Filippo Smaldone

Filippo Smaldone's masterwork is the foundation of a religious institute entirely dedicated to the deaf-mute, whom he considered worthy of total devotion. On March 25, 1885, he left Naples for Lecce, in Puglia, accompanied by several young women he had trained and with the assistance of Father Lorenzo Apicella, in order to open a house there for the education of the deaf-mute. From this initiative was born the Congregation of the Salesian Sisters of the Sacred Hearts (Suore Salesiane dei Sacri Cuori), of which the Lecce house became the motherhouse. A demanding pedagogue, Smaldone developed methods to instruct and catechize these children who had previously been deprived of religious instruction, wanting them to have full access to Christian life and autonomy. The work expanded rapidly: a second institute opened in Bari in 1897, followed by other houses, and the congregation expanded its action to young blind people and orphans. Concerned with the spiritual life of the clergy, he also participated in the animation of the Eucharistic League of Adoring Priests. His action combined educational competence and concrete charity toward the most destitute.

The holiness of Filippo Smaldone rests on the close union between an intense life of prayer and tireless service of charity. Deeply Eucharistic, he drew from adoration the strength for his apostolate, making the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary the center of his devotion and that of his congregation. Pope Benedict XVI would describe him as "a priest with a great heart, nourished continually by prayer and Eucharistic adoration," and above all "a witness and servant of charity." Smaldone saw in the deaf-mute the image of God and exhorted others to serve them with almost religious respect. His reputation for holiness, already vivid during his lifetime due to his dedication to the marginalized, was confirmed after his death. His life illustrates the link, in the words reported by Benedict XVI, between "the indivisible love for the Eucharist and love for one's neighbor," with attention to the poorest springing from the encounter with Christ in the sacrament. Patience, humility, and perseverance in a difficult and little-recognized work characterize his spiritual journey.

The cause for the beatification of Filippo Smaldone was introduced in 1964. Recognized as venerable on July 11, 1995, under the pontificate of John Paul II, following the approval of a miracle attributed to his intercession, he was beatified by the same pope on May 12, 1996. A second miracle, examined in the early 2000s and approved by the competent dicastery and then by the pope, paved the way for his canonization. Pope Benedict XVI inscribed him in the catalogue of saints on October 15, 2006, in Saint Peter's Square, during a celebration in which Rafael Guízar Valencia, Rosa Venerini, and Théodore Guérin were also canonized. In his homily, the pope emphasized that Smaldone was "above all a witness and servant of charity, which he manifested in an eminent way through the service of the poor, in particular the deaf-mutes." His liturgical feast is set for June 4, the anniversary of his death.

The legacy of Filippo Smaldone continues through the Congregation of the Salesian Sisters of the Sacred Hearts, which he founded in Lecce and which today pursues his educational and charitable mission for deaf persons, as well as the blind, children, and the most destitute, in several countries. Considered the "apostle of the deaf-mutes," he is held as the patron of deaf and mute persons as well as the institute he founded. His remains are kept in the motherhouse of the congregation. His figure remains a reference for the pastoral care of persons with hearing impairments and for a charity that recognizes the presence of Christ in the weakest. The celebration of the first anniversary of his canonization, reported by the missionary press, was an opportunity for the Salesian Sisters of the Sacred Hearts to reaffirm their commitment to this mission. His example continues to inspire the union, which he lived, between Eucharistic adoration and concrete service to the marginalized.