Giovanni
Battista de Rossi was born in the Piedmontese village of Voltaggio, in
the diocese of Genoa, and was one of four children. His parents, of
modest means, were devout and well esteemed.
A nobleman and his wife vacationing in Voltaggio, and impressed with
the ten-year-old John Baptist, obtained permission from his parents to
take him to live with them and be trained in their house in Genoa.
After three years, hearing of his virtues, John’s cousin, Lorenzo
Rossi, Canon of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, invited him to join him in
Rome. Thus John Baptist entered the Roman Jesuit College at thirteen.
Despite episodes of epilepsy, brought on by excessive zeal in imposing
harsh penances upon himself, he was granted a dispensation and was
ordained at the age of twenty-three.
From his student days he loved visiting hospitals. Now, as a priest
there was much more he could offer suffering souls. He particularly
loved the Hospice of St. Galla, a night shelter for paupers. There he
labored for forty years.
He also worked at the hospital of Trinita dei Pellegrini and extended
his assistance to other poor such as cattlemen who came to market at
the Roman forum. He had a great pity for homeless women and girls and
from the little that he made in Mass stipends, and the 400 scudi sent to
him by the Pope, he rented a refuge for them.
John Baptist was also selected by Pope Benedict XIV to deliver
courses of instruction to prison officials and other state servants.
Among his penitents was the public hangman.
In 1731 Canon Rossi obtained for his cousin a post of assistant
priest at St. Maria in Cosmedin. He was a great confessor to whom
penitents flocked, and as a preacher, the saint was also in demand for
missions and retreats.
On the death of Canon Rossi, Fr. John inherited his canonry, but
applied the money attached to the post to buy an organ, and hire an
organist. As to the house, he gave it to the chapter and went to live in
the attic.
In 1763 St. John Baptist’s health began to fail, and he was obliged
to take up residence in the hospital of Trinita dei Pellegrini. He
expired after a couple of strokes on May 23, 1764 at sixty- six years of
age. He died so poor that the hospital prepared to pay for his burial.
But the Church took over and he was given a triumphant funeral with
numerous clergy and religious, and the Papal choir, in attendance.
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