Blessed Sebastian Valfre

The attraction to the ecclesiastical state did not take long to manifest itself in young Sebastian. His pure morals, the liveliness of his mind, his happy memory, everything about him suggested that he would later be a worthy minister of the altars; but the meager resources of his parents were an obstacle to the fulfillment of his desire to pursue his studies; his tears and prayers flowed to obtain this favor and he was sent to Bra to begin them. Soon his progress in piety and letters surpassed all the hopes that had been conceived for him. He frequently approached the sacraments, carefully avoided bad company, and showed the greatest submission to his masters. His merit and talent raised him above his fellow students; but these successes, which so often swell the hearts of young people, could not alter his humility.

Sebastian, having completed his initial studies, applied himself successively to those of philosophy and theology. Faithful to his vocation, he dedicated himself to God without reservation, receiving the subdiaconate in Turin in the month of December 1650. His ardor for pe rfect Turin Capital of Piedmont where she resided. ion soon led him to enter

in the C ongregation of the Oratory congrégation de l'Oratoire Society of secular priests founded by Bérulle in 1611. , which had just been established in that city. A nuncio of the Holy See had, through his pious solicitude, brought about this establishment, which was struggling to sustain itself; the subjects who presented themselves did not feel the courage to settle there and withdrew. More generous than the others, the virtuous subdeacon did not allow himself to be discouraged by the difficulties that usually accompany the beginnings of the best works; he attached himself firmly to this nascent institution, of which he later became both the support and the glory. Scarcely had he been promoted to the diaconate when, giving himself to work with a zeal that never faltered, he began his entirely apostolic life. It was through catechisms, through instructions on the truths of religion, through his prayers, and through assiduous service at the church that he first manifested his desire to pr ocure the glory of God Le marquis de Pianezze Prime Minister to the Duke of Savoy and benefactor of the Oratory. and the salvation of souls. The Marquis of Pianezze, prime minister to the Duke of Savoy and even more famous for his virtues than for the high rank he held in the world, frequented, as did his wife, the poor chapel of the priests of the Oratory. The modesty and piety of Sebastian and his confreres touched the couple so deeply that they took an interest in the success of the establishment and assisted it several times with abundant alms.

The congregation of Turin, after several trials it had to endure, ended up being filled with the most abundant blessings of the Lord and becoming established in a way that seemed miraculous. The servant of God, attentive to this guidance of Providence over his house, believed that he would be more useful there if he were invested with the priestly character. Not yet having the age required for the priesthood, he obtained a dispensation from the Holy See, and was ordained on February 24, 1662, in the cathedral of Alba and in the diocese to which he belonged by birth. This dignity only increased his charity and his zeal. Consecrated without reserve to the service of his congregation and the faithful, he used all the time he could spare to instruct the people and to administer the sacraments to them. The desire to make his ministry fruitful inspired in him a great love for study; he devoted himself to it with such success that it was deemed necessary to raise him to the rank of doctor of theology, despite the reluctance that his humility made him feel for this distinction. But study did not occupy him so much that he forgot to strive for perfection; on the contrary, his continuous application was to work at acquiring all the priestly virtues, and to become a holy priest, formed on the model of his founder, the illustrious Saint saint Philippe de Néri Founder of the Oratory and a model for Sebastian Valfré. Philip Neri.

