Do what you do -- well

	St. Francis of Girolama When: 1642-1716 Where: Naples, Italy What: Priest and preacher Feast: May 11 Canonized: 1839

In the 1960s, there was a country music hit record called "Do What You Do, Do Well." That could have been the theme song for St. Francis di Girolama, who in the 17th and 18th centuries excelled at his ministry -- even though it wasn't quite what he wanted.

Francis had wanted to work as a missionary in Japan. Instead, his Jesuit superiors sent him to Naples, where for 40 years he preached, heard confessions and brought many people to the faith.

Francis began preparing for priesthood when he was 12, right after receiving first Communion (the age for first Communion would not be lowered to the current seven until the early 20th century).

His parents sent their son, the eldest of 11 children, to live in a community of secular priests. At first, they let him look after the church, but soon he was teaching the catechism. When he was 16, he received the minor order of tonsure.

Next, he was sent to Naples to study civil and church law. After receiving a dispensation, because he had not reached the mandatory age of 24, he was ordained.

For the next five years, he taught at the Jesuit college in Naples, until he finally received his parents' permission to enter the Jesuits. After passing several severe tests during the first year of his novitiate, his superiors sent him to work among the peasants from 1671 to 1674 with Fr. Agnello Bruno, a highly regarded preacher.

From there, he returned to Naples to complete his education before his solemn profession of vows as a Jesuit.

He spent the rest of his ministry in Naples at Gesu Nuovo, where his preaching -- sometimes spontaneously on street corners -- attracted large crowds.

Soon, he was asked to train other missionaries. He is known to have conducted at least 100 missions, at which people lined up to go to confession.

He also visited prisons, hospitals and even the galley ships. On one Spanish galley, he converted 20 Turkish galley slaves to Christianity.

His most famous penitent was Mary Alvira Cassier, who had murdered her father, disguised herself as a man and joined the Spanish army. Under his guidance, she eventually became well known as a model of holiness.

Francis also worked with the poor, hiring the unemployed and the sick to make olive-wood rosaries. In a letter he once wrote to a man who arranged a ship to transport the rosaries, he added: "See that you take no less trouble in procuring for yourself a good ship of war, well furnished with guns, in order to make war upon sin, and strike terror into the powers of hell."

He was 74 when he died after a long illness.