SAINT TODAY: St. Vincent Pallotti
St. Vincent Pallotti (1795 to 1850) was born in Rome and founded the Society of the Catholic Apostolate (The Pallottines) over 150 years ago.
On the 4th of April 1835 he founded the Union of Catholic Apostolate, bringing together lay people, women and men, Religious and Priests; united as a faith community for the common purpose of living and spreading the Good News.
He died on Jan. 22, 1850 at the center of his new community, the church of San Salvatore in Onda, Rome.
He was beatified by Pius XII on Jan. 22, 1950, and proclaimed a Saint of the Church by Pope John XXIII on Jan. 20, 1963.
St. Vincent Pallotti gave special emphasis to the fact that every Christian has received from Christ a special share in the mission of Christ for the Church and the world. He was aware that bishops, priests and religious cannot carry the total responsibility for evangelization. Lay people, too, have the obligation and the right to actively participate in the mission of the Church. This concept was new at the time of Vincent Pallotti, and to implement it he founded the Union of Catholic Apostolate. He meant this Union to be an association of lay people, priests and religious, who together would strive to awaken in all a consciousness of their call to the apostolate of Jesus Christ. Moreover, they are called to bring this consciousness to the entire world.
Pope PaulVI said that Pallotti teaches us “to respect the vocation of lay Christians by providing adequate opportunity for its mature development”.
Pope John Paul II speaking to the Pallottine Family in 1986 called on all members to “continue to multiply your commitment so that what Vincent Pallotti prophetically announced, and the Second Vatican Council authoritatively confirmed, might become a happy reality, and that all Christians might become authentic apostles of Christ in the Church and the world”.