by Wyatt North
“Only in Christ can men and women find answers to the ultimate questions that trouble them. Only in Christ can they fully understand their dignity as persons created and loved by God.”
– Pope St. John Paul II
Pope John Paul II drew enormous crowds wherever he went. Even as Parkinson’s Disease sapped his strength, he continued to travel and conducted Mass for crowds numbering in the millions – an estimated four million in Manila in 1995. The crowds loved him, and he loved them as well. He had a special fondness for young people and for spending time in their company. As a priest, he would take local youth on camping trips, singing and praying with them around a campfire. Even as a bishop and cardinal, he spent time with young people whenever he could and was sometimes referred to as an eternal teenager. He said, “I believe in youth with all my heart and with all the strength of my conviction.” Young people responded to his authenticity and obvious love for humanity and God, and St. John Paul II drew comfort and strength from them.
Opting for peace does not mean a passive acquiescence to evil or compromise of principle. It demands an active struggle against hatred, oppression and disunity, but not by using methods of violence. Building peace requires creative and courageous action.
– Pope St. John Paul II
The two miracles required for the canonization of Pope John Paul II were both healing miracles. The first was the healing of a French nun who had prayed for his intercession in relieving her suffering from Parkinson’s Disease, the same disease that afflicted John Paul II. Her healing in 2005 was determined to have no medical explanation. The second miracle was the 2011 healing of a Costa Rican woman suffering partial paralysis and severe pain from an inoperable aneurysm that her doctor said could kill her at any moment. She had a vision of John Paul II while she was holding a magazine that bore his picture on the cover. In the vision, she heard him speak to her, and his hands appeared to reach out toward her from the magazine cover. After this vision, her neurosurgeon could find no evidence of the aneurysm. John Paul II was canonized during the same ceremony as Pope John XXIII in 2014.
“Freedom exists for the sake of love.”
– Pope St. John Paul II
These words of St. Pope John Paul II remind us that God’s great gift to us, free will, enables us to give Him the gift of loving Him and doing good in the world by choice, not by command. He doesn’t force us to obey His laws or do His will on Earth. We do so by choice, not under duress or out of fear other than the fear of not spending eternity with Him. Allowing us to choose between good and evil is proof of God’s immense love for us, and when we choose good, we are acting out of our love for Him. John Paul II’s sentiment is reminiscent of a popular but anonymous quote, often repeated and featured on posters and wall hangings and greeting cards: “If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it is yours. If it doesn’t, it never was.” God sets us free and those who love Him find their way back to Him.
“When you approach the tabernacle remember that he has been waiting for you for twenty centuries.”
– St. Josemaria Escriva
St. Josemaria Escriva de Blaguer is best known for founding Opus Dei (Work of God) in 1928, three years after his ordination. Its genesis was divinely inspired and revealed to Father Escriva during a retreat. The movement was the outward expression of his belief that ordinary lay people gain in holiness by carrying out their daily tasks with a Christian spirit and obedience to God’s will. Father Escriva continued ministering to the sick and the poor during Spain’s Civil War, but had to be clandestine about his activities and not remain in one place for too long. After the war, he completed his doctorate in law in Madrid and later earned a doctorate in theology in Rome. Opus Dei continued to thrive and grow, becoming in 1983 the first, and so far the only, personal prelature—a canonical structure comprising a prelate, clergy, and laity with a specific pastoral mission.
“Don’t you long to shout to those youths who are bustling around you: ‘Fools! Leave those worldly things that shackle the heart – and very often degrade it – leave all that and come with us in search of Love!’”
– St. Josemaria Escriva
In 1943, Father Escriva established the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross to enable some of the lay members of Opus Dei to become ordained as priests. In addition to serving the spiritual needs of the Opus Dei community, the Priestly Society works with local bishops to further the spiritual development of diocesan priests and seminarians. At the same time, diocesan priests could join the Priestly Society while still serving in their own dioceses. In 1948, married people became able to gain full membership in Opus Dei, and beginning in 1950, non-Catholics and even non-Christians could become Opus Dei cooperators, helping further its mission without being members.
“We have approached the fire of the love of God. Let us allow that fire to burn our lives. Let us feed the desire to spread that divine fire throughout the world, making it known to all the people around us. They too can experience the peace of Christ and find happiness there. A Christian who lives united to Christ's heart can have no goals but these: peace in society, peace in the Church, peace in his soul, the peace of God which will reach its climax when his kingdom comes.”
– St. Josemaria Escriva
From 1970 until his death in 1975, Josemaria, now Monsignor Escriva, traveled throughout Europe and South America spreading the message of Opus Dei about the sanctification of work and family life. By the time of his death, Opus Dei could be found in thirty nations on every continent but Antarctica. As of 2016, there were 94,776 members of the Opus Dei Prelature in more than 90 countries—92,667 lay members and 2,109 priests, not including the diocesan priests belonging to Opus Dei’s Priestly Society of the Holy Cross. Monsignor Escriva was canonized in October 2002 by Pope John Paul II, who commended him for “inviting Christians to be united to God through their daily work.”
