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St
JOSEPH CALANZ |
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Feast Day: August 25
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Also known as
- Joseph Calasanctius; Joseph of Our Lady; Joseph Calsanza
- 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 boy to become a
soldier, to marry, and to continue the family. However, a near fatal
illness in
1582 caused him 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 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; he 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
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11 September
1556 at Peralta,
Barbastro,
Aragon,
Spain in his
father's castle
- Died
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25 August
1648 at
Rome,
Italy of natural causes; buried at Saint Panteleone,
Rome
- Name Meaning
- whom the Lord adds (Joseph)
- Beatified
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18 August
1748 by
Pope
Benedict XIV
- Canonized
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16 July
1767 by
Pope
Clement XIII
- Patronage
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colleges;
schoolchildren;
schools;
schools for the poor;
students;
universities (areas 'assigned' by
Pope
Pius XII)
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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
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