Alfredo Ildefonso Schuster (1880–1954)

Biography

He entered the monastic school of Saint Paul Outside the Walls at a very young age, with the Benedictines, and his first years were not very happy due to a pronunciation defect that humiliated him greatly. It is impossible to think that he would later preach up to six times a day to the great edification of all who listened to him. He obtained a doctorate in philosophy with the highest qualifications and made his solemn profession in 1902. He was ordained a priest in 1904 in the Basilica of Saint Paul and destined to teach at the monastery. Later he was abbot of Saint Paul and consultant to several sacred Roman congregations. He greatly helped Pope Benedict XV, who greatly esteemed him and consulted him on various aspects of the life of the Church. Pius IX named him archbishop of Milan and cardinal. In the 25 years that he governed the diocese, he visited it all five times, wrote numerous pastorals and preached tirelessly several times a day. He got up every day at three-thirty in the morning and dedicated an hour to prayer before Holy Mass. His food was so frugal that they said the little birds ate more than him. He was very interested in the formation and sanctification of the clergy and organized the diocesan apostolate with great effectiveness. His charity was legendary, he gave everything he could until he was left with nothing. When he died, on August 30, 1954, he was taken from Venegono to Milan and from all the towns people came out to meet his body and he was venerated as that of an authentic saint. He was beatified by John Paul II on May 12, 1996.