JOHN LEONARDI, Saint. - Founder of the Order of the Regular Clerics of the Mother of God, b. at Diecimo (Lucca) in 1541 (or 1543 according to others), d. at Rome on 9 Oct. 1609. After his first studies in the town of Villa Basilica, where he also received the clerical habit, he was sent by his father to Lucca in 1561 to learn the pharmacist's profession. He practiced it for some years, that is, until the death of his father, when he was able to resume the ecclesiastical habit, although he was already 26 years old. In 1573 he was ordained a priest, having had as his teacher of theology the Franciscan Prospero Pampaloni, formerly a theologian at the Council of Trent. In Lucca L. devoted himself to the education and instruction of the young people of the common folk, founding a "Compagnia della dottrina cristiana". Then, in 1574, he began a "Congregazione di preti riformati", called that of the "Chierici secolari della Beata Vergine", and finally that of the "Chierici Regolari della Madre di Dio".
The first companions of L., who also assisted him in the founding of 3 other institutions: one in Lucca, another in Pescia and one in Pistoia, were the vens. Giov. Battista Cioni and Cesare Franciotti. In 1584, returning from the sanctuary of Loreto, he stayed in Rome for some time, and was hosted, together with some of his religious who had accompanied him, by St. Philip Neri at S. Girolamo della Carità. In 1592, Pope Clement VIII sent him as apostolic commissioner to the sanctuary of the Madonna dell'Arco near Naples.
He then received other assignments: the visitation and reform of the Benedictine Congregation of Montevergine (1596), the reform of the Vallombrosan Order (1601), the visitation of the convent of the Servite Fathers of Monte Senario near Florence. He also held the office of visitor of the Pious Schools, which were then aggregated for some years to the Congregation of G. L.; St. Joseph Calasanz gave a most noble testimony concerning the virtue of his friend.
Together with the Spanish prelate Giovanni Battista Vives, he took an interest in the founding of a missionary college in Rome. Elected general of his institution, the Saint celebrated its first General Chapter in Rome in 1604, where some years earlier he had opened a house near Piazza Montanara, by the church, later demolished, of S. Maria in Portico; he also presided over the second Chapter of 1608.
He was canonized by Pius XI at Easter of 1938.
His feast falls on 10 Oct.