April 12: Saint Giuseppe Moscati
The Medical Profession as a Mission of Charity
"Let those who have, give; let those who don’t, take": so read a sign placed on an open hat in a very special doctor’s office. This was the clinic where Saint Giuseppe Moscati practiced medicine. The poor were never charged for their visits—in fact, they often left with gifts of food and medicine.
He was known throughout Naples as the “Holy Doctor,” not only for his remarkable diagnostic skills and ability to heal the sick, but also for his charity towards the most needy and those who could not afford care.
Giuseppe Moscati was born on July 25, 1880, in Benevento, to Francesco and Rosa De Luca, of the Marquises of Roseto. He was baptized on July 31, 1880.
In 1881, the family moved to Ancona and later to Naples, where, in 1888, he received his First Communion. From 1889 to 1894, he attended middle and high school, graduating at 17. He then enrolled in the School of Medicine at the University of Naples.
Assisting his brother Alberto—who was left disabled after falling from a horse—deeply impacted him and inspired him to become a doctor in order to ease the suffering of others. This empathy for his suffering brothers and sisters convinced him that only Christ can truly console and heal—not just the wounds of the body, but above all, those of the soul.
He graduated in medicine with top honors on August 4, 1903, and passed a public competition to become an assistant physician at the United Hospitals of Naples. He also placed first in another exam for a special assistant position at the same complex.
Thus, in 1904, he began his service as an assistant at the Hospital of the Incurables, treating patients affected by rabies. During the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 1906, he managed to rescue patients from the hospital in Torre del Greco.
After qualifying for laboratory service at the “Domenico Cotugno” Infectious Diseases Hospital, he won another public competition in 1911 to become a full assistant at the United Hospitals. His career culminated with his appointment as a head physician, and during World War I, he was director of the military wards.
Also in 1911, he obtained his license to teach physiological chemistry and began lecturing on laboratory investigations applied to clinical practice and chemistry applied to medicine. In 1922, he earned the title of lecturer in general clinical medicine as well. He was an outstanding international researcher, particularly in the field of glycogen.
Saint Giuseppe’s approach to medicine was deeply rooted in a Eucharistic life, with Christ at its center. In every patient, he saw the suffering Face of Christ—someone to be loved, served, and comforted. Moved by this love, he didn’t only treat patients in the hospital wards, but also personally visited the poorest neighborhoods to care for the forgotten and the destitute. His profession was based not only on solid scientific knowledge, but also on prayer, meditation, and Eucharistic adoration.
To everyone, he was a source of comfort and the living presence of God among His people. He died suddenly on April 12, 1927. For the people, their Holy Doctor had passed away.