St. John Leonardi who was canonized by Pope Pius XI, in 1938, was one of the greatest figures among the Italian clergy in the sixteenth century. God’s intervention was marvelously manifest in his works; he was indeed one of the workers whom God raises up in His Church to extend His kingdom. As a young priest he devoted himself to training a group of youths in Christian perfection. In 1574, he founded the congregation of the Clerks Regular of the Mother of God at Lucca, not far from his native village of Decimi. Gradually his influence as an ardent champion of the Catholic Faith against Protestant errors made itself felt throughout Italy. He was equally zealous for the conversion of the heathens and collaborated with Cardinal Vives in founding the Propaganda College, which has sent out so many holy missionaries. St. John Leonardi died in the hospital Santa Maria in Porticu at Rome in 1609 the victim of his devoted care of the sick and plague-stricken.