Antonio Maria Zaccaria, Priest

Antonio was born into a wealthy family in Cremona, Italy in 1502. His parents, Lazzaro and Antonia had been married a year when he was born. His father died a year after his birth. His mother, only eighteen at the time her husband’s death, devoted her life to Antonio. She taught him about God and his mercies and about Jesus. To give him an appreciation for those around him in Cremona who were not as well off, she had Antonio distribute alms to those in need. He became a doctor, and later a priest, founding a religious order to serve the ill.

God’s calling to us may come in steps. This saint found that his study of medicine helped him to see to the physical ills of the people of Milan. Soon, he found that this was only the first step in what God was asking of him.