JOHN BAPTIST DE LUCA, Blessed. - Celestine, born at Guardiagrele, died in the monastery of St. Onofrio in Campli in the year 1590. In 1570 he was named prior of S. Pietro a Majella in Naples, where he spent the greater part of his monastic life. Charitable and generous toward the poor and afflicted, he was much loved by the Neapolitans.

He was also a friend and counselor of John of Austria, to whom he gave an image of the Madonna under the title Succurre misere, which the captain carried with him to the battle of Lepanto: in token of gratitude, after the victory, 400 of his soldiers laid down their helmets in the chapel of the Virgin.

In 1585 he became prior of Guardiagrele, but very soon returned among the Neapolitans, who this time, however, reserved for him profound sufferings on account of calumnies spread about him. This moved his superiors to remove him again from Naples in order to entrust him with the direction of the monastery of S. Onofrio in Campli, where he also demonstrated particular gifts of prudence and charity. He bore with exemplary humility the slanderous attacks of his enemies, whom he generously forgave.

Bibliography2 works

BIBL.: G. Aurélien, Vie admirable de st Pierre Célestin, Bar-le-Duc 1873, pp. 208-11; A. Zimmermann, Kalendarium Benedictinum, Matten 1933, pp. 248 and 250.

Ambrogio Mancone

@incollection{ec6_giovanni_battista_de_luca_beat, author = {Mancone, Ambrogio}, title = {Giovanni Battista de Luca, beato}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {VI}, pages = {614--615}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1951}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/giovanni-battista-de-luca-beato} }

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John Baptist de Luca, Blessed

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