Observing the care that his brother received after a fall from a horse gave Giuseppe an interest in medicine and he received his doctorate in 1903. He joined the staff of the Ospedale degli Incurabili, eventually becoming an administrator. When not on duty, he continued his studies and did medical research. He was well known for his dedication. In the aftermath of an eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 1906, he won further recognition by overseeing the evacuation of a hospital only a few miles from the volcano. Many of its patients were elderly, and many were paralytics as well. When cholera broke out in Naples in 1911, Moscati was charged by the civic government with performing public health inspections, and with researching both the origins of the disease and the best ways to eradicate it. This he did quickly, presenting his suggestions to city officials. During WWI, he tried to enroll in the armed forces, but the military authorities thought he would better serve the country by treating the wounded.
Giuseppe was true to his faith throughout his life, taking a vow of chastity and practicing charity in his daily work. He viewed his practice of medical science as a way of alleviating suffering, not as a way of making profits. He retired regularly for prayer and also attended Mass daily. He would sometimes use a patient's faith, as well as the sacraments, in his treatments. He also refused to charge the poor for their treatment, and was known to sometimes send a patient home with a prescription and a 50-lira note in an envelope.
Giuseppe died on April 12, 1927. Reports of his good works continued well after his death, with further reports that he interceded in impossible cases. His feast day is November 16. He is a patron of bachelors, physicians, and people rejected by religious orders.
No comments:
Post a Comment