Francis, the last of 12 children, was born in northern Italy into an
aristocratic family. He lived at a particularly turbulent time in
history, when anti-Catholic and anti-papal sentiments were especially
strong.
After
being trained as a military officer, Francis was spotted by King Victor
Emmanuel II, who was impressed with the young man's character and
learning. Invited by the king to tutor his two young sons, Francis
agreed and prepared himself with additional studies. But with the role
of the Church in education being a sticking point for many, the king
was forced to withdraw his offer to the openly Catholic Francis and,
instead, find a tutor more suitable to the secular state.
Francis
soon left army life behind and pursued doctoral studies in Paris in
mathematics and astronomy; he also showed a special interest in
religion and asceticism. Despite his commitment to the scholarly life,
Francis put much of his energy into charitable activities. He founded
the Society of St. Zita for maids and domestic servants, later
expanding it to include unmarried mothers, among others. He helped
establish hostels for the elderly and poor. He even oversaw the
construction of a church in Turin that was dedicated to the memory of
Italian soldiers who had lost their lives in the struggle over the
unification of Italy.
Wishing to broaden and deepen his
commitment to the poor, Francis, then well into adulthood, studied for
the priesthood. But first he had to obtain the support of Pope Pius IX
to counteract the opposition to his own archbishop's difficulty with
late vocations. Francis was ordained at the age of 51.
As a
priest, he continued his good works, sharing his inheritance as well as
his energy. He established yet another hostel, this time for
prostitutes. He died in Turin on March 27, 1888, and was beatified 100
years later.
Comment:
It
wasn’t Francis’ lack of scholarly ability or deep-down goodness that
almost kept him from the priesthood, but his bishop’s distrust of “late
vocations.” Until the later part of the 20th century, most candidates
for the priesthood entered the seminary right out of grade school.
Today no bishop would refuse a middle-aged applicant—especially someone
whose care for people in need is constant. Francis is a holy reminder
that God’s call to reassess our life’s direction can reach us at any
age.