TOMMASO AURIEMMA. - Jesuit ascetical writer, born in Naples probably in 1614, died there on 26 Nov. 1671. He entered the religious life in 1632, taught literature and moral theology, and later became a rural missionary. Cultured and deeply pious, he published works marked by uncommon faith and learning.
His most celebrated work is a practical treatise on devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary: *Affetti scambievoli tra la Vergine SS. e suoi devoti* (Naples 1657), in two parts of about 330 pages each. It is rich in anecdotes, almost always carefully documented with their sources. Another notable work is *Stanza dell'anima nelle piaghe di Gesù* (Naples 1651–57), a two-part practical treatise on the Christian life, followed by a long series of meditations interspersed with texts from the Holy Fathers and Doctors. It was translated into Spanish and German and frequently reprinted, even in the 18th and 19th centuries. He also left behind pamphlets on the Virgin and St. Anne.