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Concept
Simpliciano of the Nativity
Summary
Simpliciano of the Nativity (11 May 1827 – 25 May 1898) – born Aniello Maresca – was a Franciscan priest and the founder of the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Hearts (SFSC/FSSH) in Santa Balbina, Rome, Italy.
Simpliciano of the Nativity was born at Meta in the Campania region of southern Italy on May 11, 1827. He was baptized on the same day as Aniello Francesco Maresca in the Church of the Madonna del Lauro. Very little is known about his earlier years except for his prowess in Latin and his fondness for frequenting activities in the Franciscan churches which abounded in the area. In his adolescent years he enrolled as a nautical student. One year, during the Feast of Saint Aniello (a Franciscan), he heard a panegyric about the saint which may have inspired him to follow the ancient call of his heart. Thus, at the age of seventeen, he joined the Order of the Friars Minor (Franciscans of the Strict Observance) in Naples.
As a young friar, he dedicated himself to theological studies and was devoted in his prayer life and asceticism. After his ordination as a priest, he was appointed "guardian" in the convent of Portici, where he used one wing of the convent to provide free education for poor children.
On June 5, 1869, he was called to serve as the Secretary General of the Franciscan Alcantarines at the Roman Curia. A need arose for an additional chaplain at the Consolazione Hospital, in the department specifically intended for women prostitutes who were mandated by the Italian government to undergo periodic clinical check ups. The post was offered to him and he accepted it readily with the blessing of his Superior. During his free time, he heard confessions while he officiated regularly at Mass. In one of his masses, he gave a sermon on the "Parable of the Lost Sheep". Immediately after the service, fifteen young girls sought his counsel, telling him that they wanted to go back to the path of Christian moral life. After that, with the blessing of his Superior, Bernardino Portogruaro, he took upon himself the mission of helping to alleviate the plight of these girls.
Official source
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