Notre Dame de Rouen. The façade of the Gothic Church in France. Photographer: Hippo1947. Licence: SHUTTERSTOCK.

Tuesday 10 November 2020

Saint Andrew Avellino. Confessor. Feast Day, Today, 10 November.


Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless otherwise stated.

Saint Andrew Avellino.
   Confessor.
   Feast Day 10 November.

Double.

White Vestments.


English: Statue of Saint Andrew Avellino, by sculptor Pedro Alonso de los Ríos (1641–1702), at the façade of St. Emilian and St. Cajetan's ChurchMadridSpain
Español: Estatua de San Andrés Avelino, obra del escultor Pedro Alonso de los Ríos (1641–1702), en la fachada de la Iglesia de San Millán y San Cayetano de Madrid (España).
Photo: 4 July 2009.
Source: Own work.
Author: Photograph: Luis García (Zaqarbal).
(Wikimedia Commons)

Saint Andrew Avellino was born at Castro-Nuovo, Sicily, at the time in the Kingdom of Naples, in 1521. He had to resist violent temptations: "He might have done wrong," says the Epistle, "and did not." He studied Law, but, afterwards, became a Priest, and, from that time, he pleaded only in The Ecclesiastical Court.

One day, a slight untruth escaped him at the Ecclesiastical Bar, and, a short time after, he read the following passage of Holy Scripture: "The mouth that utters untruth kills the Soul". He was so struck by it that he gave up his career at The Ecclesiastical Bar and joined The Theatines, or Clerks Regular of Saint Paul, at Naples. On account of his great love for The Cross, he was given the name of Andrew.

Having become Superior of The Institute (Communion), he devoted his time to Prayer and the care of Souls. He died at Naples in 1608, at a very advanced age, at the foot of the Altar where he was to Celebrate Mass.

Mass: Os justi.
Commemoration: SS. Tryphon, Respicius and Nympha.


English: The body of Saint Andrew Avellino
Português: San Paolo Maggiore, Nápoles.
Photo: 5 February 2015.
Source: Own work.
Author: José Luiz.
Attribution: © José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro / CC-BY-SA-4.0
(Wikimedia Commons)


NET TV - City of Churches.
"Saint Andrew Avellino Church,
Flushing, Queens, New York.
Available on YouTube at

The following Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia.

Saint Andrew (Andrea) Avellino (1521 – November 10, 1608) was an Italian Saint. Born at Castronuovo, (today, Castronuovo di Sant'Andrea), a small town in Sicily, his Baptismal name was Lancelotto, which, out of love for The Cross, he changed into Andrew when he entered The Order of Theatines.

From his early youth, he was a great lover of Chastity. After receiving his elementary training in the school of Castronuovo, he was sent to Venice to pursue a course in the Humanities and in Philosophy. Being a handsome youth, his Chastity was often exposed to danger from female admirers, and, to escape their importunities, he took Ecclesiastical Tonsure.

Hereupon, he went to Naples to study Canon Law and Civil Law, obtained the Degree of Doctor of Laws and was Ordained Priest at the age of twenty-six. For some time, he held the Office of Lawyer at the Ecclesiastical Court of Naples. One day, while pleading the cause of a friend, a lie escaped his lips in the heat of argument. When, soon afterwards, his eyes fell upon the passage in The Bible, "The mouth that belieth, killeth the Soul."


English: Fresco of Saint Andrew Avellino, Church of Sant'Antonio AbateMilan, Italy.
Italiano: Chiesa di Sant'Antonio Abate a Milano, seconda cappella a destra (di S. Andrea
Avellino). Ercole Procaccini il Vecchio (attribuito a), Apoteosi di Sant'Andrea Avellino
Photo: 20 May 2007.
Source: Own work.
Author: G.dallorto
(Wikimedia Commons)

The Archbishop of Naples now commissioned him to reform a Convent at Naples, which, by the laxity of its discipline, had become a source of great scandal. By his own example and his untiring zeal, he restored the religious discipline of the Convent, but not without many and great difficulties.

Certain wicked men became exasperated at the Saint's interference and, one night, he was assaulted and severely wounded. He was brought to the Monastery of The Theatines to recuperate. Here, however, he resolved to devote himself entirely to God and he entered The Order of Theatines, which had but recently been founded by Saint Cajetan. On The Vigil of The Assumption, he was Invested, being then thirty-five years of age.

After completing his Novitiate, he obtained permission to visit the tombs of The Apostles and The Martyrs at Rome, and, upon his return, was made Master of Novices. After holding this Office for ten years, he was elected Superior. His holy zeal for strict religious discipline, and for the purity of The Clergy, as well as his deep humility and sincere piety, induced The General of his Order to entrust him with the Foundation of two new Theatine Houses, one at Milan, the other at Piacenza.


English: Side Altar of The Theatine Saint, Andrew Avellino,
Church of Saint Cajetan, Salzburg, Austria.
Deutsch: Kajetanerkirche am Kajetanerplatz, Salzburg, Linke Nebenkapelle,
Altar mit Bild des Theatinerheiligen Andreas Avellino (von Jacob Zanussy, 1712)
und Kopie des Gnadenbilds der Mutter vom Guten Rat zu Genazzano.
Photo: May 2008.
Source: Own work.
(Wikimedia Commons)

By his efforts, many more Theatine Houses rose up in various Diocese of Italy. As Superior of some of these new Foundations, he was so successful in converting sinners and heretics by his prudence in the direction of Souls, and by his eloquent Preaching, that numerous Disciples thronged around him, eager to be under his spiritual guidance.

One of the most noteworthy of his Disciples was Lorenzo Scupoli, the author of that still popular book "The Spiritual Combat". Saint Charles Borromeo was an intimate friend of Avellino and sought his advice in the most important affairs of The Church. He also requested Avellino to establish a new Theatine House in Milan.

On 10 November 1608, when beginning The Holy Sacrifice of The Mass, he was stricken with apoplexy, and, after devoutly receiving The Holy Viaticum, died the death of a Saint at the age of eighty-eight. In 1624, only sixteen years after his death, he was Beatified by Pope Urban VIII, and, in 1712, was Canonised by Pope Clement XI.

He is Venerated as Patron Saint of Naples and Sicily, and invoked especially against a sudden death. His remains lie buried in the Church of Saint Paul, at Naples.

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