St. Paul of the Cross (1694-1775) was born Paolo Francesco Danei, in northern Italy, and was the second of the sixteen children, only six of whom survived infancy. He received his education in Lombardy before returning home at the age of fifteen. At the age of nineteen, Paul had a conversion to the life of prayer and was, for the rest of his life, devoted to God found in the Passion of Christ. After receiving a series of experiences in prayer, Paul felt called to found a community dedicated to sharing the love of God in Christ’s Passion. This congregation would later be named the Congregation of the Passion of Christ, or the Passionists. Paul’s first companion was his brother, and the two were ordained priests in 1727. The two brothers preached and gave retreats at seminaries and religious houses, which brought attention to their mission and aided the growth of the community. Paul wrote that his community would live a penitential life of poverty and solitude, giving three hours of their day to contemplative prayer, and teaching others how to meditate on the Passion of Christ. By 1737, his first Retreat (a name for the Passionist monastery) was opened and consisted of nine members. Despite the slow growth of his community, Paul was well known for his words and words of mercy, and was deemed a popular preacher. By the time of his death in 1775, the Congregation of the Passion of Christ had grown into twelve Retreats, as well as a monastery of contemplative sisters. Paul was canonized in 1867 and his feast is celebrated on October 20th.
St. Paul of the Cross, pray for us!
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