Blessed Marco Antonio Durando, C.M. (1801-1880)

Born in Italy, he joined the Vincentian Fathers and was ordained in 1824. Although he wanted to serve in China, from 1829 until his death Marco Antonio served at the house of Turin. He preached missions throughout Piedmont, in which he emphasized God’s mercy. In the course of the missions, he also worked to instigate direct service to the impoverished. Two years after his arrival in Turin, he was named Superior. One of his early efforts was to help bring the Daughters of Charity to Piedmont, where they served in civilian and military hospitals. He sent them to the battlefront of the Crimean War in 1855. In 1837 Marco Antonio became Superior of the Province of Northern Italy, a position he held until his death. In this capacity he preached retreats for priests and provided spiritual direction, at the request of the archbishop of Turin, to the Sisters of St. Joseph. He served other communities of women religious, including the Sisters of St. Ann, the Poor Clares, and the Repentant Sisters of St. Magdalene. In 1855 he founded the Brignole-Sale School, the purpose of which was to prepare priests to serve in foreign missions. When approached by young women who were not able to enter religious communities because they did not meet canonical requirements, he sent them to serve the sick in their homes, an early kind of in-home hospice care. Servant of God Luigia Borgiotti agreed to become their leader. This group became known as the Company of the Passion of Jesus the Nazorean.
(From Vincent Wiki)