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| St. John Baptist de Rossi fair use |
By Larry Peterson
John Baptist de Rossi was born on February 22, 1698, in Genoa. His mother and father were quite poor in material goods but were rich in virtue and love of their neighbor(s). John was the youngest of four children, and even during his formative years not only exhibited obvious compassion and love for people but also had an above average intelligence. When he was ten years old, his parents allowed him to leave home with close friends of the family to pursue his education
Three years later, John’s
father died. His older cousin, Lorenzo de Rossi, allowed John to come to live
with him in Rome. Lorenzo was the canon at St. Mary’s in Cosmedin and
was able to get his nephew admitted to the Collegium
Romanum under the guidance of the Jesuits. John quickly
became a model student studying diligently and performing his required duties. At
the same time, he was always pious and humble.
The young man also began
studying philosophy and theology at the Dominican College of St. Thomas. It was
during this time that, while at Mass, John passed out. It was discovered that
he had an epileptic seizure. The illness caused him to miss many classes, and
sometimes, the fatigue was so pronounced he could barely move. For the rest of
his life, dealing with this affliction would be a constant challenge for him.
Even so, while in school,
he became a member of the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin and led the members in
the readings and organized visits to the sick in hospitals, feeding the poor
and the homeless, and performing other works of mercy. This was what John Rossi loved most of all; helping the
poor, homeless, and downtrodden.
John Baptist de Rossi
desperately wanted to become a priest, but his epilepsy was a constant enemy
trying to stop him. Ordination to the priesthood was rarely granted to someone
in John’s condition. Afterall, the life of a priest was incredibly demanding
and time-consuming But he worked so hard
and studied so diligently that he was given a dispensation. On March 8, 1721, John
Baptist de Rossi, was ordained a priest.
As a priest, he worked in Rome, caring for
the homeless who wandered the streets of the city. He tended to the needs of
the sick and assisted in helping find a hospice for homeless women. He aided
prisoners, helped workers, and literally touched
thousands of needy people—the sick, the homeless, prostitutes, transient cattle
drivers who came to market in Rome, and other rough sorts. By day he devoted himself to the sick poor in
Rome’s hospitals. By night he ministered to street people at a refuge. He did
this for over forty years.
In 1738, Father
John became very sick with an unknown illness. He was sent to a place called
Civita Castellana, a days journey from Rome. The bishop there insisted that he
hear confessions. John had done his best to avoid hearing confessions. He had a
deep-seated fear that he might have a seizure and wanted to avoid that
happening while in a confessional. The bishop, knowing of his knowledge and
morality, insisted. In fact, the bishop gave him permission to hear confession in
any church in Rome.
Father John
Rossi began hearing confessions every day, mostly from the poor in the
hospitals and on the streets. Before long he was preaching in churches,
chapels, convents, hospitals, barracks, and prisons. He became known as the
Apostle of the Abandoned and was called the second St. Philip Neri.
Sometime in
1763, paralysis began to slowly attack Father John. Finally, all his hard labor
while fighting epilepsy caught up to him. He died on May 23, 1764.
Father John was
buried at the Church
of Trinita de Pellegrini under the altar of the
Blessed Virgin Mary. Miracles followed his passing, but because of political
upheaval in Europe, beatification was put on hold. Finally, on May 13, 1860,
Pope Pius IX, beatified Father John. On December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate
Conception, Pope Leo XIII canonized Father John Baptist de Rossini, a saint
One final note: Caregivers can look to John Baptist as a
model. Before he would speak to a dying person about salvation, he did all he
could to relieve their suffering. No service for the sick, no matter how deadly
or repulsive their condition was, deterred him from offering assistance and consolation
to them.
Saint John
Baptist de Rossi, please pray for us.
Copyright©Larry
Peterson 2019
