Today October 27

Today is the feast of Contardo Ferrini (1858 - 1902). I think this learned layman would make an excellent dinner guest. He spoke 12 languages, including ancient Hebrew, Coptic and Sanskrit. He could read and write in those languages, too. He enjoyed reading Scripture and classic texts in the original languages. He loved the law and was somewhat of an expert in Roman law. Of course, he was a professor -- at the University of Messina in Italy. But he was also a poet and a rockclimber, a celibate and a third-order Franciscan. He was quite the catch, evidently, and all those little old Italian ladies couldn't stop themselves from matchmaking. One said of a certain young lady, "When her father dies she will have so much. When her mother dies, so much. And when her uncle dies . . . " "Oh dear," interrupted Contardo, "What a lot of corpses!"

He used to tell his students he was married to his work. And he had, from a young age, thrown himself into his studies. He'd had all the normal attractions, the hormonal Sturm und Drang of adolescence, but he weathered the storm. He got a hold of himself and after much soul-searching, pledged himself to the single life for good. He was a layman all his life, dedicated to teaching law and law history. But he was un-flamboyantly devout, self-effacing and rigorous in following the precepts of the Church . . . even when he personally disagreed with them! Up til the Holy See said Catholics could not engage the new Piedmontese regime, Contardo was in favor of engagement. but as soon as the pope spoke, he complied, even though, as he said, "our abstention from the legislative assembly leaves our legislation unprotected from the most deplorable influences."

Later on, he allowed himself to be drafted for the city council in Milan (which WAS then allowed), and discharged his duty with all diligence. He tried his best to combat the evils of materialism, introduction of civil divorce, and attacks on religion in general.

He really HAD a place "on the lake" and when he said he was going to "the lake" on the weekend, he meant his father's small cabin on Lake Maggiore. He went there one time feeling weak, and deciding to climb the mountain nearby, which he thought would relax him, he only got worse. He died of typhus on October 17, with his father holding his hand. He was only 43! Pius XII said of him: He was a man who "gave an emphatic 'Yes' to the possibility of holiness in these days." Amen. Blessed Contardo Ferrini, pray for us.