PROFILE

Born	April 21st, 1795, Rome
Ordained	May 16, 1818 for the diocese of Rome
Called	The Second Apostle of Rome; Pioneer of Catholic Action
Founded UAC	April 4, 1835
Approved	July 11, 1835 by Pope Gregory XVI
Died	January 22, 1850
"Blessed"	January 22, 1950 by Pope Pius XII
"Saint"	January 20, 1963 by Pope John XXIII
Motto in life	Love of Christ urges us on…"
Context of Life	Rome - reeling under the aftermath of "French   Revolution", Catholics disinterested in expressing their   faith in God or in acts of love towards others.
Source of strength	Long hours of prayer & contemplation, profound           repentance and voluntary penance.

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Vincent Pallotti was born in Rome on April 21, 1795 to Peter Paul Pallotti (1755-1837) and Mary Magdalene De Rossi (1765-1827). According to Vin­cent, his father was an exemplary man with an abundance of virtues and his mother was a bride of the Blessed Sacrament having a compassionate heart toward the poor.

After attending grammar school at the Piarist Fathers in San Pantaleo, Vincent entered the Col­legio Romano for his secondary education and the University of Sapienza for his Philosophy and Theology. He was ordained a diocesan priest on May 16, 1818 and awarded the doctorates in Phi­losophy and Theology on July 15th of the same year. On March 4, 1819, he was entrusted with the task of Repetitor at the University of Sapienza and held this post until July, 1829. During this time he became quite involved in pastoral work at the evening school of Saint Nicholas of Incoronati and at the retreat houses for youth, soldiers and laymen at Ponte Rotto and Gianicolo. His zeal motivated him to care spiritually for many in the city of Rome: for the sick, for seminarians, reli­gious and lay people.

In 1834, Vincent was named Rector of the Nea­politan Church of the Holy Spirit in Via Giulia, at that time the main street of the city. Here he was besought by many for advice and spiritual direction.

On January 9, 1835. after celebrating the Sacred Liturgy at the Augustinian Monastery of Regina Coeli, Pallotti received from God the inspiration to found an organization which would give encou­ragement and support to the Apostolic ambitions of all Catholics. After receiving the approval of the Vicar of Rome, Carlo Cardinal Odescalchi and securing the blessing of the Vice-Gerent of Rome, Archbishop Antonio Piatti, Pallotti announced his new organization to the people of Rome and ap­pealed to them for support. On July 11, 1835, Pope Gregory XVI gave the Society his apostolic blessing.

From the beginning the Society's membership included priests, both diocesan and religious, and laypersons. After 1837 this unique organization also enrolled religious communities and other groups.

On January 6, 1836, the newly-formed Society celebrated the Octave of Epiphany to make the people of Rome aware of the great need for unity of faith in the bond of mutual charity, which was precisely the ideal and scope of the new Society.

Following the cholera epidemic of 1837, Pallotti and the members of the Society founded the Pious House of Charity for girls orphaned by the epi­demic. He also instituted his religious community of the Sisters of the Catholic Apostolate.

Aflame with love for the propagation of the Catholic faith, Vincent and his associates coope­rated with the Association of the Propagation of Faith founded by Miss Pauline Jaricot in Lyons; the members of the Society collected money for the missions and placed it at the disposal of the asso­ciation in Lyons. Also in 1837, Pallotti founded his College for Foreign Missions providing an opportunity for Italian diocesan priests to prepare themselves to go to the foreign missions.
His death on January 22, 1850 found Pallotti busy with many undertakings of spiritual and cor­poral works of mercy. But his real greatness was his holy life, filled with love of God in the practice of the heroic virtues.

His process of beatification began on February 18, 1852. On January 13, 1887, Pope Leo XIII signed the decree introducing the cause. On January 24, 1932, Pius XI declared the heroic virtues of Pal­lotti, calling him the Forerunner of Catholic Ac­tion. On January 22, 1950, Pius XII declared Pal­lotti a Blessed. On January 20 1963, Pope John XXIII declared him a saint. The same pontiff, on April 6, 1963, proclaimed St. Vincent Pallotti Pa­tron of the Missionary Union of the Clergy.

Although St. Vincent was not a writer in the strict sense of the word, he nevertheless did much writings. We are fortunate to have almost two thousand letters, three booklets on the Marian significance of the month of May (one for priests, one for religious and one for lay persons), hisSpiritual Diary, the unfinished booklet, God, the Infinite Love, and all his writings con­cerning the Pious Society of the Catholic Aposto­late.

Pallotti's style is the style of his time: long sen­tences, many repetitions and sometimes, as in the Month of May and God, the Infinite Love, an un­changing format. Nonetheless, he presents his ideas with clarity and with a logic that is truly valid and rational.

Understandably, as founder, he focused the majority of his writings on the Pious Society, its nature, its organization and its spiritual and apos­tolic rules. Painstakingly he corrected them, mak­ing adaptations and adjustments after considering the suggestions of competent critics.

We can only wonder at how one so heavily engaged in apostolic work could find time to write so much in such a short period of life. But if we can deduce from his words, we must admit, that his writings, especially concerning the Pious Society, were not without God's inspiration.

No doubt all Pallotti's thoughts, as a priest and founder, are reflected in his writings. But his ideals, his outlook, his desires can really be ex­plained in his burning love for God and men. His extraordinarily holy life of correspondence to divine grace supersedes every activity as a founder, pastor of souls or writer. Holiness of life supporting and nourishing positive efforts for the sanctification of all and the glory of God were Pallotti's fixed ideal and goal. In this he succeeded eminently, aided by God, the Infinite Love.