August 25 Saint of the Day Profile
August 25 Saint of the Day Profile Saint Joseph Calasanz
Profile
Youngest of five children born to Don Pedro Calasanz and Donna Maria
Gastonia. His mother and a brother died while he was still in school.
Studied at Estadilla, at the University of Lereda, at Valencia, and at
Alcala de Henares. Obtained degrees in canon law and theology. His
father wanted the Joseph to become a soldier, to marry, and to continue
the family, but a near fatal illness in 1582 caused the young man to
seriously examine his life, and he realized a call to the religious
life.
Ordained on 17 December 1583. Parish priest at Albarracin. Secretary
and confessor to his bishop, synodal examiner, and procurator. Revived
religious zeal among the laity, discipline among the clergy in a section
of the Pyrenees. Both his bishop and his father died in 1587.
Vicar-general of Trempe, Spain. Following a vision, he gave away much
of his inheritance, renounced most of the rest, and travelled to Rome,
Italy in 1592. Worked in the household of Cardinal Ascanio Colonna as
thelogical advisor for the cardinal, tutor to the cardinal's nephew.
Worked with plague victims in 1595.
Member of the Confraternity for Christian Doctrine. Tried to get poor
children, many of them orphans and/or homeless, into school. The
teachers, already poorly paid, refused to work with the new students
without a raise; in November 1597, Joseph and two fellow priests opened a
small, free school for poor children. Pope Clement VIII, and later Pope
Paul V, contributed toward their work. He was soon supervising several
teachers and hundreds of students.
In 1602 they moved to larger quarters, and reorganized the teaching
priests into a community. In 1612 they moved to the Torres palace to
have even more room. In 1621 the community was recognized as a religious
order called Le Sciole Pie (Religious Schools), also known as the
Piarists, or Scolopii or Ordo Clericorum Regularium Pauperum Matris Dei
Scholarum Piarum or Order of Poor Clerks Regular of the Mother of God of
the Pious Schools; Joseph acted as superior of the Order.
The community encountered many obstacles - Joseph's friendship with
the astronomer Galileo Galilei caused a stir with some Church officials.
Some of the ruling class objected that to educate the poor would cause
social unrest. Other Orders that worked with the poor were afraid they
would be absorbed by the Piarists. But they group continued to have
papal support, and continued to do good work.
In his old age, Joseph suffered through seeing his Order torn apart.
He was accused of incompetence by Father Mario Sozzi, who was chosen as
new superior of the Order. Sozzi died in 1643, and was replaced by
Father Cherubini who pursued the same course as Sozzi, and nearly
destroyed the Order. A papal commission charged with examining the Order
acquitted Joseph of all accusations, and in 1645, returned him to
superior of the Order, but internal dissent continued, and in 1646 Pope
Innocent X dissolved the Order, placing the priests under control of
their local bishops.
The Piarists were reorganized in 1656, eight years after Joseph's
death. They were restored as a religious order in 1669, and continue
their good work today.
Born
11 September 1556 at Peralta, Barbastro, Aragon, Spain in his father's castle
Died
• 25 August 1648 at Rome, Italy of natural causes
• buried at Saint Panteleone, Rome
Canonized
16 July 1767 by Pope Clement XIII
Patronage
• Catholic schools (proclaimed on 13 August 1948 by Pope Pius XII)
• schools, colleges, universities
• students, schoolchildren
• Congregation of Christian Workers of Saint Joseph Calasanz
Readings
Piety and Letters -
motto of Saint Joseph Calasanz
Everyone knows the great merit and dignity attached to that holy
ministry in which young boys, especially the poor, receive instruction
for the purpose of attaining eternal life. This ministry is directed to
the well-being of body and soul; at the same time, that it shapes
behavior it also fosters devotion and Christian doctrine. Moreover the
strongest support is provided not only to protect the young from evil,
but also to rouse them and attract them more easily and gently to the
performance of good works. Like the twigs of plants, the young are
easily influenced, as long as someone works to change their souls. But
if they are allowed to grow hard, we know well that the possibility of
one day bending them diminishes a great deal and is sometimes utterly
lost. All who undertake to teach must be endowed with deep love, the
greatest of patience, and, most of all, profound humility. They must
perform their work with earnest zeal. Then, through their humble
prayers, the Lord will find them worthy to become fellow workers with
him in the cause of truth. He will console them in the fulfillment of
this most noble duty, and finally, will enrich them with the gift of
heaven. As Scripture says, "Those who instruct many in justice will
shine as stars for all eternity." They will attain this more easily if
they make a covenant of perpetual obedience and strive to cling to
Christ and please him alone, because, in his words, "What you did to one
of the least of my brethren, you did to me."
- from the writings of Saint Joseph Calasanz
Lord, You blessed Saint Joseph Calasanz with such charity and
patience that he dedicated himself to the formation of Christian youth.
As we honor this teacher of wisdom may we follow his example in working
for truth.
- opening prayer for the Mass for Saint Joseph Calasanz
Blog post courtesy:
http://catholicsaints.info/saint-joseph-calasanz/
