SAINT: St Paul of the Cross – 19 October

By Catherine Sheehan

Mystic and founder of the Passionists, St Paul of the Cross, had a devotion to the Passion of Jesus Christ from an early age. He firmly believed that everything people need to know about God’s great love for them could be discovered through contemplating the suffering of Christ during his Passion and death. Paul was a talented preacher and blessed with many mystical gifts including prophecy, bi-location, supernatural perfumes, visions, and levitation.

Born Paolo Francesco Danei on 3 January 1694 in the town of Ovada in northern Italy, he was the second of 16 children born to Luca and Anna Maria Danei. Ten of his siblings died during infancy, making Paul familiar with suffering from an early age. His mother would comfort him by pointing towards the Cross of Christ, reminding Paul of God’s love for him.

Paul had many mystical experiences throughout his life. According to one story, when he was a young boy, he and his brother John Baptist fell into a river and were saved from drowning by a beautiful lady who they believed was the Blessed Virgin Mary.

He dedicated himself to a life of prayer from the time he was a teenager and at the age of 26 he sensed that God was calling him to found a religious order devoted to the Passion of Christ. He had a vision in which he saw himself dressed in the black habit of the Passionists.

Paul founded the Congregation of the Passion, commonly known as the Passionists, in 1720. The new congregation for men was focused on a penitential life of solitude, poverty, and preaching on the Passion of Christ. Members would pray the Divine Office together every day and spend three hours daily in contemplative prayer.

The first member of the new order was Paul’s brother John Baptist. They were ordained to the priesthood by Pope Benedict XIII on 7 June 1727 at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

They travelled to remote regions of Italy to give parish missions and Paul soon became famous for his preaching, and for the many miracles he performed, drawing huge crowds. Due to the popularity of their missions, more men began to join the Passionists.

On one occasion Paul said of the Eucharist: “How wonderful are the treasures which are enclosed in the divine Eucharist! I exhort you, even though you live in the world, to receive Communion often, but with piety. Holy Communion is the most efficacious means of uniting oneself to God. Always prepare yourself well for this sacred banquet.”

Paul died on 18 October 1775 at the age of 80 and was canonised in 1867.

Today, Passionists around the world still pray St Paul’s mantra: “May the Passion of Jesus Christ be always in our hearts”.

Words: 460

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paul_de_la_croix.jpg