the establishment of a new church dedicated 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 ...
. Errico did this despite several obstacles, though he did not see it through to the end until just over a decade later. His canonization cause was introduced under
Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...
in 1884 and he became titled as a
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 ...
;
Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...
later named him as
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 ...
in 1974 upon confirming his
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 ...
while
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 ...
later beatified him on 14 April 2002.
Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...
canonized Errico as a saint on 12 October 2008 in
Saint Peter's Square Saint Peter's Square ( la, Forum Sancti Petri, it, Piazza San Pietro ,) is a large plaza located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the papal enclave inside Rome, directly west of the neighborhood (rione) of Borgo. Bot ...
.


Life

Gaetano Errico was born on 19 October 1791 in
Secondigliano Secondigliano () is an old Italian municipality which became a modern suburb in the north of Naples. Geography Secondigliano lies between San Pietro a Patierno and Scampìa. History The name may derive from a contraction of "secondo" (second) an ...
in
Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
as the second of nine children to Pasquale Errico (d. 28 March 1834; Good Friday) and Maria Marseglia (d. 19 April 1837); his parents were
married Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
on 17 April 1788 in the Saint Charles church. His father (who came from
Miano Miano is a suburb of Naples, Italy, with a population of around 26,000. History Since the recent administrative reorganization of the area, Miano is part of the 7th community board. Geography It borders to the north with the Scampia district ( ...
but whose relations hailed from
Frattamaggiore Frattamaggiore (locally also known as Fratta) is a ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania, Italy. It is located north of Naples and southwest of Caserta. It was awarded the title of "City of art" in 2008 and named Benedictine ci ...
) managed a small
pasta Pasta (, ; ) is a type of food typically made from an unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Rice flour, or legumes such as beans or lentils, are som ...
warehouse A warehouse is a building for storing goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial parks on the outskirts of cities ...
and his mother (who was born in Secondigliano) worked at the local loom weaving
plush Plush (from French language, French ) is a textile having a cut nap (textile), nap or pile (textile), pile the same as fustian or velvet. Its softness of feel gave rise to the adjective "plush" to describe something soft or luxurious, which was e ...
. Errico was a pious child having learnt the Christian faith from his devout parents whom he helped in their work or in the chores around the house. His nephew Beniamino Errico became a
priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
and two cousins were part of the
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (; postnominal abbr. O.F.M. Cap.) is a religious order of Franciscan friars within the Catholic Church, one of Three " First Orders" that reformed from the Franciscan Friars Minor Observant (OFM Obs., now OFM ...
as
friars A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders founded in the twelfth or thirteenth century; the term distinguishes the mendicants' itinerant apostolic character, exercised broadly under the jurisdiction of a superior general, from the o ...
. His mother once took him as a child to the
Redemptorists The Redemptorists officially named the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer ( la, links=no, Congregatio Sanctissimi Redemptoris), abbreviated CSsR,is a Catholic clerical religious congregation of pontifical right for men (priests and brother ...
to be blessed and the priest did this after having looked at the child, telling his mother: "This child will be a priest, a great preacher, he will be a saint and he will do good work in Secondigliano". Errico often aided his father at his warehouse where his father would sometimes lose his temper when under financial strain; he would sometimes slap Errico when he would lose his temper irrespective of whether or not Errico had behaved. The priests Giovanni Tagliamonte and Michelangelo Vitagliano were his teachers growing up and Vitagliano would later serve as Errico's
confessor Confessor is a title used within Christianity in several ways. Confessor of the Faith Its oldest use is to indicate a saint who has suffered persecution and torture for the faith but not to the point of death.First Communion First Communion is a ceremony in some Christian traditions during which a person of the church first receives the Eucharist. It is most common in many parts of the Latin Church tradition of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Church and Anglican Communi ...
when he turned seven and he received his
Confirmation In Christian denominations that practice infant baptism, confirmation is seen as the sealing of the covenant created in baptism. Those being confirmed are known as confirmands. For adults, it is an affirmation of belief. It involves laying on ...
on 2 January 1802 in the
Naples Cathedral The Naples Cathedral ( it, Duomo di Napoli; nap, Viscuvato 'e Napule), or Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary ( it, Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta, links=no), is a Roman Catholic cathedral, the main church of Naples, southern Italy, and the s ...
from Bishop Iorio; the priest Domenico Cafolla acted as his sponsor. Errico first felt compelled to enter the priesthood after he turned fourteen and he received permission from his parents to pursue that vocation. He had his sights set on either entering the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (since two cousins were friars) or the Redemptorists, however, both rejected his application on the basis of his age. But he was not dejected due to this experience and instead focused on his ecclesial studies that he began in Naples in January 1808 (also receiving the clerical cassock for the first time); he had to walk five miles from home to get to class since he was not living on Naples due to his parents' meagre income not providing for this. Errico – during his studies – visited the sick twice per week and also would encourage children to attend catechism classes for instruction in the faith. He received his
ordination Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorization, authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominational ...
