Saintly Saturday - Blessed Pius IX


Blessed Pius IX was born May 13, 1792 in Senigallia, Italy to Count Girolamo Mastai-Ferretti & Countess Caterina Solazzi. His given name at birth was Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti. 

Bl. Pius IX was ordained a priest in 1819 & vowed only to be of service to the Church, not wanting any special honors due to his noble upbringing. And serve the church, he did! In 1825, he became Archbishop of Spoleto & in 1840, received the Cardinal's hat. On June 16, 1846, he was elected Pope & took the name Pius IX.

Throughout his pontificate, Pope Pius IX did the following (among many other things):

* 1854 - defined the Immaculate Conception of Mary, the dogma of the Church which decrees that Mary was conceived without Original Sin

* granted permission to the Redemptorist priests to move the Byzantine icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help to their church in San Alfonso, encouraging them to make Her known worldwide

* 1864 - convened the First Vatican Council, from which came the decree of papal infallibility 

* last pope to rule as Sovereign of the Papal States (fell to Italian Nationalists by the year 1870)

*  December 8, 1870, on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, proclaimed St. Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church

* 1875 - invited the faithful of the Church to consecrate themselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (He had beautified St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1864.)

For more information on Bl. Pius IX, you can visit the Vatican's website HERE.  

He was the longest reigning pope in the history of the Church - 32 years, from June 6, 1846 to his death on February 7, 1878. He was beautified in 2000 by St. John Paul II.

Blessed Pius IX, Pray for Us!

  

 

 


 

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