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Feast Day: July 16
Saint Cajetan, also known as Cajetan the Theatine, Cajetan of Thiene, Cayetano, Gaetano, Gaetanus, Gaetano dei Conti di Tiene, and Gaetano da Thiene, was born in October 1480 in Vicenza, Italy. He was the second son of Caspar de Thienna and Maria Porta, both pious and noble parents who dedicated him to the Blessed Virgin Mary from infancy. Cajetan was known as "the Saint" from childhood and later gained the epithet "the hunter of souls." As a young man, Cajetan excelled in his studies and attended law school in Padua, Italy. Despite being offered prestigious governmental positions, he turned them down, feeling a calling for a religious vocation and a life of obscurity. He left his native town and journeyed to Rome. However, he was eventually discovered and, at the age of 28, forced to accept a position at the court of Pope Julius II. It was during his time at the papal court that Cajetan's calling became clearer. At the age of 36, he was ordained a priest. After the death of Pope Julius II, Cajetan returned to Vicenza and shocked his relatives by joining the Confraternity of Saint Jerome. This religious group typically consisted of members from the lowest and poorest classes. During this period, Cajetan dedicated his wealth to building hospitals and caring for the plague-stricken. He also founded a bank that aimed to provide assistance to the poor and serve as an alternative to loan sharks. Cajetan was known for playing a gentle game with parishioners in which he would bet prayers, rosaries, or devotional candles on whether he would perform certain services for them. Regardless of the outcome, he always fulfilled his part of the bargain, while his parishioners had to "pay" by saying the promised prayers. In an effort to renew the lives of the clergy, Cajetan, along with the help of three others, including the future Pope Paul IV, created the Congregation of Clerks Regular, also known as the Theatines, on May 3, 1524, in Rome. The Theatines devoted themselves to preaching, administering the Sacraments, and performing the Church's rites and ceremonies meticulously. Cajetan was the first to introduce the Forty Hours' Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament as a response to the growing heresy of Calvinism. During the sacking of Rome by the Germans under the Constable Bourbon, Cajetan was mercilessly scourged in an attempt to extract money from him. However, his attackers were unaware that he had already spent his worldly wealth on numerous charitable works. Saint Cajetan had a deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. His piety was rewarded one Christmas Eve when she appeared to him, placing the Infant Jesus in his arms. On his deathbed, resigned to God's will, Mary appeared to Cajetan again, surrounded by ministering angels. He requested her blessing, to which Mary replied that he should receive the blessing of her Son. She explained that her presence was a reward for the sincerity of Cajetan's love and that she was there to guide him to Paradise. Mary urged him to have patience with his illness and commanded the angelic choirs to escort his soul to heaven. Cajetan, understanding her message, peacefully accepted her invitation, departing from this earth. Saint Cajetan's feast day is celebrated on August 7th. He was beatified on October 8, 1629, by Pope Urban VIII and canonized on April 12, 1671, by Pope Clement X. Saint Cajetan's patronages include job seekers, unemployed people, Theatines, and Santo Stefano Medio in Messina, Italy. He is remembered as a compassionate and devoted saint who dedicated his life to serving others and spreading the teachings of the Catholic Church.