After having thus strengthened himself more and more in virtue, in the spirit of prayer and recollection, Father Sebastian, who lived in a way only to be of service to his neighbor, devoted himself entirely to the spiritual and bodily relief of all the unfortunate. He instructed them, reconciled them with God, consoled them, and relieved them with his alms; the poor in the hospitals, the prisoners, the beggars, and the infirm were the constant objects of his solicitude. It was especially in the old hospital of Saint-Jean-Baptiste that he loved to announce the word of God to the infirm who lived there. His virtue and zeal attracted, after some time, common people who came from outside to hear him. He took advantage of this good disposition to preach there every Friday; and the crowd was so great that the place in which he spoke was entirely filled. Encouraged by this success, he undertook to instruct the idle and the vagabonds who were in Turin in the truths of salvation. To achieve this goal, he went to the public square; and, with Turin Capital of Piedmont where she resided. another pious priest, he would begin a dialogue on some article of faith or on some important maxim of religion. This method served to fix the attention of his listeners; and he took advantage of it to teach them the most essential points of Christian doctrine, to correct them of their faults, to lead them to devotion, and to inspire in them a horror of sin. For several years, it was in the Wine Square that the servant of God regularly engaged in this good work, because it was one of the place au Vin Site of public preaching in Turin. places in the city most frequented by the class whose conversion he especially had in view. People went there eagerly, listened to him with respect, and he accomplished great good there. His relations with the various ranks of society made him realize that the salvation of servants in wealthy houses was quite neglected. He gathered them in a private oratory, taught them to serve God while serving their masters, to avoid the vices produced by idleness, to abstain from obscene speech when they were gathered together, to frequent the sacraments, and to receive them with fruit. He assembled them every Saturday; and there, in a fervent exhortation, he reminded them of the truths he had already taught them, and cast into their hearts precious seeds that subsequently produced abundant fruits of salvation. Nothing escaped the attention and charity of the holy priest when it came to the good of souls. The beggars who came to ask for alms at the door of the Oratory house only received them after he had taught them some devout prayer or how to properly fulfill some religious duty. On the day when the distribution was made to them, he took the opportunity to teach them the catechism. He would stop on the roads to question them regarding Christian doctrine. Returning once from the countryside to Turin around noon and in very hot weather, he saw on the side of the road a very old and blind beggar; he approached him, questioned him with kindness to know if he had recited his prayers in the morning and if he had not confessed for a long time. The blind man replied that he had other things on his mind. It took no more than that to excite his zeal. Despite the heat of a burning sun, he spoke to him in detail about the necessary dispositions for a good confession, made him promise that he would come to find him, gave him alms, embraced him with affection, and then took leave of the beggar, leaving one of his confreres who was accompanying him in admiration of his charity.

Soldiers were also the objects of the Blessed's solicitude. He would go to find those of the Turin garrison in their barracks, especially during the Easter season, taught them the catechism after gathering them together, instructed them on how to live in their profession in a Christian manner, and then gave each of them some small gift. Among these soldiers, there were sometimes those who were Protestant and who, far from shunning him, willingly listened to him speak on matters of religion. But if he treated with kindness those among these Protestants who did not show themselves to be declared enemies of the Catholic Church, he watched with extreme care to prevent other individuals of the same sect, who sought to dogmatize in Piedmont, from spreading their errors among the people; he fought them at every encounter. On various occasions, he reduced to silence, by the strength of his arguments, several heretical ministers who had wanted to enter the lists with him: and, after having convinced them, he had more than once the consolation of bringing them back into the bosom of the Church.

Although occupied almost continuously with instructing, hearing confessions, and winning simple believers to God, or relieving their bodily necessities, Sebastian did not neglect his confreres. His merit and virtue had placed him at their head in the capacity of superior. He fulfilled with zeal all the duties that this important office imposes. The spiritual good of his inferiors interested him above all; he wanted them to become men devoted to prayer, interior and recollected. He required that they be exact in rendering service to their neighbor and that they be present at the tribunal of penance, whether or not penitents presented themselves, at the hour marked for this function. In order to engage them in it more effectively, he told them that he had in this way had the consolation of bringing back to the Church an apostate who, seeing him without occupation at the confessional and with a book in his hand, approached him and, yielding to the impulse of grace, made him an humble confession of his errors.

It is impossible to report all the kinds of good works to which the servant of God devoted himself during the course of his life. We will content ourselves with saying here that his preaching, his alms, and his eager care for the unfortunate and the afflicted earned him the glorious title of Apostle of Turin. He ended his holy career with a death precious in the eyes of the world. Although he had reached the age of eighty-one, he was still working with ardor for the salvation of souls. The fatigue he experienced on January 24, 1710, caused an inflammation in his throat that soon became fatal. Entirely detached from the things of the earth and perfectly submissive to the will of God, he saw death without fear. After having received the sacraments of the Church with admirable fervor, he peacefully rendered his spirit to his Creator on the 30th of the same month. He had performed several miracles during his life; more occurred at his tomb. These wonders and the perfection of his virtues le d Pope Gregory XV pape Grégoire XVI Pope who established the liturgical feast of the blessed. I to beatify him on May 26, 1831. The ceremony of his beatification took place in Rome with great pomp in the Vatican basilica on August 31, 1834.

Contenances de Godeau.