October 19th - St. Paul of the Cross, Priest, Visionary
Born at Ovada, Piedmont, Italy, in 1694; died in Rome, Italy, October 18,
1775; canonized in 1867; feast day formerly on April 28.
Paolo Francesco Danei was well brought up by devout, middle-class parents
(a.k.a. impoverished nobility). At 15, while still living with his parents
in Castellazzo, Lombardy, Paul adopted a lifestyle of rigorous austerity
and
great mortifications. When he was 20 he volunteered for the Venetian army
to
fight against the Turks, but he soon found he was not meant to be a
soldier.
After his discharge, he resumed his life of prayer and penance. He refused
marriage, and spent several years in retreat at Castellazzo.
In 1720, had a vision of our Lady in a black habit with the name Jesus and
a
cross in white on the chest. In the vision, the Blessed Virgin told him to
found a religious order devoted to preaching the Passion of Christ (hence
their name, Passionists). Paul experienced such mystical communications
all
his life, and came to distrust them; however, he acted promptly on these
first ones.
The bishop of Alessandria discerned that Paul's visions were authentic,
and
gave him permission to proceed to draw up a rule for the new order. Thus,
Paul wrote the Passionist rule during a 45- day retreat. With his brother,
Giovanni Baptista, who became his inseparable companion and closest
confidant, he went to Rome to seek papal approval, which was refused at
first. On their return to Rome in 1725, they were granted permission by
Pope
Benedict XIII to accept novices. Two years later (1727), the holy father
ordained the two brothers as priests in the Vatican basilica.
After their ordination he and his brother started the first Passionist
house, on the Monte Argentaro peninsula (near Orbitello) in Tuscany. The
first ten years were difficult, for both internal and external reasons.
Many
of their first novices left because of the severity of the rule.
Perseverance won. In the end austere life of the missioners and the
fervent
preaching of their founder made their mark.
The first monastery was opened in 1737. In 1741, Pope Benedict XIV
approved
a modified rule, and the "Barefoot Clerks of the Holy Cross and Passion"
began to spread throughout Italy. They were in great demand for their
missions, which became famous.
Paul was elected first superior general, against his will, at the first
general chapter at Monte Argentaro and held that position the rest of his
life. He preached all over the Papal States to tremendous crowds, raised
them to a fever pitch as he scourged himself in public, and brought back
to
the faith the most hardened sinners and criminals
He was blessed with supernatural gifts-prophecy, miracles of healing,
appearances to people in visions at a distance-and was one of the most
celebrated preachers of his day. People fought to touch him and to get a
piece of his tunic as a relic. Though the two main objectives of the order
were service to the sick and the dying, Paul's special concern was the
conversion of sinners, for which he prayed for 50 years.
The Passionists received final approbation from Pope Clement XIV in 1769.
Two years later, Paul's efforts to create an institute of nuns came into
being with the opening of the first house of Passionist nuns at Corneto.
Paul lived to see the congregation firmly established. After a three-year
illness, Paul died and was buried in the Basilica of SS John and Paul,
given
to the order by Pope Clement.
Saint Paul of the Cross was always interested in the religious state of
England. Thus, it is heartening to note that the leader of the first
Passionists to work there, Father Dominic Barberi (d. 1849), who received
John Henry Newman into the Catholic Church, was also beatified in 1963
(Attwater, Benedictines, Delaney, White).
Quote:
"On December 8, 1869, the International Congress of Freemasons imposed it
as
a duty on all its members to do all in their power to wipe out Catholicity
from the face of the earth. Cremation was proposed as a suitable means to
this end, since it was calculated to gradually undermine the faith of the
people in 'the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.'"
-Fr. John Laux, Catholic Morality (Imprimatur 1932), p. 106
Bible Quote
26 But the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my
name,
he will teach you all things, and bring all things to your mind,
whatsoever
I shall have said to you. (John 14:26)
<><><><>
STAR-BRIGHT FOREVER
From now to eternity,
A star ****nes so bright,
The filament never grows dim,
Be it day or night.
The light is of love
And of goodness sublime
That's passed down to us
Through the shadows of time.
Her hands send the rays
Of hope and assurance
That just to believe
Will need love and endurance.
But all so worthwhile,
We will find as we try
To keep our minds here,
But our hearts in the sky.
To follow the road
That leads to Our Lord,
To ask for His grace-
That He'll never hoard-
To join all the saints
In the light of their glory.
For here you will find,
There's the truth to this story:
A little time spent,
Through we suffer and toil
On an earth filled with sadness
And trials that do foil.
But keep just above it-
Just say that you'll love it,
For the sake of Our Jesus,
Who rose all above it.
For there in His heart
Was a wish for us all
To join Him in paradise
When He makes His call.
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