St Annibale Maria do Francia

St Annibale Maria di Francia’s feast today lands on the first Wednesday of the month, which is dedicated to St Joseph.

This is indeed Providential for St Annibale (Hannibal) emulated the Holy Patriarch in many ways. In his love of Our Lady he became a Third order Carmelite and in everything he made himself a “Slave of Mary” as taught by St Louis de Montfort.

In his nurturing of Jesus and His high priesthood, St Annibale explained, “From my youth I have devoted myself to the words of the Gospel: Pray therefore the Lord of the Harvest…In my charitable institutions, orphans, poor, priests and nuns, all pray incessantly to the loving Hearts of Jesus and Mary, to the Patriarch St. Joseph and to the Apostles, that they may provide the Holy Church with numerous and chosen laborers for the harvest of souls”. St Annibale founded the Rogationist order with the primary mission of nurturing priests and vocations.

As St Joseph, St Annibale was of royal lineage but like Joseph he embraced poverty so he could serve Jesus in the poor.
Divested of his wealth, St Annibales only treasure which was on him at all times was his rosary. The rosary was his active line to the Blessed Virgin, his tool kit with which he repaired everything and his sword with which he fought off satan.