Richard Pampuri

Saint Richard Pampuri, O.H.
Religious
Born	2 August 1897 Trivolzio, Pavia, Kingdom of Italy
Died	1 March 1930 (aged 32) Milan, Kingdom of Italy
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church (Brothers Hospitallers of St. John of God)
Beatified	4 October 1981, Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City, by Pope John Paul II
Canonized	1 November 1989, St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City, by Pope John Paul II
Major shrine	the Parish of Trivolzio, Pavia, Italy
Feast	1 May

Richard Pampuri, O.H., (2 August 1897 – 1 May 1930), was an Italian medical doctor and veteran of World War I who died after a short period as a member of the Brothers Hospitallers of St. John of God. He is honored as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church.

Early life

He was born Erminio Filippo Pampuri, on 2 August 1897 in Trivolzio, Pavia, the tenth of the eleven children of Innocenzo Pampuri and Angela Campari. When he was three years of age his mother died and he was then taken into the home of his mother's sister, at Torrino, a village near Trivolzio. In 1907 Pampuri father died in Milan.

As a young boy Pampuri wanted to become a missionary priest, but was dissuaded from this on account of his delicate health. In his youth Pampuri attended two primary schools at nearby villages and then went to Milan where he attended a junior high school. He completed his high school studies as a boarder at Augustine's College, Pavia, where after graduation, he enrolled in the Medical Faculty of Pavia University. Whilst at university he was an active member of Pavia University's Severino Boezio Club for Catholic Action. He also belonged to the St. Vincent de Paul Society and the Third Order of St. Francis.

Between the years 1915 and 1920, Pampuri was in the fighting zone of World War I. He served firstly as a sergeant and later went into training as an officer in the Medical Corps. On 6 July 1921, he graduated at the top of his class in Medicine and Surgery.

Professional career

After a three years of practical experience with his uncle, who was a doctor, and for a short time as temporary assistant in the medical practice at Vernate, he was appointed to the practice of Morimondo in Milan. In 1922 he passed his internship with high honours at the Milan Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

In 1923 Pampuri was registered at Pavia University as a General Practitioner of Medicine and Surgery. When he arrived at Morimondo to practice medicine, he gave valuable assistance to the parish priest and helped him to set up a musical band and a Catholic Action Youth Club of which he was the first president. Both of these under the patronage of St. Pius X. He was also secretary of the Parish Missionary Aid Society. Pampuri would eventually leave his practice to become a religious.

Religious Life

Pampuri joined the Brothers Hospitallers of St. John of God at Milan on 22 June 1927 so as to follow the way of evangelical holiness more closely and at the same time to be able to carry on his medical profession so as to alleviate the suffering of his neighbour. He entered the Brothers' novitiate at Brescia. At that time he was given the religious habit of the Order and the religious name of Richard. When he had completed the year of training, he made his profession of religious vows as a member of the Order on 24 October 1928. He was then appointed director of the dental clinic attached to the St. John of God Brothers' Hospital at Brescia. This was mostly frequented by working people and the poor. Brother Richard untiringly gave himself fully to serving them with such wonderful charity that he was admired by all.

Death

Pampuri suffered a fresh outbreak of pleurisy, which he had first contracted during his military service, and this degenerated into specific bronco-pneumonia. On 18 April 1930 he was taken from Brescia to Milan, where he died in sanctity on 1 May at the age of 33 years: "leaving behind the memory of a doctor who knew how to transform his own profession into a mission of charity; and a religious brother who reproduced within himself, the charism of a true son of St. John of God".

Legacy

After his death, Pampuri's reputation of sanctity, which he demonstrated throughout his life, greatly spread. Many of the faithful received significant graces from God, even miraculous ones, through his intercession. The two required miracles were accepted and he was beatified by His Holiness John Paul II on 4 October 1981. Later on, a miraculous healing credited to Pampuri's intercession, took place on 5 January 1982 at Alcadozo, near Albacete, Spain. This was approved as a miracle and so, on the feast of All Saints, 1 November 1989, he was solemnly canonized by Pope John Paul II.

Pampuri's remains are conserved and venerated in native Parish Church of Trivolzio.

References

• Riccardo Pampuri: The communion of saints and prayer
• Biography at the Vatican website
• Biography at Hospitallers of Saint John of God site