Machine translation of the 1948–1954 Italian original. The original text is authoritative.
GIOVANNI BATTISTA de LUCA, Blessed. - Celestino, b. at Guardiagrele, d. in the monastery of S. Onofrio in Campli in 1590. In 1570 he was appointed prior of S. Pietro a Majella in Napoli, where he spent most of his monastic life. Charitable and generous toward the poor and afflicted, he was greatly loved by the Neapolitans.
He was also a friend and adviser of Giovanni d'Austria, to whom he gave an image of the Madonna bearing the title Succurre misere, which the captain took with him to the battle of Lepanto: as a token of gratitude, after the victory, 400 of his soldiers laid down their helmets in the chapel of the Virgin.
(by courtesy of mons. A. P. Frata) GIOVANNI BATTISTA de LA SALLE, saint - Portrait executed at Rouen by Pierre Leger (1734) - Rome, Generalate of the Brothers of the Christian Schools.In 1585 he became prior of Guardiagrele, but soon returned among the Neapolitans, who this time, however, caused him profound suffering because of calumnies spread against him. This led his superiors to remove him once more from Napoli and entrust him with the direction of the monastery of S. Onofrio in Campli, where he likewise displayed particular gifts of prudence and charity. With exemplary humility he endured the calumnious attacks of his enemies, whom he generously forgave.
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
Cite this article
“GIOVANNI BATTISTA DE LUCA, BEATO.” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. VI (1951), p. 383. Azione Romana digital edition, https://azioneromana.com/article/giovanni-battista-de-luca-beato.
