Filippo Smaldone
Filippo Smaldone (27 July 1848 – 4 June 1923) was an Italian Roman Catholic priest and the founder of the Salesian Sisters of the Sacred Hearts. Smaldone is best known for his extensive work with the deaf during his lifetime. Smaldone was a gifted preacher known for his commitment to proper catechesis and to the care of orphans and the mute, which earned him civic recognition.
Smaldone's sainthood cause commenced in 1964 and in 1995 he became titled as Venerable under Pope John Paul II who soon after beatified him in mid-1996. Pope Benedict XVI canonized him as a saint of the Catholic Church on 15 October 2006 in Saint Peter's Square.
Patron saint of Salesian Sisters of the Sacred Hearts; Deaf people; Mute people
In the Martyrology
- June 4 Saint Filippo Smaldone, priest, and founder of the Salesian Sisters of the Sacred Heart