Saint John Leonardi
Saint John Leonardi was born in 1541 in Diecimo, Italy. He was the youngest of seven children and worked in an apothecary growing up. After studying pharmacy, he opened his own apothecary. Soon after, he answered the call to become a priest. Ordained in 1572, Fr. John later realized how his passion for pharmacy had helped him in his vocation
His passion was to help people discover “the medicine of God”, and firmly believed that all people needed this medicine. He desired to “start anew from Christ” and spent much time ministering in hospitals and prisons
In 1574, he founded the Congregation of Reformed Priests of the Blessed Virgin, later known as the Order of Clerks Regular of the Mother of God. He would often say, "Raise your hearts to God a bit more and measure things with him", and "Humanity needs Christ intensely, because he is our 'measure'". These phrases demonstrate infusion of the Catholic faith with pharmacy practice and his unique prescription for spiritual reform
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He and other priests later founded the College for the Propagation of the Faith, a university which trains missionary priests to this day. He died in 1609, on what now is known as his feast day (October 9th). His cannonization occured in 1938, and Pope Benedict XVI declared him the patron saint of pharmacists in 2006
CaPhA members are honored to devote intercessory prayer to St. John Leonardi. See image below of one of our members, Fr. Christopher Smith, celebrating mass outside of St. Leonardi's burial site
Prayer of Pharmacists to St. John Leonardi
St. John Leonardi,
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For many years you trained in our field and carried out our work, knowing its difficulties and struggles, help us to practice with competence and joy, always expressing love for our neighbor, with attention and patience in listening, with sincerity and unselfishness in advice, and with caring sensitivity in service
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You, who left our work to respond with love to the call of the Lord, help us to carry it out every day with that same charity with which you spent your life in service to the Church
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You, who took such care in the proclamation of the Gospel as to found the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, help us to make our testimony effective through deeds and words, offering the love of Christ, Healer and Comforter, to all those who come to us for health of body, a sign of the health of the soul
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Amen