CALCHI. —
1. LODOVICO MARIA
Dominican reformer and apostle, born in Milan into a senatorial family on 26 Dec. 1669, died at Troia (province of Foggia) on 20 Aug. 1709. Having entered the Order of Preachers at S. Maria delle Grazie in 1685 and become a priest in Rome in 1693, through his work on behalf of those who had gone astray he earned the title of “catechist of rogues.” Inflamed with divine love, at the age of twenty he branded the Name of Jesus upon his chest with a red-hot iron. He first taught for several years: philosophy at Alessandria, theology at Ferrara and Cesena. He then devoted himself entirely to missions among the people and to the reform and sanctification of the clergy, through a return to common life; for this purpose he established the institute of the Conviventi at Troia. His cause of beatification was opened in 1917.BIBL.: D. Troisi, Un apostolo domenicano: p. L. C., Roma 1921; Acta Cap. Gen. O.P., 1916, p. 45; AAS, 9 (1917), pp. 432-435. Innocenzo Casati
2. SIGISMONDO
Barnabite missionary, brother of the preceding, born in Milan on 21 May 1685, died in Ava on 6 March 1728. After teaching philosophy and theology at the Arcimboldi schools (Milan), of which he was also rector, he joined the group of Barnabites who accompanied Mons. Mezzabarba (v.) on his legation to China (1719-21); he was subsequently assigned to the mission of Ava and Pegu (Burma), of which he was the first apostolic vicar and founder. He died a victim of his virtue and zeal. He was highly esteemed by the king. A grammar and a dictionary of the Burmese language that he had written have been lost.BIBL.: L. Gallo, Storia del Cristianesimo nell'impero birmano, I, Milano 1862, pp. 97-111, 171-88 (where Fr. Gobio, the editor of the work, inserted, translated into Italian, part of Grazioli’s biography in his Praestantium virorum vitae, Bologna 1751, as well as two letters of Fr. C.); J. Gobio, Legazione dei padri O. Ferrari, Filippo Cesati, Aless. de Alessandri, Salvator Rasini, e S. C., barnabiti nella Cina e nella Cocincina. Memorie raccolte dalle lettere dei missionari dal p. J..., Milano 1862, p. 23 ff.; O. Premoli, Storia dei Barnabiti, III, Roma 1925, pp. 51, 73, 96; L. Levati, Menologio dei Barnabiti, III, Genova 1933, pp. 50-56; G. Boffito, Biblioteca degli scrittori barnabiti, I, Firenze 1933, p. 293. Virginio M. Colciago