Saint Gaetano of Thiene

Saint Gaetano of Thiene 450th Anniversary of Death Aerogramme 1998 The Vatican City aerogramme for 1998, issued on March 24, commemorated the 450th anniversary of the death of Saint Gaetano of Thiene, the principal founder of the Congregation of Clerics Regular, or Theatines. We also know him by the name of Saint Cajetan of Thiene. In addition to appearing on the aerogramme above, this saint appeared on one of the stamps from the Council of Trent issue of 1946, which is shown at the bottom of this article. Gaetano dei Conti di Thiene was born on October 6, 1480, into the noble family of the Count Gaspare da Thiene. He studied law in Padua, and would eventually be ordained in September of 1516, joining the Oratory of Divine Love in Rome. In 1518, he returned to Vicenza and continued his charitable activities, and in 1520 went to Venice to help found a hospital for incurables. Apparition of the Holy Family to San Cajetan by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (circa 1735) From Wikimedia Commons, in the Public Domain He returned to Rome in 1523, where in 1524, along with three companions (Bonifacio da Colle, Paolo Consiglieri and Gianpietro Caraffa—the future Pope Paul IV) he helped found the “Clerici regulares”, an order of priests who worked for Christian reform within society. They came to be called the “Theatines” after Chieti (Teate), the episcopal see of their first superior, Caraffa. The order was committed to works of spiritual and corporal charity, opening the way for sweeping reform in the mid-16th century. Cajetan and the Theatines escaped from Rome during the sack of 1527 and went to Venice. In 1533, Cajetan was made superior of a new foundation in Naples, where he remained for most of the rest of his life (he also served as a superior in Venice from 1540 to 1543). Saint Gaetano died on August 7, 1547, and is buried in San Paolo Maggiore in Naples. He was beatified on October 8, 1629, by Pope Urban VIII, and canonized on April 12, 1671, by Pope Clement X. His feast day is celebrated on August 7, the anniversary of his death. Saint Cajetan of Thiene Council of Trent Issue Scott 114 (1946) REFERENCES UFN, March 24, 1998, 450th Anniversary of the Death of St. Gaetano Thiene Encyclopedia.com, Cajetan (Gaetano da Thiene), St. Vatican Philatelic Society website, www.vaticanstamps.org, Stamp Database Search