Father of the poor (1642 - 1720)
“Regarding Blessed Angelo Paoli, originally from Lunigiana who lived through the 17th and 18th centuries, I am happy to recall that he was the apostle of charity in Rome, given the title ‘Father of the poor’.
He dedicated himself especially to the sick in the hospital of San Giovanni, taking care also of convalescents. His apostolate drew its strength from the Eucharist and from devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, together with an intense life of penance. In the Year of the Priesthood, I warmly propose his example to all priests, and in a particular way to those who belong to institutes of active religious life.”
(Benedict XVI)
Who was Blessed Angelo Paoli? Blessed Angelo was born on 1 September, 1642 in Argigliano, in Casola in Lunigiana to Angelo and Santa Morelli. He was baptised in his city’s parish church and given the name Francis. He was the eldest among his three brothers and sisters. As a young boy, together with his younger brother Thomas, they joined a grammar course led by Fr Morelli, who was their mother’s brother and the assistant priest at Minucciano.
Four years following their mother’s death in 1654, the two brothers decided to enter religious life. Around the beginning of April in 1660, they went to the bishop of the diocese of Luni and Sarzana, Mgr Prospero Spinola, who gave them ministries. That same year, on 27 November, Francis and Thomas knocked on the door of the Carmelite Friars’ Priory of Cerignano, to be welcomed as religious. Thanks to the excellent references that they had, within a few days they were sent to Siena to be vested and to start their novitiate.
At the start of his novitiate, Francis was given the name Angelo in honour of his father, as was customary in those days. In December 1661, after completing his novitiate, he went to the Carmelite Priory of Pisa to start his philosophical studies. He was ordained a subdeacon on 20 December 1665 and deacon on 19 December, 1666. He was ordained priest and celebrated his first Mass on 7 January 1667 on the feast day of Saint Andrew Corsini.
Fr Angelo remained in Florence for seven years, where everyone knew him for his holiness as well as the zeal and love he showed towards the poor, and for his self-penance. Due to health reasons, in August 1674, his superiors sent him to stay with his family in Argigliano. Instead, Fr Angelo, withdrew to the mountains which surrounded his city, and spent a heremtic life practising penance among the shepherds. Every morning at sunrise, he would visit the Sanctuary of San Pellegrino in the Alps, to celebrate Mass. A month later, he left for Pistoia to follow the medical care he needed, and to rest. But also here, despite the state of his health, he worked among the poor and the sick in hospital.
In 1675 he was called to Florence to carry out the delicate work of taking care of the Novices. He was later appointed chaplain of Carniola di Empoli, and returned to the Siena priory. Later he went to Montecatini where he taught grammar. In 1682 he returned to Pisa for a short time until he finally went back to the priory of Cerignano, in 1683, where he was given work as a teacher, organist and sacristan. In Cerignano he gave his bed to a poor carpenter, while he spent his time in a cave praying and meditating.
On 12 May 1687 he was called to Rome to take up office as Master of Novices in the priory of Santi Silvestro e Martino ai Monti, but the real reason was to encourage the brothers to observe the Rule. In order not to neglect his religious commitments, and to teach young people, he managed to obtain permission from his superiors to devote his time to the poor and sick in the nearby hospital. As part of his service to the community, he fed 300 poor people daily, who would gather in front of the priory every morning. He would also visit the sick daily within the San Giovanni hospital. He established a foundation to help the convalescents. He would also visit and comfort prisoners.
Paoli was playing the organ on 14 January 1720 when a high fever struck him and confined him to his cell. He passed to eternal life a few days later on Saturday, 20 January at 6.45am and his remains were interred at Santi Silvestro e Martino ai Monti in Rome. The news of his death spread all throughout Rome. People visited his remains, which were brought over for the procession. Everywhere you could see people that were heartbroken by the death of this holy man exclaiming, “the holy friar died, the father of the poor died, Fr Angelo pray for us.” Some 300 years later, on 25 April 2010, Angelo Paoli was beatified in the Basilica of St John Lateran in Rome.
Let us pray to be inspired by his example to love the poor and the needy and help them as best we can.