Blessed Juvenal Ancina was born
John Juvenal Ancina in 1545, the son of a successful Spanish businessman. His
father sent him to France to study medicine, but his excellent study habits
earned him the prestigious opportunity to end his studies at the University of
Turin with doctorates in both medicine and philosophy.
By age 24, he had built a thriving
medical practice in Turin largely due to his love for the poor, whom he treated
without charge. In his spare time, he immersed his love of philosophy through
his hobby of poetry-writing, scripting lovely sonnets in Italian and Latin. In
those days, his attitude towards spiritual things could be described at best as
lukewarm.
His
transformation arrived in his own “awakening” at a funeral mass, when the words
from the solemn Dies Irae opened his eyes. In an instant, he saw
that while he was good, God expected best. From that moment, he began to engage
in a life of prayer. He was offered a position as the personal physician of an
ambassador and therefore moved to Rome in 1575. There, Juvenal met and began
theological studies with Saint Robert Bellarmine. Through this friendship, he
began spiritual direction under St. Philip Neri and eventually was ordained a
priest with the Oratory.
A successful preacher, he was
credited with the transformation of many lives just by the words of his
powerful sermons. He is also noted for promulgating the “40 hours devotion,” a
practice of continuous prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. He befriended St.
Francis de Sales and often became the subject of Francis’ writings.
Despite his inner protesting and
his attempts to escape the ordination, Juvenal was named Bishop of Saluzzo in
1602. Through this apostolate, he was able to use many of his charisms such as
healing and prophecy. One of his last prophecies foretold of his own death.
A friar, upset by the fact that
Bishop Juvenal had uncovered his affair with a nun, poisoned him with tainted
wine at his monastery. He died a few days later. Juvenal Ancina was declared
“blessed” in 1869, as a bishop-confessor.
