dominican saints

Blessed John Liccio was born at Caccamo, in Sicily, about A.D. 1446. His mother died in giving him birth, and his father, either taking a dislike to the infant from this cause, or impelled by extreme poverty, cruelly ordered him to be reared on scanty and unwholesome food. The child was nearly killed by this treatment; but one day, when his father was absent, a charitable woman of the neighborhood begged hiss aunt, who had charge of him, to allow her to take him to her house and give him proper nourishment, offering to do so without remuneration. Her charity brought its own reward. Her husband, who had lost the use of his limbs for a long time, was suddenly and completely cured as soon as the infant was laid upon his bed. The father, hearing of the miracle on his return home, took the child back and continued his former cruelties. The infirm man immediately fell ill again and remained so until his wife had persuaded the inhuman parent to let her have the little one once more, and to allow her to give him the care and nourishment which his age required. The father died soon after, and little John was brought up by his aunt, who treated him with great kindness.

The child gave early signs of his future sanctity. Nearly the whole of his time was spent in church, and the number of vocal prayers which he daily recited would seem almost incredible, even if recorded of a grown-up person. He used to fast every Friday and Saturday on bread and water, and was often found praying before a crucifix, shedding abundant tears. When he was about fifteen, he chanced to go to Palermo, where he had the good fortune to meet Blessed Peter Jeremia, and was by him induced to enter the Order. He accordingly took the habit in the Convent of Saint Zita in that city, where in course of time he became equally distinguished for his eloquence as a preacher and his learning as a theologian, whilst the fervor and austerity of his life gained for him also the reputation of a Saint.

Moved by a holy patriotism. Blessed John earnestly desired to found a Convent of the Order in his native place, that the country people might enjoy the benefits flowing from the preaching and holy example of the Friars. With the permission of his Superiors, therefore, he set out for Caccamo with two companions, preaching and converting souls as he journeyed along. His undertaking was fraught with many difficulties, as he was utterly destitute of means for carrying it out. In all simplicity he had recourse to prayer, feeling convinced that God would show him how he was to put his plan into execution. Nor was his holy confidence deceived. An angel appeared to him and bade him begin to erect his Convent on the spot where he should find the foundations already dug. Whilst he was musing with some perplexity on the meaning of these words, the news was brought him that in a neighboring wood some peasants had just discovered a regularly begun foundation, which, having never been seen there before, they judged to be the work of the Angels. Blessed John immediately recognized the Divine token, and the Convent subsequently built on the spot received the name of Saint Mary of the Angels.

Money and materials were still wanting to him, but again he had recourse to prayer ; and, having spent the night in this holy exercise, in the morning he beheld an angel in the form of a handsome young man standing at his door with a pair of oxen and a cart laden with building materials. The angel immediately disappeared, and the holy man began the erection of his Convent In this way, constantly receiving miraculous assistance from Heaven, he at length completed the building, and became the first Prior, A.D. 1494.

The people now vied with each other in offering alms and revenues for the endowment of the new Convent. But Blessed John was a devoted lover of holy poverty and would accept only of a small grove of olive trees to supply oil for the lamps and a piece of ground for a garden. He rewarded the charity of his benefactors by blessing and multiplying their crops, and by working many other miracles on their behalf. He showed himself a true father to the poor and consoler of the afflicted and never suffered a single day to pass without performing some corporal or spiritual work of mercy.

He had a tender devotion to the Passion of our Lord, and his rich and fervid eloquence when he preached on Nor. 14 this his favorite subject was capable of melting the hardest hearts. Hence, after his death, which took place A.D. 151 1, his portrait was painted over his tomb, representing him embracing the Cross and the other instruments of the Passion. He was beatified by Benedict XIV.

Prayer

O God, who didst make Blessed John, Thy Confessor, illustrious by perfect self-denial and singular zeal for Divine charity, grant unto us that, after his example, we may forsake all earthly affections and live evermore in Thy love. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.