Vincenzo Maria Sarnelli

Vincenzo Maria Sarnelli (5 April 1835 – 7 January 1898) was an Italian Catholic archbishop. He served as the Bishop of Castellammare di Stabia from 1879 to 1897 and then as the Metropolitan Archbishop of Naples from 1897 to 1898. Following the opening of his beatification process, he was named a Servant of God.

Biography

Early life Vincenzo Maria Sarnelli was born on 5 April 1835 in Naples, Italy to Nicola and Adelaide. He was baptized on the day of his birth. At the age of seven, he was orphaned and received his First Communion at the age of ten. He was then confirmed on 2 June 1846.

He began studying law at the University of Naples and, while there, decided to enter the priesthood. He was ordained a priest on 20 December 1862 and continued his studies, with a theological-juridical specialization. The Archbishop of Naples, Cardinal Sisto Riario Sforza, sent Sarnelli to Rome to further study canon law from 1868 to 1869. During the Italian cholera epidemic of 1884, he was awarded the Medal of the Presidency of the Italian Republic for his ministry to the afflicted and for his material generosity to the poor. Shortly after becoming Archbishop of Naples, Sarnelli became ill and, on 2 January 1898, died and was buried in the cemetery of Santa Maria del Pianto.

Beatification process Sarnelli was said to have predicted his own death. Shortly after his death, the cause of canonization was begun, thereby posthumously conferring on him the title Servant of God. It was said that during his time as bishop, Sarenlli never spent more than one lira per day, donating the rest of his income to the poor and the maintenance of the cathedral.

On 7 January 1898, the vicar capitular of Naples, Carbonelli, placed Sarnelli's body in "canonical deposit", as was custom when there where tumultuous circumstances and a process of beatification was beginning. By 6 July 1898, a postulator had already been appointed to investigate the cause. The Compassionist Sisters, of which Blessed Maria Maddalena Starace (a close friend of Sarnelli) was the founder, undertook support of Sarnelli's cause in 1999, and on 17 November 1999, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints granted the Archbishop of Naples the ability to authorize the start of the beatification process. On 6 July 1973, his remains were moved to the Church of Santa Maria Avvocata, of which he was once pastor.