Oct. 9 Saturday of the Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time; Optional Memorial of St. Denis, Bishop and Companions, Martyrs; St. John Leonardi, Priest; Feast of St. John Henry Newman, Priest (Eng/Wales), Weekday

St. John Leonardi (1543-1609), a zealous Italian apostle, founded the congregation of the Mother of God, whose priest-members traveled throughout Tuscany urging the people to a stronger interest in their religion. Fr. John Leonardi longed to convert pagans, but his spiritual director, St. Philip Neri, told him to remain in Italy. So instead he founded a seminary in Rome to train young men for the priesthood from all the mission lands.