Eustace Pucci was born on 16 April 1819 to a poor
sacristan as the second of seven children. He felt called to life in a
religious order in his childhood but his father opposed this despite his own service as a Church worker. Overcoming this opposition later allowed Eustace to enter the
Servite Order in 1837 (at
Santissima Annunziata) at which time he was given the religious name of "Antonio Maria". He was
ordained to the
priesthood in 1843 after having made his profession into the order a few months prior. ==Sainthood==