Saint Nunzio Sulprizio (1817 - 1836)

Publisher's note: at the time of this article's publishing, St. Nunzio Sulprizio had not yet been canonized.

Feast Day: May 5
Canonization: To be canonized Oct. 14, 2018
Patron of the disabled, blacksmiths, and workers

Blessed Nunzio Sulprizio proves that a young person and a worker can be a saint.

Born in 1817 in Italy, Nunzio Sulprizio was an orphan who was raised by his maternal grandmother until he was nine.

He was then taken in by a cruel uncle who exploited him, forcing him to work in his blacksmith shop. Sulprizio found refuge in befriending Jesus before the Tabernacle.

Sulprizio was afflicted by gangrene in one leg, which would force him to walk with a cane the rest of his short life. He was known to devote his time comforting the sick, and was considered by those who knew him to be a gentle and pious soul.

Sulprizio contracted bone cancer, and died from the illness shortly after his 19th birthday. Blessed Pope Paul VI beatified him in 1963. On June 8, 2018, Pope Francis confirmed the miracle needed for his canonization. Blessed Nunzio Sulprizio will be raised to the altars on Oct. 14.