Massucco, Claudio Antonio

MASSUCCO, CLAUDIO ANTONIO. - Missionary of St. Vincent, b. in Genoa on 18 Dec. 1811, d. in Florence on 4 Feb. 1884. He entered the Congregation of the Mission on 23 Oct. 1831, and was ordained a priest there on 9 June 1838.

He exercised the ministry of preaching, and particularly of missions to the people. From 1849 he settled in Tuscany, where he linked his name to numerous charitable works. To M. is due the introduction of Ozanam's "Conferences" in Tuscany (Livorno, Pisa [1851] and Florence [1853]) and the founding of the Ladies of Charity in Florence and in other cities. For the clergy he established the weekly conferences and the Pious Union of young priests, to which he particularly entrusted the preparation of children for their first Communion. For the assistance and instruction of workers and of poor youth, he saw to the founding of the Association of mutual charity among the workers of Florence, to which De Fabris and Dupré also belonged; and the evening schools. He wrote appreciated ascetical works, among them the Meditazioni cristiane per tutti i giorni dell'anno (2 vols., Prato 1868).

Annibale Bugnini