When it is all over you will not regret having suffered; rather you will regret having suffered so little, and suffered that little so badly.'
--St. Sebastian Valfre
Blessed Sebastian Valfrè,
C.O. (9 March 1629 – 30 January 1710) was a
Catholic priest and a member of the
Oratory of Saint Philip Neri. He is called the
Apostle of Turin for his long years of service to the people of that city, where he served as the
provost of the local Oratory for many years.
Valfrè was born in
Verduno, then in the
Duchy of Savoy, now in the
Province of Cuneo in the
Piedmont region of Italy. He was
born to a poor family but through struggle and effort he managed to
attend various universities in the region, until he graduated from the
University of Turin.
Valfrè joined the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri in Turin on 26 May 1651, the
feast day of their founder, St.
Philip Neri, and was
ordained a priest on the following 24 February. He was awarded the degree of
Doctor of Theology in 1656.
In his ministry to the people of Turin, Valfrè gained a reputation for caring for the sick and as a
confessor with deep insight. He became the confessor for Duke
Victor Amadeus II of the
House of Savoy and many of the members of the
royal court. He had a strong concern too, though, for the poor and needy of the kingdom, finding help for the widows and orphans
and providing comfort to prisoners, whom he would visit. He eventually was offered the office of
Archbishop of Turin, but declined the appointment.
Fr. Valfre is known for his service to
the poor during the famine of 1678-80 and the 17-week siege of Turin
during the war between Piemonte and Louis XIV. He is still invoked as
patron of
military chaplains for his ministry to soldiers during the war.
Valfrè had a great devotion to the
Shroud of Turin, and he can be seen in an illustration from the period supervising some repair work done on it in 1694.
He also
had a concern for the religious education of the people, personally
instructing many in the teachings of the Catholic faith as found in the
Catechism of the
Council of Trent. Additionally, out his devotion to the
Blessed Mother, he inspired the duke to erect the
Basilica of Superga.
Valfrè's interests and influence were
not limited to the duchy. He helped to found the Pontifical Academy of
Ecclesiastical Nobles in Rome in 1701, which was established to train
diplomats
for the Papal States. Under its current name of the
Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, it still fulfills that function for the
Vatican City State.
Valfrè died in Turin on January 30, 1710,and his remains are now preserved in a silver urn in the Oratory Church of Turin.
He was beatified by
Pope Gregory XVI on 15 July 1834, with his feast day celebrated by the Congregation of the Oratory on 30 January.
