Antonio Maria Pucci


Antonio Maria Pucci - born Eustachio Pucci - was an Italian Roman Catholic priest and a professed member from the Servite Order.
He was beatified on 12 June 1952 under Pope Pius XII and was later made a saint on 9 December 1962 at the conclusion of the first session of the Second Vatican Council.

Life

Eustace Pucci was born on 16 April 1819 to a poor sacristan as the second of seven children.
He felt called to life in a religious order in his childhood but his father opposed this despite his own career as a church worker. Overcoming this opposition later allowed him to enter the Servite Order in 1837 at which time he was given the religious name of "Antonio Maria". He was ordained to the priesthood in 1843 after having made his profession into the order a few months prior.
In 1843 he was assigned to serve in Viareggio at the parish church of Sant'Andrea and was later made its pastor in 1846. He went on to serve in this post for the next four decades until his death. He became known as il curatino and took care of the poor and the sick as well as the old; this was augmented during two epidemics. In 1853 he founded an institution for the education of children and initiated the first seaside hostel for sick and poor children in Viareggio. He also helped found the Holy Childhood Society in 1853 for educational purposes.
Pucci died on 12 January 1892 due to pneumonia. He celebrated Mass on 6 January and that night - during a storm - went to render assistance to an ill person when he contracted pneumonia and grew worse until his death. His remains were later relocated to the church of Sant'Andrea on 18 April 1920.

Sainthood

He was proclaimed a Servant of God on 13 April 1932 under Pope Pius XI with the introduction of his sainthood cause and he was later made Venerable on 18 January 1948 upon the confirmation of his life of heroic virtue. Pope Pius XII beatified him on 12 June 1952 while Pope John XXIII canonized him on 9 December 1962.