He was proficient in 20 different specialties, yet turned down promotions and cared for the poor free of charge. He saw his medical practice as a ministry for the suffering, calling the sacraments the “first medicine”, and leading many of his patients back to church. He treated thousands of people in his lifetime and became known as a “miracle worker” in the medical world.
Giuseppe (Joseph) Moscati was born on September 25, 1880 in Benevento, Italy. Although his father was a lawyer, Moscati decided at a young age to study medicine. This decision was heavily influenced by the tragic injury of his older brother Alberto, who fell from a horse and suffered incurable head trauma. Moscati was 12 years old at the time and cared for his brother for years at home, realizing the inseparable nature of spiritual and physical healing.
Moscati enrolled in medical school in 1897 at the University of Naples. He took a doctoral degree with honors in 1903 and began practising medicine at the Hospital for Incurables. He quickly became an administrator there and conducted medical research in his spare time.
There are many accounts that testify to Moscati’s humble and tireless work as a doctor. In April of 1906, he led an evacuation of a nursing home after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Moscati physically carried the disabled patients out of the building moments before it collapsed in ashes. He later insisted that those who helped in the evacuation would be rewarded, yet didn’t mention his own name.
Moscati was extremely influential in researching the origins of the cholera epidemic and discovering effective ways to eradicate it. He also treated over 3,000 soldiers during WWI and became one of the first Neapolitan doctors to experiment with insulin as treatment for diabetes. Many people thought his extraordinary skill in diagnosing his patients’ ailments was miraculous.
Saint Guiseppe Moscati died on April 12, 1927, of natural causes. He was declared a saint by John Paul II on October 25, 1987. His feast day is celebrated on November 16.
