Blessed Giacomo Cusmano, Priest
Palermo, March 15, 1834 – Palermo, March 14,1888
The priest Giacomo Cusmano is known for founding the association in 1867 of “Boccone the poor.” He had graduated in medicine 21 years before and had now become the “doctor of the poor” of the Sicilian capital, where he was born in 1834. In 1860 the young doctor was ordained a priest. Then he founded the charitable association, with the support of Cardinal Hake, and in 1887 had two congregations: Serve the Servants and the poor. Died in 1888 was beatified in 1983.
Roman Martyrology: In Palermo, Blessed Giacomo Cusmano, a priest who founded the Institute of the Missionary Servants and Servants of the Poor, distinguished for his extraordinary love for the needy and the sick.
Blessed Giacomo Cusmano Father was born in Palermo on March 15, 1834. His mother died when he was just three, so he was educated by the elder sister Vincenzina. Since childhood he showed great sensitivity in the face of the suffering of others.
After his secondary education He became the “doctor of the poor” for his generosity and selflessness.
But the voice of God, more and more urgent, pushed the young doctor to complete and enrich even his noble profession with dedication and total consecration to God and, for him, to the poor. He embraced the ecclesiastical state and on December 22, 1860 was ordained a priest.
On February 21, 1867 the Boccone of the Poor Association, made up of priests and laity of both sexes, was founded under the chairmanship of the Archbishop of Palermo, Mos. Hake, who blessed the work and, after the papal blessing, was canonically established in 1868.
On 23 May 1880, the Feast of SS. Trinita, as the first Sisters. On October 4, 1884 the habit was given to the first brothers and November 21, 1887 they met missionaries in Comunita who had long been united with him working for the Poor: bases so officially, the two congregations and the Servants of the Servants of the Poor.
He opened hospitals, nursing homes and worked with the abandoned, the poor and orphans. They called him the “Father of the Poor.”
He died March 14, 1888 in Palermo, in the fame of sanctity, beloved by all, without distinction of social classes, ideologies or parties.
He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on October 30, 1983.
The Society he founded is now in Italy, Romania, America (USA, Mexico, Brazil), Africa (DRC, Cameroon, Uganda), Asia (Philippines and India).
Author: Sylvester Terranova
Source: Santi e Beati
The Black Cordelias 
I just confirmed that my great aunt was sent to the orphanage and became a nun in this order.
When Antonina Lo Chirco was orphaned as a toddler, she was sent to a convent orphanage/poorhouse because she was cross-eyed, and therefore unadoptable and unmarriagable. ‘Nina took the veil at age 25 and the name of Sr. Maria Girolama. Her order “Boccone del Povere” was associated with the Daughters of the Society of Vincent St. Paul, and like the society, worked very closely with the most destitute of Palermo. It included both the laity and religious of both sexes. Living in the San Marco or one of the other convent/poor-houses of the order, she would have cooked, sewed, and nursed ceaselessly. She would have also gone into the city, in a social work capacity, to tend to the sick and poor, especially during the Palermo cholera epidemic of 1885. She may have also taught needlework to the orphans. The poor also made rosary beads and weaved textiles. The family story is she was “worked to death.” She died at age 44.
My wife is a Cusmano whose family is from Vizzini. Her Grandfather was Giovanni. Giacomo would be in her great grandfather’s generation. Does anyone have given names involved in his family brothers, sisters, mother, father?
This may be this blogs best read on here!!!
Thanks:) I may be traveling to Sicily in the next year or so. I would so love to visit San Marco where my great aunt Sr. Maria Girolama served. But I can’t locate it. It probably has changed names. Does anyone have an address for San Marco?
The longer post on my aunt:
http://www.karenfavazzaspencer.com/Karen_Favazza_Spencer/Blog/Entries/2010/12/23_Holiday_Message.html
my grandmother too was orphaned in Palermo. We went to find her birth certificate and was told due to a fire, there are no records before 1936. do you know that this is true? She was born in 1883. Do you know if there is a website or address in palermo where we can get records. We know nothing about where she came from. Her name was Olimpia Matrona she later moved to monreale. we only have her marriage certificate.
My great gand mother was Olympia Matrona from Monreale. With whom was yours married to?
My great grandmother was raised by the Noto Family in Monreale. Her Name was Olympia Matrona
She was married to Giovanni Loiacono
Is this one of my cousins? Lol