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 Council of Trent Issue: Saint Anthony Zaccaria Scott 112 (1946) The Church celebrates the Feast Day for Saint Anthony Zaccaria on July 5. He died on this day in 1539. The stamp above was issued to honor this saint as part of the iconic Council of Trent release in 1946. Anthony Zaccharia was born into a noble family in December of 1502 in Cremona, Duchy of Milan. His education included studies in philosophy and medicine, graduating from the University of Padua in 1524. He returned to Cremona and practiced as a physician for three years when, in 1527, he took up studies for the priesthood in Bologna. Zaccaria’s pivot to the religious life took place around the time that Martin Luther was attacking abuses in the Church, and while there was a simultaneous movement towards reformation within the Catholic Church. Zaccaria would become one of the early movers of the Counter-Reformation. In Milan, Zaccaria took inspiration from Saint Paul and laid the foundations of three religious congregations. For men, he established “The Clerics Regular of Saint Paul” (commonly known as the “Barnabites” after Barnabas, one of the great missionary’s companions). A female order of uncloistered nuns was titled “The Angelic Sisters of St. Paul” and a lay congregation for married people was named “The Laity of Saint Paul”. Given the reformational nature of his works, Zaccaria was at times criticized for what was seen as abuse and he soon gained a number of enemies. He was twice investigated for heresy and was acquitted both times. Undeterred, Saint Anthony would preach tirelessly, champion the administration of the sacraments, and conduct popular missions to espouse the aims of the orders.  Statue of Saint Anthony Mary Zaccaria Saint Peter's Basilica, Vatican City From Wikimedia Commons, in the Public Domain While on one of his missions, Saint Anthony became seriously ill and was brought home to Cremona, where he died of “natural causes” at the age of 36. His missions helped fuel an era of revival of Christian life in Italy and set the stage for the Council of Trent, which convened in 1545, six years after his death. The mortal remains of Saint Anthony Zaccaria are enshrined at the Church of Saint Barnabas in Milan, Italy. He was canonized for his works in 1897 by Pope Leo XIII. In addition to Saint Anthony Zaccaria and the Barnabites, the other saints and ‘new’ orders honored in the Council of Trent issue include those founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola (the Jesuits), Saint Angela Merici (the Company of St. Ursula) and Saint Catejan (the Theatines). REFERENCES: |
