St Cajetan

Today we celebrate the feast day of St. Cajetan. During St. Cajetan’s life he had originally settled to live an “ordinary” life which was a life as a lawyer, however he decided to later become a priest and he engaged in the work of the Roman Curia.

St. Cajetan’s life had taken a characteristic turn when he was able to join the Oratory of Divine Love which was located in Rome. This group that he joined was truly devoted to piety and charity. When he was around the age of 42 he was able to found a hospital for incurables at Venice. While in Vicenza, he was able to join a “disreputable” religious community, this community had consisted only of men of the lowest classes of life. He sought out the sick and poor of the town so that he may be able to serve them and provide them care and love.

The greatest need during that time was the need of reformation of a Church. St. Cajetan and his three other friends had decided that the best start to the path to reformation was in reviving the spirit and zeal of the clergy. Together they were able to found a congregation that was known as the Theatines from Teate where their first superior-bishop had his see. One of the friends had later become Pope Paul IV.

They were later able to escape to Venice after their house in Rome had been destroyed by Emperor Charles V’s, after his troops had sacked Rome during the year 1527. The Theatines were outstanding among the Catholic reform movements that had taken place right before the Protestant Reformation. St. Cajetan had founded a monte de pieta which is translated to a mountain or fund of piety which is located in Naples, and is one of the many different charitable, nonprofit credit organizations that had lent money on the security of pawned objects. The purpose of this organization was to be able to help the poor and protect them. St. Cajetan’s little organization had later become the Bank of Naples, with great changes in policy.

St. Cajetan’s feast day is celebrated on August 7.

Prayer to St. Cajetan

St. Cajetan help us to place our attention on serving others so that we may be able to strengthen our devotion and intimacy with Christ. St. Cajetan help us to keep everyone in our prayers and help us to offer up our pain and suffering so that others may feel better.

Amen

St. Cajetan pray for us

St. Joseph pray for us

May we continue to strengthen our journey to sainthood and keep others in our prayers.

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Works cited

Information (read from, not taken):

Franciscan media. “Saint Cajetan. ”Saint Cajetan | Franciscan Media. Accessed August 7, 2021.

Images:

San Gaetano dei Conti di Thiene. August 7, 2021. San Gaetano dei Conti di Thiene - Google Search