MASSUCCO, CLAUDIO ANTONIO. - Vincentian missionary, b. in Genova on 18 Dec. 1811, d. in Firenze on 4 Feb. 1884. He entered the Congregation of the Mission on 23 Oct. 1831 and was ordained priest there on 9 June 1838.
He exercised the ministry of preaching, especially popular missions. From 1849 he settled in Toscana, where he associated his name with numerous charitable works. M. was responsible for introducing Ozanam’s “Conferences” into Toscana (Livorno, Pisa [1851], and Firenze [1853]) and for founding the Ladies of Charity in Firenze and other cities. For the clergy he established weekly conferences and the Pious Union of Young Priests, to which he entrusted in particular the preparation of children for their first Communion. For the assistance and education of workers and poor youth, he promoted the foundation of the Association of Mutual Charity among the workers of Firenze, to which De Fabris and Dupré also belonged; and evening schools. He wrote esteemed ascetical works, among them the Meditazioni cristiane per tutti i giorni dell'anno (2 vols., Prato 1868).