“Heaven is filled with converted sinners of all kinds, and there is room for more.”
– St. Joseph Cafasso
Father Joseph Cafasso (1811-1860) was much sought after as a confessor and spiritual advisor and fulfilled that role for his lifelong friend, St. John Bosco. It was a role Father Joseph also took on in working with prisoners. He worked to improve the living conditions of the incarcerated, but he also aimed to save their souls. The spiritual guidance and comfort he provided to those awaiting execution for their crimes earned him the nickname, “The Priest of the Gallows.” He encouraged them to confess, even demanded that they do so, before the death sentence was carried out, so that they might know God’s mercy. On one occasion, he heard confession from 60 converted prisoners who were condemned, most of whom were hanged immediately after receiving absolution, and referred to thereafter by Father Cafasso as “hanged saints.” Canonized in 1947, St. Joseph Cafasso is the patron of prisoners, Italian prisoners, condemned prisoners, and prison chaplains.
“Clearly, what God wants above all is our will which we received as a free gift from God in creation and possess as though our own. When a man trains himself to acts of virtue, it is with the help of grace from God from whom all good things come that he does this. The will is what man has as his unique possession.”
– St. Joseph of Cupertino
Joseph was born in Cupertino, Italy in 1603. Thought by all who knew him to be clumsy and slow-witted, and with no education other than a failed apprenticeship to a shoemaker, Joseph entered a Capuchin monastery as a lay brother at the age of 17 and was dismissed eight months later. His parents were dismayed at his return home, as he had never given them anything but trouble and embarrassment. His mother harangued her brother, a Franciscan of some local standing, until he agreed to admit his nephew to the local monastery as a servant. In time, the Franciscan brothers came to see Joseph’s kind heart, simple but unwavering faith, and unflagging spirit and he was eventually allowed to study for the priesthood. He was ordained as a priest when he was 25. He is best known as a mystic who was reportedly observed more
than 70 times levitating in rapture during Mass or while praying. He performed so many miracles and drew so many people looking for a miracle that he was kept out of public sight to the extent possible. He died in 1663 and was canonized by Pope Clement XIII in 1767. Because of his many experiences with levitation, St. Joseph of Cupertino is the patron saint of pilots and airplane passengers, as well as of the learning disabled.
“All my life I have wanted to be a missionary. I have wanted to carry the gospel message to those who have never heard of God and the kingdom he has prepared for them.”
– St. Junipero Serra
Brother Junipero Serra, a Franciscan, spent the first 34 years of his life as a student and then as a professor in his native Spain. At 35 he decided to pursue his goal of converting indigenous people in the New World. For the next 18 years he did just that in Central America and the Baja Peninsula. When King Charles III of Spain learned of a Russian expedition heading south from present-day Alaska to claim land along the Pacific coast, he ordered his own expedition to beat them to it. Brother Junipero accompanied the conquistador, José de Galvez, northward along the coast, establishing missions along the way, beginning with San Diego in 1769, followed by Monterey/Carmel, San Antonio, San Gabriel, San Luís Obispo, San Francisco, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Clara, and San Buenaventura. The missions provided a sort of communal living for his converts. He sought and won legal protection from the Spanish crown for the Indians and the missions. During his years in the New World, Brother Junipero baptized over 6,000 people and confirmed 5,000, earning their love and respect in the process. He was canonized in 2015 by Pope Francis.
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“If all could know the happiness of the religious state, men would rush madly into it.”
– St. Lawrence Justinian
There were several saints among Lawrence’s ancestors, and his mother, a devout Catholic, imparted her faith to him when he was a child. He always planned on a religious life, and he entered the monastery of the Canons Regular of St. Augustine, near Venice, when he was nineteen. The monks admired him for his fervent prayers and mortifications, and despite his youth, he was made prior shortly after his ordination and became general of the congregation soon after that. He rooted out corruption and brought about such profound reforms that he was regarded as the order’s second founder. In 1433 at the age of 52, he was made Bishop of Castello. During his time in that position, he implemented many reforms, founded 15 new monasteries, and added many parishes. In 1451 Lawrence Justinian became the first Patriarch of Venice, a position he held until his death in 1456 at age 74. He was canonized in 1690 by Pope Alexander VIII.
“True and certain is that Hope which is accompanied by good works. But if it goes alone, it ought to be called presumption.”
