broke his thigh in a fall and died soon after. Declining health and death In 1823 his health started to decline and Pope Leo XII gave him his permission to retire. He was then appointed as Leo XII's personal advisor and took up residence at the Quirinal Palace in Rome. It was during his time in this office that Napoleon's sister Pauline returned to the faith with Strambi's guidance. Strambi's last private aide around this stage was Monsignor Catervo Serrani. When the pope fell ill he asked God that his life should be taken rather than that of the pope. The pope recovered on 24 December 1823 and Strambi died in 1824 within the week due to a stroke he had suffered on the previous 27 December. His remains were placed at the Quirinal Palace for mourners to see and was then buried in the Santi Giovanni e Paolo church. Mourners who viewed his mortal remains included Cardinal Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari - future pope Gregory XVI - who took Strambi's right hand in his own and formed it with the greatest of ease into the sign of the cross. His remains were later transferred on 12 November 1957 to the Chiesa di San Filippo in Macerata. Sainthood The cause for Strambi's canonization opened on a diocesan level for the collection of testimonies and documents in relation to his life and his episcopal works. The formal introduction did not come until 25 June 1845 when he was named as a Servant of God. The recognition of his life of heroic virtue led Pope Leo XIII to name him as Venerable on 1 April 1894. Pope Pius XI presided over the beatification rites on 26 April 1925 and signed a decree on 25 November that allowed the cause to continue. Pope Pius XII canonized Strambi in Saint Peter's Basilica on 11 June 1950. References Further reading Roger Mercurio, The Passionists (Collegeville, Minn.: Liturgical Press, 1991) E. Schepers: "St. Vincent Strambi C.P.: The Faithful Servant" (Passionist Nuns, Whitesville, KY, 2004) External links Hagiography Circle Encyclopedia.com Regina Faith ND Catholic Hierarchy 1745 births 1824 deaths 19th-century Christian saints 19th-century Italian Roman Catholic bishops 19th-century venerated Christians Beatifications by Pope Pius XI Canonizations by Pope Pius XII Vincent Strambi Italian venerated Catholics Passionists People from Civitavecchia Venerated Catholics Passionist bishops