Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)/Bl. John Colombini

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It required eight years to render his wife reconciled to the extraordinary philanthropy of her husband. His son having meanwhile died and his daughter taken the veil, Colombini with the approval of his wife, on whom he first settled a life-annuity, divided his fortune into three parts: the first went to endow a hospital, the second and third to two cloisters. Together with his friend Francisco Mini, who had been associated with him in all charitable labours, Colombini lived henceforward a life of apostolic poverty, begged for his daily bread, and esteemed it a favour to be allowed to wait on the sick poor, while in public and in their dwellings he stimulated the people to penance. He was soon joined by three of the Piccolomini and by members of other patrician families, who likewise distributed all their goods among the poor. Alarmed at these occurrences, many of the Sienese now raised an outcry, complaining that Colombini was inciting all the most promising young men of the city to "folly", and succeeded in procuring his banishment. Accompanied by twenty-five companions, Colombini left his native city without a protest and visited in succession Arezzo, Città di Castello, Pisa and many other Tuscan cities, making numerous conversions, reconciling sundered friends, and effecting the return of much property to its rightful owners. An epidemic which broke out at Siena shortly after his departure, was generally regarded as a heavenly chastisement for his banishment, and there was a universal clamour for his recall. Regardless alike of derision and insult, he resumed on his return his former charitable occupations, in his humility rejoicing to perform the most menial services at houses where he had once been an honoured guest.


The Jesuatesses or Sisters of the Visitation of Mary, founded about 1367 at the suggestion of Colombini by his cousin Blessed Catharine Colombini of Siena (d. 20 October, 1387), spoke as little as possible, fasted very strictly, and chastised their bodies twice daily. The also spread very rapidly, and survived in Italy until 1872.

BALUZE, Miscell., ed. MANSI, IV, 566; PARDI, Della vita e degli scritti di Giovanni Colunbini da Siena in Bull. Senese stor., II (1895), 1-50, 202-30; PÖSL, Leben des sel. Joh. Colombini aus Siena (Ratisbon, 1846); RAMBUTEAU, Le bienheureux Colombini, histoire d'un toscan au XIV, s. (3rd ed., Paris, 1893), Ital. tr. by LUSINI, II b. Giov. Colombini (Siena,1894), HÉLYOT, Hist. des ordres religieux (Paris, 1792), s. v. Jésuates; HEIMBUCHER, Die Orden u. Kongreg. der kathol. Kirche, II (Paderbom, 1896), 240 sqq.; HEFELE in Kirchenlex., s. v. Jesuati.