St Paul of the Cross

Confessor (1694 -1775)

Saint of the day October 19

paul Francis Danei was the first of 16 children of an impoverished noble family who had become merchants in Lombardy (Italy). Born on 3 January 1694 to Luke Danei and Ann Marie Massari, he was much given to prayer before the Blessed Sacrament; at 26 he was shown by Our Lord in a vision that he was to found a new religious Order in honour of the Passion. He drew up the rule in 1720 for the “Discalced Clerks nl the Cross and the Passion”; 7 years later he was ordained priest ind community life was started in a small hermitage on Mount Argentario near Orbetello. Others soon joined and, much against his wishes, Paul was elected Superior General and remained so until his death.

The new Order combined the austere Carthusian life with the active Jesuit apostolate to bring souls to Christ through a devout contemplation of his Passion. God favoured Paul’s work with numerous miracles, especially in connection with the conversion of hardened and hopeless sinners. Throughout 50 years he prayed for the return of England to the Faith and was vouchsafed several comforting visions in this connection. In fact it was through the Passionists that Cardinal Newman, among thousands of others, entered the Church.

Consumed by his penances, Paul died at Rome on 18 October 1775 and was canonized by Pope Pius IX on 29 June 1867.