St. Paschal Baylon is the patron saint of Eucharistic Congresses and Associations. Born on May 16, 1540, in Torre-Hermosa, Aragon, Spain, Paschal, the son of humble farmers Martin Baylon and Isabel Yubero, was raised alongside five siblings. He was named after the Spanish term for Pentecost, namely, "Pasch of the Holy Spirit" as he was born on the vigil of Pentecost. He showed a fervent devotion to the Holy Eucharist as a child.
He worked as a shepherd until his 22nd year, when he entered a Franciscan monastery of the strict Alcantarine Reform as a lay brother. He served mostly as a doorkeeper at various friaries in Spain. Paschal's unfailing courtesy and tender charity towards the poor and afflicted were remarkable. Paschal devoutly immersed himself in Eucharistic adoration in his leisure hours, humbly kneeling with the cross held tenderly in his arms. He would be lost in prayer for hours before the Blessed Sacrament, sometimes in ecstasy, and from this divine source of wisdom, would receive instruction in the most profound truths of religion. He continued Eucharistic Adoration late into the night and was in the chapel in the morning before all the other brothers.
Despite his quiet demeanor, Paschal's words carried great weight, especially when he spoke of the Holy Eucharist, as the Holy Spirit inspired him. Though he maintained a constant sense of joy, his true contentment flourished while attending Holy Mass and during moments of prayer before the Most Holy Sacrament. Whenever he arrived in a new town, his first destination would invariably be the Church, where he would devoutly kneel for an extended period, adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Although he had never received more than an elementary education, his spiritual insight and sanctity were evident.
His counsel was sought by people from every walk of life. Paschal composed beautiful prayers to the Blessed Sacrament. Upon reading them, Archbishop San Luis de Rivera exclaimed, "Simple souls like this one gain the best places in heaven. Our human wisdom is worth little when it is compared to the divine wisdom that God gives to the humble." In 1570, while walking through Huguenot France, he bravely defended the Catholic doctrine of the Real Presence of Our Lord in the Eucharist against a Calvinist minister's blasphemous claims. His defense was so powerful that the Calvinists attacked him. He escaped but suffered a severe shoulder injury, which caused him pain for the rest of his life. He died on May 17, 1592, the Sunday of Pentecost, in Villareal de los Infantes, Spain. He was canonized by Pope Alexander VIII in 1690 and was declared patron of all Eucharistic congresses and confraternities in 1897.
St. Paschal Baylon, you were graced by the Holy Spirit with a wonderful love for the sacred mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ. Obtain for us the grace of profound faith and heartfelt devotion towards Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
Jonathan Fabian Ginunggil,
Most High Servant,
Jesus, Mary, Joseph Ministry of Love (Blessed and Saints and the Nine Choirs of Angels)
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