to the priesthood in the Naples Cathedral in the Santa Restituta chapel on 23 September 1815 from Cardinal Luigi Ruffo Scilla. He became a
teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...
after his ordination and worked as such until 1835 while he also served as a parish priest for the Santi Cosma e Damiano parish church. He was devoted to the
sacrament of penance The Sacrament of Penance (also commonly called the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession) is one of the Sacraments of the Catholic Church, seven sacraments of the Catholic Church (known in Eastern Christianity as sacred mysteries), in which ...
and ministering to the ill, which both became trademarks for his life. He also imposed austerities on himself and penances such as consuming only
bread Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour (usually wheat) and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures' diet. It is one of the oldest human-made f ...
and
water Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a ...
and
self-flagellation Self-flagellation is the disciplinary and devotional practice of flogging oneself with whips or other instruments that inflict pain. In Christianity, self-flagellation is practiced in the context of the doctrine of the mortification of the flesh ...
. Errico made annual retreats to the Redemptorist house in Pagani in
Salerno Salerno (, , ; nap, label= Salernitano, Saliernë, ) is an ancient city and ''comune'' in Campania (southwestern Italy) and is the capital of the namesake province, being the second largest city in the region by number of inhabitants, after ...
. In 1818 during one such retreat he had a vision in which Saint Alfonso Maria de' Liguori came to him and told him that
God In monotheism, monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator deity, creator, and principal object of Faith#Religious views, faith.Richard Swinburne, Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Ted Honderich, Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Ox ...
wanted him to build a new church and to found a new religious congregation. Errico set himself on doing this, and had strong support from the people after having announced it at
Pentecost Pentecost (also called Whit Sunday, Whitsunday or Whitsun) is a Christianity, Christian holiday which takes place on the 50th day (the seventh Sunday) after Easter Sunday. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles in the Ne ...
in 1826 (he purchased the land back in 1822). However, this support started to fade over time due to a lack of adequate funding and low work levels. But he continued the project and dedicated and blessed the new church of Madonna Addolorata on 9 December 1830; this church would become a popular destination for pilgrims. Around the beginning of 1833, he built a small house for himself and a companion (and left his parents' home); it was close to that church so that he could tend to its needs. His companion was not a priest but helped maintain the church. In 1833 came the first members of what would become Errico's religious order known as the Missionari dei Sacri Cuori di Gesù e Maria. On 8 February 1834 the group signed a petition addressed to Cardinal
Filippo Giudice Caracciolo Filippo Giudice Caracciolo was an Italian prelate who was archbishop of Naples from 1833 to 1844. Life Born into a noble family in Naples on 27 March 1785, he entered the Oratorian order in the late years of the 18th century. He was ordained ...
asking that they be considered a religious congregation. but the priests grew impatient and left Errico to manage on his own. This small group received diocesan support on 14 March 1836 while the
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 ...
-based Sacred Consistorial Congregation also provided approval on 30 June 1838. He also had to receive permission from the
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies ( it, Regno delle Due Sicilie) was a kingdom in Southern Italy from 1816 to 1860. The kingdom was the largest sovereign state by population and size in Italy before Italian unification, comprising Sicily and a ...
which provided its assent on 13 May 1840. In April 1846 he travelled to Rome with the intention of receiving papal approval for his order. This did not materialize for
Pope Gregory XVI Pope Gregory XVI ( la, Gregorius XVI; it, Gregorio XVI; born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari; 18 September 1765 – 1 June 1846) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1831 to his death in 1 June 1846. He h ...
died on 1 June, leaving Errico in Rome during
the conclave ''The Conclave'' is a 2006 Canadian/German film production directed by Christoph Schrewe. The script was written by Paul Donovan. Plot The plot centers on the conclave of 1458, which took place five years after the fall of Constantinople ...
. He had a brief encounter with Cardinal Giovanni Mastai-Ferretti and referred to him as "Your Holiness" when speaking with him, having some indication that he would become pope. The order later received full papal approval on 7 August 1946 from the new Pope Pius IX after he and Errico met sometime prior to this. He served as the order's first
Superior General A superior general or general superior is the leader or head of a religious institute in the Catholic Church and some other Christian denominations. The superior general usually holds supreme executive authority in the religious community, while t ...
. Errico died in his hometown on 29 October 1860 at 10:00 am due to a visceral fever. He had been ill since mid-October, having contracted
bronchitis Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi (large and medium-sized airways) in the lungs that causes coughing. Bronchitis usually begins as an infection in the nose, ears, throat, or sinuses. The infection then makes its way down to the bronchi. ...
at that point. It became hard for him to breathe on 26 October at which point his priest nephew Beniamino Errico celebrated
Mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different elementar ...
at his bedside. On 28 October he received the Anointing of the Sick, and died the next morning while looking at a statue of the Blessed Mother. In 2015 his order had 27 houses (in places such as
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and the
United States of America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...
) with 141 religious and 90 priest members. The order's generalate is based in Rome at the
Santa Maria in Publicolis Santa Maria in Publicolis is a Baroque church in Rome. It is located in the rione of Sant'Eustachio. The facade was designed by Giovan Antonio de' Rossi. History and Description The derivation of the suffix name of the church is unclear; some so ...
church.


