Marco Pagani

Upon returning to Venice, Father Antonio taught canon law at the convent of San Francesco della Vigna, preached, and wrote spiritual works. Due to his vast theological and legal culture, he was sent by the Minister General of his order as a theologian to the Council of Trent (1561-1563), where he delivered a notable speech on the reform of the Church (Pro Ecclesiae reformatione). In 1565, the new Bishop of Vicenza, Matteo Priuli, who had appreciated him during the Council, chose him as his personal confessor and theologian. Settled at the San Biagio convent in Vicenza, Father Antonio actively engaged in the fight against the Lutheran heresy and in the implementation of the Tridentine reforms. It was in this context of renewal that he deployed his work as a founder, centered on the promotion of the laity and evangelization: on one hand, the Company of the Dimesse, founded in Vicenza on August 25, 1579, with the collaboration of Deianira Valmarana, a 26-year-old noble widow. Faced with the decrees of the Council of Trent, which imposed strict enclosure on all female religious communities, Father Antonio conceived an innovative structure. He suggested to Deianira Valmarana, her cousin Angela Valmarana, and Elisabetta Franceschini that they live together in adjacent houses connected by an inner courtyard, while maintaining a secular status. This stratagem allowed them to escape enclosure and actively dedicate themselves to contemplation, teaching catechism to young girls, and caring for the sick in hospitals. The term Dimesse recalls the virtue of humility that the founder placed at the heart of their lives. This company would later become the institute of the Dimesse Sisters Daughters of Mary Immaculate. On the other hand, the Company of the Brothers of the Cross, a male lay association (whose members were nicknamed the Margheritoni due to their link with the church of Santa Margherita in Arcugnano) to encourage prayer, penance, and charitable works among men. He also participated in the reform and reorganization of the Oratory of Saint Jerome in Vicenza. From 1583 to 1586, he obtained authorization to retire as a hermit in the Berici Hills, at Mount San Felice (or San Fise), above Lake Fimon. Accompanied by his young secretary and friend Orazio Barbieri, he led a life of intense prayer there and wrote his major works, including La pratica degli huomini spirituali and La Tromba della Militia Christiana. In 1586, his superiors ordered him to leave the hermitage because his example was sparking too many eremitic vocations among his confreres.

Father Antonio Pagani's journey toward holiness was marked by profound personal trials. He was the victim of slander and false accusations that led him to be subjected to an ecclesiastical trial. He endured these humiliations with heroic patience and strength, granting sincere forgiveness to his accuser as well as to the confreres who had doubted him. His unwavering trust in Providence and his abandonment to the divine will were the pillars of his spiritual life amidst the storms. In 1587, despite declining health, he participated in the General Chapter of the Observant Friars. After a final visit to the Dimesse of Vicenza, he was struck by fever and a severe asthma attack. He passed away on January 4, 1589, at the convent of San Biagio in Vicenza. His funeral was experienced by the local population as the triumph of a saint, and numerous graces were quickly attributed to his intercession.

The reputation for holiness of Father Antonio Pagani quickly led to the opening of several processes for his beatification: the ordinary process of Vicenza (1615-1623), the apostolic process of Vicenza (1624-1626), the apostolic process of Venice (1624-1627), and then a new apostolic process in Vicenza (1874-1877). His mortal remains, initially buried at the convent of San Biagio, were transferred to the Capuchins at the church of San Giuliano in Vicenza after the Napoleonic suppressions. On May 24, 1948, his relics were solemnly exhumed and transferred to the church of the convent of San Pancrazio in Barbarano Vicentino, where they still rest and are the object of great devotion. The cause for beatification saw a decisive advance in the 21st century. After the examination of the Positio by the historical consultants in 2016 and the theological consultants in 2021, Pope Francis authorized, on June 22, 2023, the promulgation of the decree recognizing the heroic nature of his virtues, thus officially conferring upon him the title of Venerable.

The spirituality of the Venerable Antonio Pagani rests upon an intimate union with the crucified Christ, lived in humility, poverty, and active charity. He insisted particularly on mental prayer, the regular practice of the sacraments, fraternal correction, and devotion to the Virgin Mary, of whom he was an ardent defender of the Immaculate Conception long before the definition of the dogma. His most lasting legacy remains the congregation of the Dimesse Sisters. Having become in the 20th century a religious institute of pontifical right under the name of Dimesse Sisters Daughters of Mary Immaculate (the official name adopted in 1966), the congregation continues its educational and charitable mission today. The sisters manage numerous educational establishments, notably in Padua and Udine, as well as works of formation and assistance in Italy and abroad, still embodying the ideal of living the Truth in Charity bequeathed by their founder.