Blessed Sebastian Valfrè
Blessed Sebastian Valfrè (1629–1710) was a holy priest, well-known for his pastoral works throughout Turin. He was respected in hospitals, where he regularly visited the sick, and consoled them with his presence, the sacraments and by preaching the word of God. He was recognised in the marketplaces for his public preaching. His most beloved work, however, was that of teaching the catechism to large groups of children at midday on Sundays — a duty he began soon after joining the Oratory in Turin and continued for most of his life. In all these works he saw Our Holy Father Saint Philip as the model of the perfect priest. Blessed Sebastian’s perseverance in his priestly works was a true mark of his sanctity.
However, the sanctity of Blessed Sebastian also arose from his struggles to conform himself to Saint Philip. Saint Philip was gentle and kind, whereas Blessed Sebastian was said to be harsh and short-tempered. Saint Philip could easily immerse himself in deep prayer at any time and would often spend hours in an ecstatic state. Blessed Sebastian, on the other had, was said to have found it hard to concentrate and could not easily engage himself in mental prayer — but his soul would always find peace and focus at the point of consecration during Mass. Although these difficulties made him suffer interiorly, Sebastian’s Christian joy in the spirit of Saint Philip was in constant evidence in his life in the Oratory.
These struggles did not affect Blessed Sebastian’s faith in any way. In fact, his life has become a model of perseverance and a great source of hope, offering many examples of the strength of his faith. Sebastian, who had a great devotion to the Shroud of Turin and would visit it every Friday, was entrusted with the delicate task of repairing it in 1694. With great reverence and care, he worked to mend the Shroud, seeing in this labour an act of love and devotion to the suffering Christ. “The Cross received the living Jesus and gave him back to us dead; the Shroud received the dead Jesus and restored him to us alive.” Blessed Sebastian knelt for hours as he did his work, speechless, with tears flowing down his cheeks as a testament of love.
Blessed Sebastian was aware of his imperfections. He also allowed himself to be led by the gentle spirit of Saint Philip, overcoming his personal difficulties to the extent that other people considered him to be another Saint Philip. It was his will to do the will of God despite his personal struggles and he succeeded by having Saint Philip as his patron and defender, as his guide to the port of eternal bliss. May we be able, like Blessed Sebastian, to acknowledge our imperfections and seek the guidance of Saint Philip in overcoming them.