St. Andrew Corsini – January 9 - Carmelite Saints
Summary:
Andrew was born at the beginning of the fourteenth century in Florence and entered the Carmelite Order there. He was elected provincial of Tuscany at the general chapter of Metz in 1348. He was made bishop of Fiesole on October 13, 1349, and gave the Church a wonderful example of love, apostolic zeal, prudence, and love of the poor. He died on January 6, 1374.
History:
Andrew Corsini was born in Florence on November 30, 1301, one of a family of twelve into the noble and devout Corsini family, to Nicholas Corsini and Peregrina (some sources suggest Gemma) degli Stracciabende. His family was among the most powerful in the prosperous Florentine Republic. He was named in honor of Saint Andrew, whose feast day it was.
Before the birth of Andrew, his parents offered him to the Blessed Virgin as the first fruits of their marriage. On the night of his birth, his mother had a dream that filled her with alarm. It seemed to her as if she had brought forth a wolf, who, fleeing to a church, was changed into a lamb. This was a picture of what was to happen to Andrew afterwards. His pious parents employed every care and precaution to bring him up in the fear of God, and though educated piously and as befitting his rank, he gradually fell into vice through the influence of bad company, an immoderate desire of play, and neglect of duty. Dissipation hurried him from one vice to another, until he was without affection for his parents, whom he disobeyed without remorse; so that all who knew him were full of apprehension for the future.
Meanwhile, his mother, mindful of her dream, sought consolation from Mary by continual prayer. One day, as Andrew was preparing for a party of pleasure, he spoke very disrespectfully to his mother. In response, she burst into tears and confided the depth of her affliction, saying, "Indeed, son, you are the wolf that I saw in my dream." Somewhat moved, Andrew asked, "What do you say, mother? Am I a wolf?" At this point, Peregrina recounted her dream and added that she had offered him to the Blessed Virgin before his birth. The impact of this revelation was so profound that Andrew could not sleep that night; the thought of his dedication to the Mother of God dominated his mind. At length, he exclaimed, "Virgin Mother, because I am thy servant, I will unceasingly serve thee."
At the break of day, he went to the church of the Carmelites. Prostrating himself before an image of Mary, he offered himself up to this merciful Mother, asking her to change this wolf into a lamb. He frequently repeated this prayer; at length, it was heard. When his prayer was answered, he resolved to serve the holy Virgin in a perfect manner. Thus, he went to the Carmelite monastery at Santa Maria del Carmine to consider his course. Despite his friends' protests, he decided to become a friar and asked the prior of the convent to admit him into the order. After being accepted, he demonstrated through the piety of his life that the dream of his mother was not an idle fancy. Later, upon entering the Order of the Carmelites, he was often afflicted by the devil with various temptations, but nothing could dissuade him from his resolution to enter religious life.
Corsini joined the Carmelites in Florence in 1318 for his novitiate and began a life of great mortification. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1328 and celebrated his first Mass in a hermitage to avoid the customary family celebrations. Corsini began preaching in Florence and was then sent for his studies to the University of Paris and later to Avignon, where he resided with his cousin Cardinal Pietro Corsini. He returned to Florence in 1332 and was chosen as prior of his convent. He became known as the "Apostle of Florence."
He joined the Carmelite community at the Carmine on the southern bank of the Arno before 1338. The community was known for its sanctity and regular observance. This was not a given amid the more tumultuous environment of religious life in the early Renaissance. After completing his studies in Florence, he taught the younger students in the community.
He was briefly transferred to Pisa in 1344. Soon after, he returned to Florence and happily resumed teaching. Advancement followed quickly because of his obvious quality of character. In 1347, the provincial chapter at Pistoia named him a councilor.
