Nicola Saggio

On September 29, 1671, Nicola pronounced his solemn vows as an oblate within the Order of Minims. A simple lay brother, he served humbly in several convents in Calabria (Longobardi, San Marco Argentano, Montalto Uffugo, Cosenza, Spezzano, and Paterno) as sacristan, gardener, cook, infirmarian, questor, and porter. In 1681, he was sent to Rome to the convent of San Francesco di Paola ai Monti. In 1683, he made a pilgrimage on foot to Loreto to implore the deliverance of Vienna from the Ottoman siege. Between 1694 and 1697, he supervised the expansion of the church of Longobardi before returning to Rome, becoming a sought-after spiritual advisor.

Although originally illiterate, Brother Nicola was endowed with profound infused knowledge and mystical gifts (visions of the Holy Trinity, ecstasies, prophecies). His holiness was expressed through his concrete charity, distributing soup to the destitute of Rome and visiting the sick. He offered himself as a victim of expiation for the Church during the pontificate of Clement XI. Stricken with pleurisy, he predicted his death and passed away peacefully in Rome on February 3, 1709, exclaiming: "Paradiso! Paradiso!".

His cause for beatification was introduced as early as 1716. He was beatified on September 17, 1786, by Pope Pius VI. On October 12, 1973, Paul VI proclaimed him patron of Longobardi. His canonization progressed thanks to the recognition of a miracle that occurred in 1938 (the unexplained survival of a mason who fell from a very high scaffolding). The decree was signed by Pope Francis on April 3, 2014, and he was solemnly canonized on November 23, 2014.

The spirituality of Saint Nicola Saggio is based on absolute humility, joyful penance (vow of Lenten life), and active charity, faithful to the charism of Saint Francis of Paola. His legacy remains alive in Longobardi, of which he is the patron saint, and in Rome. His relics are preserved in Rome and at the sanctuary of Paola. He remains a model of the alliance between mystical contemplation and the humblest daily tasks.