– St. Lawrence Justinian
Lawrence was known for his piety, Christian charity, and generosity toward the poor, while living very simply himself. When it became clear that he was gravely ill, his servants made up a more comfortable bed for him, but he insisted on being laid on his usual one, which he believed to be more like Christ’s hard deathbed – the Cross. Lawrence was patient and kind, but he eschewed sentimentalism and had been regarded since childhood as serious and focused. Those qualities were exactly what people of his time looked for in a leader, though Lawrence did not aspire to be one. He reigned as Patriarch of Venice during the time that Muslim forces conquered Constantinople, a close trading partner of Venice for centuries, and he was a calming influence for a city of people panicking about their future.
“I thank God that I have not a penny in the world to dispose of.”
– St. Lawrence O’Toole (on his deathbed when asked if he had a will.)
St. Lawrence O’Toole (c. 1125 – 1180) was the son of the chief of the Murray clan in Kildare, Ireland, and became the first Irish-born archbishop of Dublin in 1161. It was a time of great change for the Catholic Church in Ireland with the end of Scandinavian influence in Dublin and subsequent invasion of Ireland by the English. Lawrence aimed to strengthen the relationship between the Irish Church and Rome. Lawrence proved to be an adept negotiator and was held in high esteem by all the parties vying for influence in Ireland. The Irish, Vikings, and Normans all viewed him as a man of honor and integrity. It was on a mission to King Henry II of England that Lawrence died in Normandy, France. He was canonized in 1225. In addition to the many reforms he brought about, Lawrence was known for his great humility, austerity, and strict observance of rules. He was known to wear a hair shirt beneath his episcopal garb and spent 40 days of every year secluded in the cave in Glendalough where St. Kevin had lived as a hermit in the 6th century.
“Virtue is nothing without the trial of temptation, for there is no conflict without an enemy, no victory without strife.”
– Pope St. Leo the Great
During Leo’s reign as pope, Attila and his Huns invaded Italy, leaving devastation in their wake as they made their way toward Rome. Attila reportedly demanded that the emperor’s sister, Honoria, be sent to him with a dowry. Emperor Valentinian III refused to hand his sister over to the barbarians and sent Leo and two other envoys to negotiate with Attila outside of the city. Attila did withdraw after that meeting, but his reasons for doing so are the subject of much speculation. Just a few years later, Leo was unable to prevent the city being sacked by the King Genseric’s Vandals, but his intercession with Generic prevented Rome from being burned, which saved the lives of the many Romans who had sought sanctuary inside the Basilicas of St. Peter, St. Paul, and St. John.
“By Baptism we are made flesh of the Crucified”
– Pope St. Leo the Great
The exact date of Leo’s birth is unknown, but it was probably around the year 400. He was a Roman aristocrat born in the Tuscany region of Italy. His first appearances in the historical record date to his time as a deacon. It is clear from the fact that he was sent to negotiate several disputes on behalf of the Imperial Court that he had the emperor’s confidence. When Pope Sixtus III died, Leo was in Gaul trying to settle a dispute between a military commander and the chief magistrate. The people unanimously elected Leo pope in his absence.
“The faith of those who live their faith is a serene faith. What you long for will be given you; what you love will be yours forever. Since it is by giving alms that everything is pure for you, you will also receive that blessing which is promised next by the Lord: The Godhead that no man has been able to see. In the inexpressible joy of this eternal vision, human nature will possess what eye has not seen or ear heard, what man's heart has never conceived.”
– Pope St. Leo the Great
Leo was emphatic that the Church was built on Peter and that the pope acted on behalf of Peter. Perhaps the most significant aspect of his pontificate was his assertion of the universal jurisdiction of the Roman bishop, or the doctrine of Petrine supremacy. Before his death, Pope Leo expressed his wish to be buried as close as possible to St. Peter’s tomb. Upon Leo’s death in 461, he was entombed in the portico of St. Peter’s basilica. Over two hundred years later, his remains were moved inside the basilica. Pope Benedict VIV named Leo a Doctor of the Church in 1754.
“If you practice the holy exercise of Spiritual Communion a good many times each day, within a month you will see yourself completely changed.”
– St. Leonard of Port Maurice
Father Leonard Casanova had a gift for preaching. He spoke plainly and frequently used the stations of the cross to illustrate his talks. During his many years of preaching, he built stations of the cross all over Italy, 571 sets to be exact, including one in the Coliseum where so many early Christians were martyred. He was also sought after as a spiritual director, and his letters to his advisees reflect a commonsense Christianity that even ordinary people found very accessible. Born Paul Jerome Casanova in Porto Maurizio on the northwestern coast of Italy in 1676, he took the name Brother Leonard when he joined the Franciscans of the Strict Observance in 1697. He spent over 40 years preaching retrea
ts and parish missions all over Italy, making converts wherever he went. He often held his parish mission meetings outdoors because the crowds he attracted were too large to fit into the local churches. When he was sent by Pope Benedict XIV on diplomatic missions, officials were surprised to find that the papal representative was a humble, barefoot friar. He died in Rome at age 74 in 1751 and was canonized in 1867. St. Leonard of Port Maurice is the patron of parish priests.