At the General Chapter in Metz, he was appointed Provincial of the Tuscan Province in 1348. At that moment, his leadership was tested, as Florence and all of Europe faced the Black Death. According to provincial records, over 100 Carmelites died of the plague. Andrew encouraged his brothers to keep their courage and worked to rebuild their physical and moral world. He did not have much time, as on October 13, 1349, Pope Clement VI appointed him Bishop of Fiesole, a hill town about 5 miles north-east of Florence.t first, he thought himself unworthy of the office and hid himself for a long time until he was found outside the city, where he was betrayed by the voice of a child, and, fearing to resist the will of God, he accepted the bishopric. Andrew arrived in March of the following year to take up his duties, and they were daunting indeed. Andrew faced not only the consequences of the Black Death but also a diocese neglected by his predecessors. It had been over a century since a bishop had actually lived in Fiesole, since it was more fashionable and comfortable to reside in Florence. The cathedral and the bishop's residence were crumbling from neglect. As bishop, Andrew lived among his faithful people in the old bishop's house and quickly set to work repairing both the material and spiritual damage to his diocese. He spared no energy to rebuild the cathedral, restore parish churches, and improve the moral life of his priests. He was an energetic and inspiring preacher and a generous friend of the poor and sick.
He continued to wear his Carmelite habit as bishop and went about establishing a small religious community around him, inviting two friars from the Carmine to live with him. He disbanded the large Episcopal retinue and reduced his servants to only six, who lived with the Carmelites as a religious community. He considered himself the "father and helper of the poor" and devoted special care to the sick in the wake of the devastating plague. Not only did he institute such works, but he was careful to ensure that donations and legacies for them went to the charities.
At Fiesole, he gained a reputation as a peacemaker between rival political factions and as someone who cared for the poor. Pope Urban V sent him to Bologna as a papal legate to heal the breach between the nobles and the people. "His family connections made him acceptable to the nobility, and his life of poverty endeared him to the poor, and he did succeed in bringing peace." He was so successful as a peacemaker for Fiesole and Florence that he was also called to reconcile factions in Prato and Pistoia.
Corsini enforced discipline among diocesan priests. In 1372, he founded a confraternity to encourage and sanctify priests. Long before the Council of Trent set strict guidelines for bishops and pastoral leaders, Andrew Corsini traced out a pattern for a true shepherd. He raised clergy standards by training, examining, and dismissing those he found unworthy. He also insisted that clergy live in their parish.
Throughout his life, he cherished a fervent devotion to Mary, his powerful protectress. He sought all opportunities to proclaim her praises. He practiced humility, a virtue he had always cultivated. He was also noted for the gift of prophecy, so his sanctity was proclaimed by all. Many miraculous healings were attributed to his intercession.
In 1372 or 1373, as he celebrated Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, the Blessed Virgin appeared to him. She told him he would leave this world on the feast of the Three Kings. It came to pass; he fell ill on Christmas night and died on January 6, 1373 or 1374, as foretold. The canons of Fiesole wanted to bury him in the cathedral, even though Andrew had expressed a desire to rest in the Corsini family tomb in Florence. With the help of the next bishop, Neri Corsini (Andrew's brother), a contingent of Carmelites stole his body during the night a month later. His remains were moved to Florence on the evening of February 2, 1374, and were later found to be incorrupt upon exhumation in 1385. An elaborate tomb was designed for him in the Carmine. That monument was obliterated in 1770 when a disastrous fire destroyed most of the church, although his body was not harmed. Andrew's memory continued to be venerated in both cities: he had been a devout religious, an outstanding bishop, a patriot, and a civic leader.
He was canonized by Pope Urban VIII in 1629. In 1675, after his canonization, the Corsini family built a chapel in the Carmelite church of Santa Maria del Carmine as a more suitable resting place for his remains. In 1702 or 1703, a statue in his honor was commissioned and placed along the colonnade in Saint Peter's Square. Pope Clement XII - born Lorenzo Corsini - erected in the Roman Basilica of Saint John Lateran a magnificent chapel dedicated to his kinsman in 1730.
Prayer:
God our Father,
You reveal that those who work for peace
will be called Your children.
Through the prayers of St. Andrew Corsini,
who excelled as a peacemaker,
help us to work without ceasing
for that justice which brings true and lasting peace.
We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
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