The Saint

Giovanni Leonardi was born in 1541 in Diecimo, in the province of Lucca. At 26 he worked as a pharmacist, but when the Republic of Lucca was hit by a serious crisis, he decided to dedicate himself to helping the poor. This led him to undertake the priestly path, becoming a priest in 1572.

Passionate about teaching, he began by educating children and later adults. In 1574 he founded the Order of the Clerics Regular of the Mother of God, becoming a central figure in the Catholic reform. However, his work aroused hostility in Lucca and in 1584, while he was in Rome, he was banished in perpetuity from his city on charges of disturbing public order and disrespecting the authorities.

In Rome, however, his fame grew and Pope Clement VIII entrusted him with the task of reorganizing religious congregations and reforming monasteries. He died in the capital on October 9, 1609 and was proclaimed a saint by Pope Pius XI in 1938.

• Patron: of pharmacists

• Etymology of the name John: from the Hebrew, it means “The Lord is beneficent” or “Gift of the Lord”.