St. Vincent Pallotti – Founder of Union of Catholic Apostolate
Vincent Pallotti, son of Pietro Paolo and Maddalena De Rossi, was born on the 21st of April, 1795, in Rome. His parents were the decisive religious influence during his youth. He was ordained priest on the 16th of May, 1818. After his ordination, because of his varied and intense apostolate, he formed friendships with the clergy and laity committed to keeping alive the Christian faith of the people of Rome. His pastoral presence on all fronts urged him on to become an animator of collaboration among clergy, religious, and laity.
The city of Rome offered a vast range of options for his apostolic and priestly activities. His pastoral concerns embraced all aspects of ecclesial life: he was open to the poor and despised, the sick and the marginalised; he was attentive to the soldiers, workers, students, and prisoners; he was an untiring minister of reconciliation; he gave conferences to religious and preached popular missions in the parishes; he organized Christian formation for the youth, for adults, and for the clergy; he instituted and assisted orphanages; he promoted the Christian press, encouraged the missions, and was sensitive to the problems of the Christian East; he initiated the celebration of the Octave of the Epiphany to give witness to the unity and universality of the Church. Above all else, he was preoccupied with the glory of God and the salvation of souls. And the motivating force of all this apostolate directed towards the rekindling of faith was love, lived in its twofold dimensions: spiritual and temporal.
In the life and apostolic activity of St. Vincent the dominant objective, we might say the leaven that inspires all else, seemed to be his daily and continuous striving for holiness. Every moment of his life was aimed at God, the infinitely Holy. St. Vincent felt drawn to God, and thus he declared that God, Holiness in essence, with His own infinite Holiness, “destroys all my wickedness, and when I am completely negated, there remains in me only God: infinite, immense, eternal, incomprehensible”.
He died in Rome, at San Salvatore in Onda, on the 22nd of January, 1850. On the 22nd of January, 1950, he was proclaimed “blessed” by Pope Pius XII. On the 20th of January, 1963, he was canonized by Pope John XXIII, who said of the Saint:
“St. Vincent Pallotti is one of the more eminent figures of apostolic action of the 19th century. . . He was not satisfied by ordinary ministry. He was an innovator of new ways whereby people could come to know and love God”.
San. Vincenzo Pallotti – Modello di speranza
San Vincenzo Pallotti (1795-1850) fu un sacerdote romano e fondatore della Società dell'Apostolato Cattolico. Animato da un profondo desiderio di rinnovare la fede tra i cristiani e diffondere l'amore di Dio a tutti, dedicò la sua vita alla carità, all'evangelizzazione e all'unione dei fedeli nella missione apostolica.
Fin dalla giovinezza, San Vincenzo dimostrò una grande sensibilità verso i bisognosi. Durante la sua vita sacerdotale, si impegnò instancabilmente per aiutare i poveri, gli ammalati e gli emarginati di Roma. Fondò scuole serali gratuite per i giovani lavoratori e organizzò missioni popolari per portare la Parola di Dio nei luoghi più abbandonati. Un episodio significativo della sua vita fu la sua assistenza agli appestati durante un'epidemia a Roma: senza paura del contagio, si prese cura dei malati e amministrò i sacramenti, offrendo conforto spirituale e materiale.
San Vincenzo credeva fermamente che ogni battezzato fosse chiamato a essere apostolo e lavorò instancabilmente per promuovere la collaborazione tra sacerdoti, religiosi e laici. Il suo spirito missionario si concretizzò nella fondazione della Società dell'Apostolato Cattolico, con l'obiettivo di coinvolgere tutti i fedeli nell'opera evangelizzatrice della Chiesa. Il suo motto, "Caritas Christi urget nos" (L'amore di Cristo ci spinge), riassumeva il cuore della sua missione: vivere e diffondere l'amore di Dio senza limiti.
Il suo esempio continua a ispirare i giovani Pallottini nel loro cammino di fede e servizio. Che il Giubileo del 2025 sia un'opportunità per riscoprire il suo insegnamento e vivere con entusiasmo il carisma dell'Apostolato Universale, portando speranza e misericordia a tutti.
St. Vincent Pallotti – A Model of Hope
St. Vincent Pallotti (1795–1850) was a Roman priest and the founder of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate. Driven by a deep desire to renew the faith among Christians and to spread God's love to all, he dedicated his life to charity, evangelization, and uniting the faithful in the apostolic mission.
From a young age, St. Vincent showed great sensitivity toward those in need. Throughout his priestly life, he worked tirelessly to help the poor, the sick, and the marginalized in Rome. He founded free evening schools for young workers and organized popular missions to bring the Word of God to the most abandoned places. A significant episode in his life was his assistance to plague victims during an epidemic in Rome: without fear of contagion, he cared for the sick and administered the sacraments, offering both spiritual and material comfort.
St. Vincent firmly believed that every baptized person is called to be an apostle, and he worked relentlessly to promote collaboration among priests, religious, and laypeople. His missionary spirit took concrete form in the founding of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate, with the goal of involving all the faithful in the Church's evangelizing mission. His motto, "Caritas Christi urget nos" ("The love of Christ compels us"), summarized the heart of his mission: to live and spread God’s love without limits.
His example continues to inspire young Pallottines on their journey of faith and service. May the Jubilee of 2025 be an opportunity to rediscover his teaching and to live with enthusiasm the charism of the Universal Apostolate, bringing hope and mercy to all.
