Joseph of Leonessa

Saint Joseph of Leonessa was born in 1556 at Leonessa in central Italy, baptized Eufranio Desiderio. Orphaned at twelve, he was educated by an uncle who hoped to arrange a secure future for him. Yet after a serious fever in his teens, Eufranio discerned a deeper call and entered the Capuchin Franciscans near Assisi, professing vows in 1573 and taking the name Joseph. A tireless preacher, he traveled through the towns of Umbria, Lazio, and the Abruzzi, calling souls to repentance with a life marked by severe fasting and simple poverty. In 1587 he was sent to Constantinople to serve Christians held captive in the Ottoman galleys. There he cared for the sick during plague and boldly preached the Gospel, suffering imprisonment and a brutal near-martyrdom when he sought to speak to the sultan. Returning to Italy, he poured himself into “home missions,” feeding pilgrims, teaching catechism, and organizing practical works of mercy for the poor. He died at Amatrice on February 4, 1612. He is venerated as patron of Leonessa (and also Fairfax), and his feast day is February 4.