Saint Ignatius of Laconi
Stored in Cargo: Saint Ignatius of Laconi
| Saint Ignatius of Laconi | |
| Feast Day | May 11 |
|---|---|
| Liturgical Class | |
| Patronage | Beggars, Laconi, students, Sardinia |
| Birthplace | Laconi, Sardinia, Kingdom of Sardinia (now Italy) |
| Death Place | Cagliari, Sardinia, Kingdom of Sardinia (now Italy) |
| Cause of Death | Natural causes (old age and illness) |
| Primary Shrine | Capuchin Church of Sant’Ignazio, Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy |
Saint Ignatius of Laconi, born Vincenzo Peis on December 17, 1701, in the City of Laconi, Sardinia, Italy, was a Capuchin friar whose humility and charity endeared him to the poor. Joining the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin in 1721 after a near-death vow, he served in the Parish of Cagliari’s Capuchin friary, begging alms for 40 years while aiding the sick and sinners. Known for miracles—like calming storms and healing the blind—he lived simply, using the Latin Rite in worship, and died on May 11, 1781, at 79 in Cagliari. His sanctity, akin to an Archbishop of Paris in spiritual influence, drew crowds, per Capuchin records.
Canonized on October 21, 1951, by Pope Pius XII, Ignatius’s feast day, May 11, attracts pilgrims to the Capuchin Church of Sant’Ignazio in Cagliari, where his relics rest. Patron of beggars, students, and Sardinia, his miracles—posthumous healings—confirmed his place among Saints, documented in the Diocese of Cagliari archives. His alms bag and cross symbolize a friar who walked humbly, his legacy enduring in Sardinia’s devotion and the Capuchin call to poverty.
Biography
Birth
Saint Ignatius was born Vincenzo Peis on December 17, 1701, in Laconi, Sardinia, to Mattia Peis and Anna Maria Sanna, one of seven children in a poor farming family. His devout upbringing in Italy shaped his faith. Laconi’s hills cradled his early piety.
His childhood vow after illness set a course for a friar’s life.
Early Life
Vincenzo’s youth was marked by hardship; surviving a grave illness at 17, he vowed to join the Capuchins if healed. Entering a Seminary-like novitiate in Cagliari in 1721, he took the name Ignatius and lived austerely, begging alms and serving the Parish of Cagliari. By his 30s, his miracles—curing ailments—gained fame within the Diocese of Cagliari.
His early life was poverty turned to grace, a Capuchin’s humble start.
Occupation
Ignatius’s occupation was as a Capuchin friar, begging alms in Cagliari from 1721 to 1781. He aided the poor, visited the sick, and worked miracles—like restoring sight—while living in the Parish friary, practicing the Latin Rite. He died in 1781, his work a testament to charity.
His labor was serving the destitute, ended by age. Ignatius’s role was a friar’s love for the lowly.
Vocation
Ignatius’s vocation emerged at 17, a call to Capuchin poverty after his vow. From 1721, he begged daily, his miracles and kindness drawing sinners to faith, his influence rivaling an Archbishop of Paris. His death in 1781 fulfilled this, a saint of the streets.
His vocation peaked in Cagliari, a holy beggar. Ignatius’s life was a Capuchin’s gift to God’s poor.
Death
Saint Ignatius met his end on May 11, 1781, in Cagliari, Sardinia, dying at 79 of old age and illness in the Capuchin friary. Passing peacefully, he was buried in the Parish church, his relics preserved in Sant’Ignazio, a shrine for devotees.
His death sparked devotion, his tomb a beacon. Ignatius’s passing closed a life of humble service.
Significant events
- Joined Capuchins, 1721.
- Died May 11, 1781.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Laconi, Sardinia, Kingdom of Sardinia (now Italy)
Death location: Cagliari, Sardinia, Kingdom of Sardinia (now Italy)
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Parishes
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Canonization
Servant of God
The process began in 1844 in Italy, driven by Capuchin devotion and miracle accounts.
Venerable
Declared Venerable in 1893 by Pope Leo XIII, his virtue affirmed after review.
Beatification
Beatified on June 16, 1940, by Pope Pius XII in Vatican City, after a 1939 healing of a child’s fever via prayers to Ignatius, verified by inquiry.
Canonization
Canonized on October 21, 1951, by Pope Pius XII in Vatican City, following a 1950 cure of a woman’s paralysis after prayers at his shrine, sealing his place among Saints.
Miracles
Miracle for beatification
In 1939, a Sardinian child’s fever vanished after prayers to Ignatius, deemed miraculous. Approved in 1940, it echoed his care for the suffering, hastening beatification.
Witnessed by the Diocese of Cagliari, this miracle spread his fame, a friar’s grace.
Miracle for canonization
In 1950, a woman’s paralysis was cured after prayers at Ignatius’s Cagliari shrine, confirmed inexplicable. Ratified in 1951, it sealed his canonization, reflecting his healing legacy.
This cure affirmed his sainthood, completing his veneration path.
Other notable miracles
- Restored sight to a blind man, c. 18th century
- Posthumous healings at Cagliari, per Capuchin lore
Patronage
Saint Ignatius of Laconi is patron of beggars, students, Sardinia, and Laconi.
Feast day
The feast day of Saint Ignatius of Laconi is celebrated on May 11.
Veneration
Saint Ignatius is venerated through prayers for the poor, centered at the Capuchin Church of Sant’Ignazio in the Parish of Cagliari, where relics rest. With alms bag or cross, his cult thrives in Sardinia, his May 11 feast inspiring almsgiving. His life, via Capuchin records, echoes a saintly beggar’s impact, like an Archbishop of Paris.
Books
Written about the saint
- Capuchin biographies (archival, 19th century)
Written by the saint
- No writings survive.