Vincenzo Romano was canonized on October 14, 2018, in Rome by Pope Francis. Vincenzo was canonized alongside Pope Paul VI, Oscar Romero, and four others. Vincenzo’s hands-on ministry in his hometown earned him the sobriquet “The Worker Priest,” and he presents a model for pastors everywhere of simple, self-giving holiness.

On June 3, 1751, Nicola Luca and Maria Grazia Romano welcomed their third son to the family. They baptized him Vincenzo, after their favorite saint, the miracle-working Dominican, St. Vincent Ferrer. The young Vincenzo developed a love for Jesus from a young age. He read the widely-published devotions of St. Alphonsus Ligouri and he fostered a deep devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. Early in his childhood, it became clear that Vincenzo was going to follow in his older brother Pietro’s footsteps and become a priest. His father briefly tried to persuade him to be a goldsmith but he quickly saw that that was a lost cause.

Despite some difficulties finding a patron to pay for his seminary education, Vincenzo began studying for ordination in Naples at the age of fourteen. He was ordained a priest on June 10, 1775. He celebrated his first Mass in his home parish of Santa Croce, in his hometown of Torre del Greco. Fortuitously, he was assigned to Torre del Greco as his first assignment as a young priest. He became well-loved by the orphans and poor of Torre del Greco, among whom he worked with seemingly unlimited energy.

During the summer of 1794, the irascible Mount Vesuvius erupted and showered ash and destruction on Torre del Greco. Vincenzo’s beloved Santa Croce sustained damage as well, and Vincenzo lived up to his nickname “The Worker Priest” by organizing the efforts to rebuild the church building.

Vincenzo dedicated his homilies to catechetical instruction of his parishioners, and he devoted himself to proper Christian formation for everyone—from the poorest child in the parish to each of the seminarians in his care. Vincenzo died on December 20, 1831, and is buried in his beloved Santa Croce.

Vincenzo did not write acclaimed theological treatises or travel very far from his hometown, but he is a universal witness to holiness. He cared for his flock faithfully in times of natural disaster and in the simple everyday struggles of communal life. Vincenzo lived Christ’s humble, hidden life in Nazareth in Torre del Greco, and his faithful imitation of Christ has yielded the Church a new saint and a beautiful model of faithful priesthood.

St. Vincenzo Romano, tireless shepherd for the people of God—pray for us!