Saint Philip Neri was born in Florence, Italy, in the year 1515. He was the
oldest son of Francis Neri and Lucretia Soldi, both descendants of Tuscan
families. He was kind hearted as a kid and soon became known as Philip the
Good - "the good Pippo." As a child, he studied philosophy and later he took
a comprehensive course in theology. With fourteen companions, he created
the Confraternity of the Most Holy Trinity for looking after pilgrims and
convalescents. The members met for Communion, prayer and other spiritual
exercises in the Church of San Salvatore, and Philip himself introduced the
idea of having exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at least once a month.
At these devotions, Philip preached, even though he had not yet become a
priest. In 1550, he transferred this Confraternity to the Church of the Holy
Trinity, and built a new hospital. His work continued and in 1551, he was
ordained a priest at the age of thirty-six.
As a newly ordained priest, Philip......
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