Matt Talbot


Matt Talbot

Portrait of Matt Talbot, from the only known photograph.
Born(1856-05-02)2 May 1856
Dublin, Ireland
Died7 June 1925(1925-06-07) (aged 69)
Dublin, Ireland
Resting placeOur Lady of Lourdes Church, Seán McDermott Street, Dublin
Patronage
  • People who struggle with alcoholism
  • Addictions
Major worksPiety, charity and mortification of the flesh

Matthew Talbot, TOSF (2 May 1856 – 7 June 1925) was an Irish ascetic revered by many Catholics for his piety, charity and mortification of the flesh.

Talbot was a manual labourer. Though he lived alone for most of his life, Talbot did live with his mother for a time. His life would have gone unnoticed were it not for the cords and chains discovered on his body when he died suddenly on a Dublin street in 1925. He was a member of the Third Order of Saint Francis.

Though he has not yet been formally recognized as a saint, he has been declared Venerable and is considered a patron of those struggling with alcoholism. He is commemorated on 19 June.