http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11383a.htm
Born at San Severino, in the March of Ancona, 1 March, 1653; died there 24 September, 1721; the son of Antonio M. Divini and Mariangela Bruni. His parents died soon after his confirmation when three years old;he suffered many hardships until in December, 1670, he took the Franciscan habit in the Order of the Reformati, at Forano, in the March of Ancona, and was ordained on 4 June, 1678, subsequently becoming Lector or Professor of Philosophy (1680-83) for the younger members of the order, after which, for five or six years,he laboured as a missionary among the people of the surrounding country. He then suffered lameness, deafness, and blindness fornearly twenty-nine years. Unable to give missions, he cultivatedmore the contemplative life. He bore his ills with angelicpatience, worked several miracles, and was favoured by God with ecstasies. Though a constant sufferer, he held the post ofguardian in the monastery of Maria delle Grazie in San Severino(1692-3), where he died. His cause for beatification was begun in1740; he was beatified by Pius VI, 4 August, 1786, and solemnly canonized by Gregory IX [sic, i.e., Gregory XVI], 26 May, 1839. His feast is celebrated on 24 September.
MELCHIORRI, Vita di S. Pacifico da San Severino (Rome, 1839), compiled from theActs of Canonization; SDERCI DA GAJOLE, Vita di S. Pacifico da Sanseverino (Prato, 1898); DIOTALLEVI, Vita di S. Pacifico Divini dei Minori da Sanseverino(Quaracchi, 1910).
MICHAEL BIHL
Transcribed by
Herman F.
Holbrook
Benedictus Deus
in sanctis
suis
The Catholic
Encyclopedia, Volume XI
Copyright © 1911 by
Robert
Appleton Company
Online Edition
Copyright © 1999
by Kevin Knight
Nihil Obstat,
February 1,
1911.
Remy Lafort,
S.T.D., Censor
Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley,
Archbishop of
New York
(b. Oct. 4, 1610, San Severino delle Marche, near Ancona, PapalStates [now in Italy]—d. 1685, Rome), Italian scientist, one of the firstto develop the technology necessary for producing scientific optical instruments.
After some scientific training under Benedetto Castelli, a disciple
of
Galileo, Divini established himself in Rome in 1646 as a maker of
clocksand
lenses. He constructed a number of compound microscopes and
long-focustelescopes, the latter consisting of wooden tubes with four
lenses,
witha focal length of more than 15 m (50 feet).
In 1649 Divini published a copper engraving of a map of the Moon,
basedon his
own observations made with his invention. He also made a number
ofastronomical
observations, including some of the rings of Saturn and thespots and
satellites
of Jupiter. Many of his microscopes and telescopes have survived
in
museums in Florence, Rome, Padua, and elsewhere.
http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=31189
23 luglio 2002