TOMMASO da CORI, blessed. – Franciscan, in the world Francesco Antonio Placidi, born at Cori on 4 June 1655, died at Bellegra on 11 January 1729.
He donned the religious habit on 7 February 1677 near Orvieto, taking the name T. Having completed his philosophical and theological studies in the convent of S. Maria del Paradiso in Viterbo and been ordained a priest in 1683, on 19 July of that year he obtained his license to preach. Toward the end of 1683, his superiors sent him to Orvieto as assistant novice master; in 1684 he was in the convent of S. Francesco near Bellegra, established the previous year as a retreat for the Roman province. From that year onward, T.’s name and work were linked to that retreat, where the religious, according to T.’s thinking, were to « exercise themselves more fully in the ways of the spirit for the salvation of their own souls and that of their neighbor ». T. wrote the statutes of the retreat, suited to securing the religious perfection of individuals and promoting the apostolate among the people; at the Order’s general chapter, held at Murcia in Spain at Pentecost 1756, these statutes were imposed on all retreats. The retreat at Bellegra attracted religious from various provinces, so that in 1703, in the same Roman province, a second retreat had to be founded at Palombara Sabina; later, retreats were founded throughout Italy, particularly through the work of his disciple s. Teofilo da Corte (v.). T. exercised the priestly ministry extensively, traveling through the towns of the Sublacense, Tiburtino, and Prenestino areas, especially preaching and hearing the confessions of the faithful. Although in poor health, he practiced continual penance, made more intense by the strictest poverty. On 3 September 1786 Pius VI declared him blessed, and in 1827 the Municipality of Rome enrolled him among its heavenly patrons. Feast day: 11 January.