St Anthony Mary Zaccaria (1502-39) founder of the Barnabites
At
a time of laxity and abuses God seems to raise up charismatic figures
who can bring new life and hope into a tired Church. Anthony was from
Cremona.
He studied philosophy and medicine at Padua. Convinced that
people need spiritual as well as physical healing, he became a priest
and in 1530 founded a group that became known as the Barnabites.
Early life
Born at Cremona, a town of Lombardy
fifty miles south-east of Milan, Anthony's father died when he was two
and his mother, a widow at eighteen, devoted herself completely to
bringing up her son. Anthony studied philosophy and medicine at Padua.
He returned to his home town, but it is not clear if he actually
practised as a doctor.
Convinced that people need spiritual as well as
physical healing, he became a priest and in 1530 founded the Clerks
Regular of St Paul.
Pauline spirituality
At the same time a group of
women around Ludovica Torelli, Countess of Guastella, chose him as their
spiritual director and became a non-cloistered community known as the
Angelics of St Paul, sharing the same spirituality.
A third group, of
lay people, became known as the Marrieds of St Paul.
His aim
At a time of great laxity and corruption
in the Church, Anthony's aim was "to regenerate and revive the love of
divine worship and a properly Christian way of life by frequent
preaching and faithful ministry of the sacraments".
He emphasised
Pauline doctrine and devotion to the Eucharist.
Forty Hours
In 1539 his priests began working out
of the Church of St Barnabas at Milan and became known as Barnabites.
Anthony spread the Milanese custom of three days devotion to the
Eucharist - the Forty Hours.
And he introduced the custom of ringing
Church bells on Friday evening at three to mark the death of Christ. In a
context of laxity among the clergy, his zeal was probably an
embarrassment. He was twice denounced to Rome for heresy but each time
was exonerated.
Early death
Anthony wore himself out in the
service of Jesus and the poor and died aged thirty-six. His order,
however, survived, growing steadily, but never becoming very large.
His
priests chose to work among the poorest of the poor and the "excluded",
especially in big cities.
They spread to France, Germany, Belgium, the
Americas and they have a small missionary presence in Africa.
Pope Leo
XIII beatified Anthony in 1890 and canonised him in 1897.