Carafa, Carlo, Venerable

CARAFA, Carlo, Venerable. - Founder of the Congregation of the Pii Operai (v.), born in Naples in 1561 to the dukes of Andria; he died there on 8 September 1633. At the age of 16 he entered the Society of Jesus, and left it after 5 years following a serious illness. For some time he wore the clerical habit in his father's house; but, once his health was restored, he devoted himself to soldiering and gave himself over to a dissolute life. But he soon recognized his errors; having left the army, he embraced the ecclesiastical state once more, and on 1 January 1600 he celebrated his first Mass. He wished at once to dedicate his life to charity toward the poor and the suffering; to this end he went to live near the hospital of the Incurabili in his city; there he lavished his care and founded an association for the benefit of the sick.

Together with two other priests he moved to the oratory of the S. Sepolcro outside Naples; but every morning he returned to the city for another work of moral restoration: the rehabilitation of fallen women, many of whom he guided toward marriage, and very many of whom he had enter monasteries: two of these he founded himself. By the will of the archbishop of Naples, he returned to live in the city, and the church of Tutti i Beni was entrusted to him, near which began the fervent apostolic activity that characterizes the last period of his life. He was superior and reformer of the seminary of Naples. With three priests he founded his principal institution (for missions), which took the name of Pii operai after it was approved by Gregory XV in 1621. The Pii operai were subsequently entrusted in Rome with the churches of S. Balbina, of S. Lorenzo a Macel dei Corvi (near the forum of Trajan, now demolished), of S. Maria dei Monti (with the direction of the adjoining house of the Catechumens), and of S. Giuseppe alla Lungara.

He died in the house adjoining the church of S. Giorgio Maggiore in Naples, where he is buried.

Francesco Ferraironi