St. Ignatius of Laconi

St. Ignatius of Laconi was born in 1701 in the village of Laconi on the island of Sardinia, the son of poor and pious parents, and died at Cagliari on 11 May 1781. After a grave illness in his youth, during which he vowed to give himself to religious life, he entered the Capuchin Franciscans as a lay brother and spent the long remainder of his life in humble and hidden service to his community and to the poor.

For some forty years he served as the questor, or official beggar, of his friary in Cagliari, going daily through the streets of the city to gather alms for the friars and for the needy; gentle, cheerful, and deeply prayerful, he became beloved by all, and many sought his blessing and his counsel, for his simple holiness was joined to a reputation for miracles and for reading the secrets of hearts. He accepted the hardships of his life and a painful final illness with serene patience. Canonized in 1951, he is commemorated on 11 May.