St. Philip Neri, founder of the Congregation of the Oratory, often called the "Apostle of Rome," led a remarkable life devoted to spiritual renewal and pastoral care, leaving a lasting impact on the Catholic Church.

Philip Neri was born on July 21, 1515, in Florence, Italy, into a noble family. As a young man, he received a solid education and showed an early interest in piety and spirituality. At the age of 18, Philip left Florence with his wealthy uncle to work and live just outside of Rome. His new home was near the Benedictine monastery of Monte Cassino, where he came under the influence of the monks there and learned from them a deep love of the sacred liturgy (the prayer of the Church), sacred Scripture, and the challenging spiritual teachings of the Desert Fathers of early Christianity. In the monastery, St. Philip saw an inspiring model of holiness: an independently-governed community devoted especially to common prayer, elements he would incorporate into the Oratory he would eventually found. Compelled by the desire to live his life for God, in 1533 Philip left the employment of his rich uncle and moved to Rome, friendless and poor. He quickly found a place to stay and began to work as a tutor for children. He also began at this stage in his life to speak to anyone and everyone he came across in the streets about the love of God, and his joyful nature drew many to him.

In Rome, he continued his studies for eight years under the Dominican friars, and became acquainted with prominent figures in the Church. He lived a humble life, working as a tutor and spending much of his time in prayer and penance. Philip's spiritual journey was marked by a profound mystical experience in 1544. He had a deep devotion to the Holy Spirit, and was often to be found praying in the catacombs of Rome. Whilst he was praying in the catacombs on the eve of Pentecost in 1544, the Holy Spirit came down upon him in a globe of fire, entered his mouth, and sank into his breast, filling his heart so intensely that he feared he would die of ecstasy. From that moment on, his heart was physically enlarged, and the palpitations of it so strong that when Philip was particularly moved while preaching or at prayer the vibrations from his heart would be felt by all around him, sometimes even causing the room to shake. When his body was dug up after his death, they found three of his ribs had cracked open from the inside to accommodate his still-enlarged heart. Following this remarkable episode, his life became suffused with the supernatural: strange lights sometimes surrounded him, he would levitate during Mass, and he was gifted with bi-location, prophecy, the reading of souls, and the casting out of demons. On two occasions St. Philip even raised the dead. He took great pains to hide these things from others.

Always devout, good-humoured, and winsome, St. Philip often invited friends to his one-room apartment for shared prayer, lectio divina (the prayerful reading of Scripture), spiritual discussion, and the singing of hymns. They also began engaging in acts of charity and mercy such as visiting the sick in hospitals, helping pilgrims who had come to Rome, and teaching children the Catholic faith. Unlike other reformers, rather than preach at length against the problems of the time, his goal was always to draw people to something better, to give them a wholesome alternative. He planned great picnics, festivals, and pilgrimages with music, food, and preaching. He came to be the counselor of several Popes and Cardinals and was sought out by people of every sort for his wisdom and powerful intercession—the wealthy and the poor, the young, and the aged, clerical, religious, and laymen alike. St. Philip emphasized the importance of joy in the Christian life and encouraged his followers to seek holiness through simplicity, humility, and trust in God's providence. Caritas et alacritas!—"Charity and cheerfulness," he said, "or charity and humility should be our motto."

Following an order from his spiritual director, St. Philip was ordained a priest in 1551 at age 36, and devoted himself with remarkable intensity to the hearing of confessions, day and night. He sought out the sick and impoverished, preaching the Gospel to them, and hearing their confessions. He strongly promoted frequent confession, frequent reception of holy communion, familiar discourse on the word of God, and simple preaching (all things that were uncommon in his day), and was known for his ability to discern spirits and offer wise spiritual guidance. However, his reputation for holiness was a great torment to him; always mindful of combatting his own ego, and desiring to be seen as a fool rather than a saint, St. Philip would do absurd things like shave off half his beard before attending an important dinner party, and process around the city with great pomp while wearing a seat cushion on his head. He would also give creative penances to his followers to keep them humble.

In 1575, after years of ministering to the people of Rome, St. Philip founded the Congregation of the Oratory, which was designated a formal congregation by Pope Gregory XIII. This community of priests was formed from the young men that gathered around him early on, those Philip had sought to train in living a virtuous life. The Congregation was named the Oratory precisely because their primary common aim was to lift their hearts and minds to God in prayer. They lived together in fraternity, without formal vows, focusing on prayer, preaching, and pastoral care. The Oratory became a center for spiritual renewal and a place where priests could live a joyful and dedicated life of service. They were formally given a church in Rome under the name of Santa Maria in Vallicella, best known as the Chiesa Nuova, or "New Church," which still stands near the Piazza Navona.

The great English Oratorian, St. John Henry Newman, wrote about St. Philip,

“He allured men to the service of God so dexterously, and with such a holy, winning art, that those who saw it cried out, astonished: 'Father Philip draws souls as the magnet draws iron.' He so accommodated himself to the temper of each, as, in the words of the Apostle, to become 'all things to all men, that he might gain all.'’ And his love of them individually was so tender and ardent, that, even in extreme old age, he was anxious to suffer for their sins; and ‘for this end he inflicted on himself severe disciplines, and he reckoned their misdeeds as his own, and wept for them as such.’

St. Philip continued his ministry until he died, on the day he predicted, May 26th, 1595, surrounded in prayer by his loving followers. He was canonized a saint by Pope Gregory XV in 1622.

His feast day is celebrated on May 26th. His legacy lives on through the Oratorian communities around the world, which continue to follow his spirit of joyful service and pastoral care, particularly among youth and those in need.

A collection of St. Philip's maxims, one for every day of the year, can be found here:http://www.liturgialatina.org/oratorian/maxims.htm