From: rich <richarra@gmail.com>

November 10th =E2=80=93 St. Andrew Avellino
(1521-1608)

It is no secret that during the Protestant Reformation many priests
and nuns fell away from the Catholic Faith because they had already =E2=80=9Clost their savor.=E2=80=9D The Catholic Counter-Reformation eventu= ally
succeeded in strengthening the Church because it produced bishops,
priests and religious who were truly the =E2=80=9Csalt of the earth.=E2=80=
=9D

A leading figure in this counter-reform effort was St. Andrew Avellino.

Andrew (originally Lancelot) Avellino was born near Naples, Italy, in
1521, a year when Martin Luther was just launching his great revolt
against the Catholic Church, Lancelot felt a special call to chastity,
so he entered the diocesan priesthood. He also won a degree in canon
law and began to practice law in the church courts. One day, however,
when pleading a case, he caught himself telling a lie. This moment of
untruth so disturbed him that he decided to give up church-law
practice entirely the devote himself only to the care of souls.

Father Lancelot proved to be so effective in his pastoral work that in
1556 the archbishop of Naples delegated to him to reform a Neapolitan
convent of nuns. The sisters of this convent had become notorious for
receiving visits from laymen friends, so Avellino faced no easy task.
In fact, the rebellion came to a point where the nuns' friends
ambushed him one day and severely wounded him. Despite his readiness
even to die if death would help him in this task, he got nowhere with
the nuns, so the church authorities eventually had to suppress their
convent. (People who need reforming cannot be corrected unless they
want to be!)

While recuperating from his wounds in a monastery of the Theatine
Fathers, Lancelot was attracted by the lifestyle of his hosts. St.
Cajetan had founded their order 30 years earlier. His purpose was to
train model priests to offset the scandals caused by unworthy priests.
Father Avellino decided to join their community in 1556. He now took
the religious name =E2=80=9CAndrew.=E2=80=9D

As he had been an outstanding diocesan priest, Fr. Andrew now became
an outstanding Theatine, named to offices of importance in his
congregation. The great reforming bishop of Milan, St. Charles
Borromeo, was impressed by this reforming priest and asked him to
found a Theatine monastery in his archdiocese. St. Andrew also founded
a house at Piacenza and promoted or ruled over other foundations
elsewhere in Italy.

Andrew's reformist efforts were principally those of a preacher and
home missionary. Because of the spread of Protestant doctrinal errors,
he had to preach not only on morals but on the doctrinal teachings of
the Church. But he was most persuasive both as a preacher and teacher.

At Parma for instance, he won over several noble ladies to more
spiritual outlook, so that several entered religious orders. This
caused a great stir, and some Parmesans reported to their ruler, the
Duke, that Avellino was =E2=80=9Cturning the city upside down.=E2=80=9D Whe=
n the Duke
called the saint onto the carpet, Andrew had no difficulty in
explaining his aims. The Duchess of Parma was so struck by him that
she chose him as her confessor.

Many other people throughout Italy were also led to change their lives
after listening to him. He was meanwhile training a new generation of
Theatines to carry on his work. One of these was Fr. Lawrence Scupoli,
whose little book The Spiritual Combat has remained a spiritual =E2=80=9Cbe=
st
seller=E2=80=9D up to the present time.

Miracles also occurred when St. Andrew was around. One day, for
example, a man who disbelieved in the Real Presence received Holy
Communion because of peer pressure. But then he slipped the Host out
of his mouth and wrapped it in his handkerchief. However, when he next
took out the handkerchief, he found it stained with blood. Repentant
and frightened, he hastened to seek advice from St. Andrew. The saint
published this miracle in praise of God, but he kept the man's name
secret to protect him from arrest for sacrilege.

I think that St. Andrew Avellino has two messages for us today. First,
he says to priests and religious: =E2=80=9CYou are the salt of the earth, preserve that savor.=E2=80=9D Secondly, he says to all of us: =E2=80=9CJesu=
s is truly
present in the Holy Eucharist. Receive Him only with the greatest of
reverence, and into hearts that are without sin.=E2=80=9D
=E2=80=93Father Robert


Saint Quote:
=C2 Speaking of the Messiah, John the Baptist prophesizes: "His
winnowing-fan is in his hand; he will clear his threshing-floor and
gather his wheat into his barn; but the chaff he will burn in a fire
that will never go out."=C2 [Matthew 3:12 ]

Bible Quote:
"Wherever you go, I shall go, wherever you live, I shall live, your
people will be my people, and your God will be my God."=C2 =C2 [Ruth 1=
:16]


<><><><>
Prayer

=C2 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his
great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you who by
the power of God are safeguarded through faith to a salvation that is
ready to be revealed in the final time."=C2 [1 Peter 1:3-5]<

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