Neri, Saint Philip

born July 21, 1515, Florence

died May 26, 1595, Rome; canonized 1622; feast day May 26

Roman Catholic mystic.

He went to Rome to pursue religious studies in 1533. In 1548 he cofounded a society of laymen dedicated to the care of pilgrims, the poor, and the sick. After his ordination in 1551 he moved to the community of San Girolamo della Carità in Rome. From 1564 to 1575 he was rector of the church of San Giovanni, and in 1575 Gregory XIII granted him Santa Maria in Vallicella, where he established his Congregation of the Oratory, a group of priests and clerics engaged in devotion and charitable activities. One of the outstanding mystics of the Counter-Reformation, he was noted for his eloquence as a preacher.

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▪ Roman Catholic saint

Italian  San Filippo Neri  

born July 21, 1515, Florence

died May 26, 1595, Rome; canonized 1622; feast day May 26

 Italian priest and one of the outstanding mystics during the Counter-Reformation and founder of the Congregation of the Oratory (now the Institute of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri, also called Oratorians), a congregation of secular priests and clerics. He went to Rome c. 1533, where he tutored, studied, and undertook many charitable works. In 1548 he founded a society of laymen dedicated to the care of the poor, convalescents, and pilgrims. After ordination in 1551 he moved to the ecclesiastical community at San Girolamo della Carità in Rome. There he held religious conferences that became so popular that a large room was built over the church nave to accommodate his audiences. This room was called the Oratory, a name that subsequently referred to those who met there and to the devotional, charitable, and recreational activities that Philip instituted, including musical performances (hence “oratorio” (oratorio)).

      Philip was rector of the church of San Giovanni from 1564 to 1575, during which period he ordained his disciples. In 1575 Pope Gregory XIII granted him Sta. Maria in Vallicella, where he established the Institute of the Oratory. A house was built for the priests, and Philip, elected provost of the congregation in 1577, resided there after 1583.

      Although Philip helped influence Pope Clement VIII to absolve (1595) King Henry IV of France from excommunication, he had little to do with contemporary political events. Noted for his personal spirituality, he underwent numerous ecstatic religious experiences, and many miracles were attributed to him.

Additional Reading

Meriol Trevor, Apostle of Rome (1995; originally published in German, 1986); Paul Türks, Philip Neri (1995); Louis Bouyer, St. Philip Neri: A Portrait (1995; originally published in French, 1979).

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