Sainthood


Diocesan process and heroic virtues

The beatification process commenced in Naples in an informative process tasked to collect evidence and documentation on Errico's life and possible prospects for being proclaimed a saint. The introduction of the cause came on 18 December 1884 under
Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...
, in which Errico was titled as a
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 ...
– the first official stage in the sainthood process. Theologians deemed his writings to be in line with the magisterium of the faith in 1893 and later held an apostolic process. Both processes received validation from the
Congregation of Rites The Sacred Congregation of Rites was a congregation of the Roman Curia, erected on 22 January 1588 by Pope Sixtus V by '' Immensa Aeterni Dei''; it had its functions reassigned by Pope Paul VI on 8 May 1969. The Congregation was charged with the ...
on 11 December 1897. Errico became titled as
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 4 October 1974 after
Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...
recognized that he had lived a life 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 ...
in accordance with the
cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
and
theological virtues Theological virtues are virtues associated in Christian theology and philosophy with salvation resulting from the grace of God. Virtues are traits or qualities which dispose one to conduct oneself in a morally good manner. Traditionally they have ...
.


Beatification

The process for the investigation of a miracle both opened and concluded in 1999 and received validation from C.C.S. officials in
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 ...
on 10 December 1999. The healing believed to be a miracle was deemed to be a legitimate miracle on 24 April 2000 at the behest of
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 ...
who in a decree confirmed that Errico could be beatified on that basis. The miracle in question was the healing of Caccioppoli Salvatore who had a perforated stomach wall; his wife put a relic under his pillow and his health improved at a quick pace. This illness was first noted during the morning on 9 January 1952 and Salvatore healed in the hospital a short while later. John Paul II beatified Errico on 14 April 2002.


Canonization

The process for the investigation of the miracle required for canonization opened in Naples on 10 November 2004 and concluded its business on 10 October 2005 prior to it being validated in 2006. It received the papal approval of
Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...
in mid-2007 in which he acknowledged the 2003 healing of Anna Russo (who hailed from Errico's hometown). The date for the canonization was announced on 1 March 2008. On 12 October 2008 he was proclaimed to be a saint of the Roman Catholic Church during a Mass held in
Saint Peter's Square Saint Peter's Square ( la, Forum Sancti Petri, it, Piazza San Pietro ,) is a large plaza located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the papal enclave inside Rome, directly west of the neighborhood (rione) of Borgo. Bot ...
.


References


External links


Saints SQPN


{{DEFAULTSORT:Errico, Gaetano 1791 births 1860 deaths 19th-century Italian Roman Catholic priests 19th-century venerated Christians Beatifications by Pope John Paul II Canonizations by Pope Benedict XVI Founders of Catholic religious communities Italian beatified people Italian Roman Catholic saints 18th-century Neapolitan people Venerated Catholics 19th-century Neapolitan people