Giacomo Benefatti (died 19 November 1332) was an

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

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priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...

and professed member of the

Order of Preachers The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of Cal ...

who ascended to the position of

Bishop of Mantua The Diocese of Mantua ( la, Dioecesis Mantuana) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Italy. The diocese existed at the beginning of the 8th century, though the earliest attested bishop is Laiulfus (827). ...

. Benefatti became noted for his tender care of the ill during epidemics of plague and both

Pope Benedict XI Pope Benedict XI ( la, Benedictus PP. XI; 1240 – 7 July 1304), born Nicola Boccasini (Niccolò of Treviso), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 22 October 1303 to his death in 7 July 1304. Boccasini entered the ...

- a close personal friend - and Pope John XXII held him in high esteem. Benefatti's reputation for personal holiness endured in the centuries after his death and the confirmation of his local 'cultus' - or popular devotion - allowed for Pope Pius IX to confirm the late bishop's beatification on 22 September 1859.

Life

Giacomo Benefatti was born in

Mantua Mantua ( ; it, Mantova ; Lombard and la, Mantua) is a city and '' comune'' in Lombardy, Italy, and capital of the province of the same name. In 2016, Mantua was designated as the Italian Capital of Culture. In 2017, it was named as the Eur ...

at some point in the mid 1200s to nobles. He enrolled in the

in 1290 and was later

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform ...

to the priesthood. He acquired his master's degree in his theological studies from the

University of Paris , image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of Arms , latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis , motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin) , mottoeng = Here and a ...

and later earned his doctorate in theological studies. Benefatti became a close and personal friend of the fellow Dominican friar Cardinal Niccolò Boccasini who later ascended as

. The new pontiff appointed him as a papal legate and then appointed him as the

at the beginning of 1304. Benefatti decided to raise funds for refurbishing churches in the diocese as well as rebuilding the

Mantua Cathedral Mantua Cathedral ( it, Cattedrale di San Pietro apostolo; Duomo di Mantova) in Mantua, Lombardy, northern Italy, is a Roman Catholic cathedral dedicated to Saint Peter. It is the seat of the Bishop of Mantua. History An initial structure proba ...

. As a bishop he attended the coronation of

King Henry VII Henry VII (28 January 1457 – 21 April 1509) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizure of the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death in 1509. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor. Henry's mother, Margaret Beaufo ...

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

and participated in the

Council of Vienne The Council of Vienne was the fifteenth ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church and met between 1311 and 1312 in Vienne, France. One of its principal acts was to withdraw papal support for the Knights Templar at the instigation of Phil ...

. He also knew

Ludovico I Gonzaga Ludovico I Gonzaga (1268 – 18 January 1360) was an Italian lord, the founder of the Gonzaga family who was the first capitano del popolo of Mantua and imperial vicar. Biography Born in Mantua, he was the son of Guido Corradi and the grandson o ...

when the latter aided in providing donations for the cathedral renovation. Bishop Benefatti became noted among the faithful of the diocese for his careful attention to poor people as well as for his ardent dedication to the ill during a period of plague epidemic. He also served as a papal legate for Pope John XXII. The pontiff held him in high esteem and in 1320 conferred

episcopal consecration A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

on Benefatti who had not received it at that point - but sources differ on whether it was in 1320 or back in 1304 after being appointed as bishop. He earned the moniker of the "Father of the Poor". Benefatti died on 19 November 1332. His remains were found to be incorrupt in 1480 after the Dominican church he was interred in was undergoing reconstruction and his remains were found to be still incorrupt in 1604. His remains were moved to the diocese's main cathedral in 1823.

Beatification

Benefatti's beatification received ratification on 22 September 1859 once Pope Pius IX confirmed the local 'cultus' - or popular veneration - to the late bishop existed after his death and endured through the centuries.

References

External links

Saints SQPN
{{DEFAULTSORT:Benefatti, Giacomo Year of birth unknown 1332 deaths 14th-century venerated Christians 14th-century Italian Roman Catholic bishops Beatifications by Pope Pius IX Bishops of Mantua Italian beatified people Members of the Dominican Order Venerated Catholics Venerated Dominicans University of Paris alumni Italian expatriates in France

Life

Beatification

See also

References

External links