Blessed Sebastian Maggi

His successes in letters were so great that he became for his brothers not only a model through his examples, but also a light through his doctrine. Having been raised to the priesthood, he gave himself, by the order of his superiors, to the ministry of preaching, and applied himself above all to properly regulating the morals of the peoples to whom he announced the word of God, and his sermons produced abundant fruits. He converted a great number of sinners, reconciled enemies, and restored or strengthened piety in several cities of Italy.

The virtue and merit of Sebastian led to his being chosen successively as prior of various convents of his Order. Everywhere he led his religious to the practice of evangelical perfection and to the exact observance of their Rule; but he never required anything of others in this regard that he had not fulfilled himself first.

Full of zeal for the salvation of souls, he noticed, while he was governing the house of Our Lady of Grace in Mi lan, Milan Italian city where the saint has an altar and an annual feast. that he and his brothers were not as useful to the people as he desired, because this house was situated in a remote place and the faithful could not conveniently come there to hear the word of God. He therefore formed the project of building a large church in the middle of the city, the construction of which he undertook. With the help of abundant alms that he received from pious persons, and especially fr om Beatrice, Duchess of Mi Béatrix, duchesse de Milan Duchess of Milan and penitent of Sebastian Maggi. lan, who had chosen him as her confessor, he successfully brought his enterprise to completion.

The Friars Preachers Frères Prêcheurs Religious order to which the saint belongs. of Lombardy had formed a particular Congregation. The servant of God governed it twice in the capacity of superior; but this dignity did not cause him to change anything in the austerity of his way of life. His prayer was continual; to it he joined a profound contempt for himself and practices of mortification by which he chastised his body and applied himself to reducing it to servitude. Attentive to maintaining the exact observance of the Rule, while he governed his brothers, he acquired, through his conduct, not only among his own, but also in the public, a reputation for piety even greater than that which he already enjoyed.

Having gone, in his old age, to Ge noa t Gênes Place of the saint's death and burial. o visit the convent of Saint Ma ry of the Castle, he ha Sainte-Marie du Château Dominican convent in Genoa where he died and was buried. d knowledge of his death, and, turning to his companions, he told them that this would be the place of his rest. This holy religious, having received the last Sacraments, died in peace in the year 1494. As soon as the news of his death had spread, the inhabitants of Genoa came in great numbers to venerate his body.

The precious remains of the Blessed were first interred in an inconspicuous place; but they were later placed in a more suitable manner in the church of Saint Mary, where they have long been honored, and where, it is said, numerous miracles have occurred. Pope Clemen t XIII, havi Clément XIII Pope who granted indulgences for the cult of Saint Gregory. ng acquired the certainty that the cult of the servant of God had never been interrupted, approved it on December 9, 1769, and permitted the celebration of his feast.

Conti nuators o Godescard Hagiographer and source of the text. f Godescard.