St. Joseph Calasanz was born on 11 September 1556 in Calasanz Castle in Aragon, Spain. Joseph studied philosophy, law, and theology. In 1583, the ordained priest did pastoral and administrative work for nine years and was made theologian and confessor to the Bishop of Figuera and Vicar General of Trempe. After his father's death, he gave away all his inheritance. In 1592, a vision directed him to go to Rome.
Arriving in Rome, he found that, as a result of numerous epidemics, large numbers of boys and girls had been orphaned and were growing up on the streets in utter neglect. Joseph joined the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, which had been organized 30 years before, and seeing that a more general education was needed, founded the first free public school in Europe. Other Priests associated themselves with his work and, with financial support from the Pope and public-spirited citizens, his school soon cared for 1,200 pupils. The Priests lived in the community and formed themselves into the Clerks Regular of the Pious Schools.
Today, they administer over 300 schools for the poor and colleges for the middle class in Central Europe, Spain, and Italy. For 50 years, he made it a point to visit the Seven Churches of Rome daily. His last years were saddened by unjust persecution and sickness, but he bore all with such exemplary patience as to merit the title of a "second Job." He died on 25 August 1648 and was canonized in 1767. St. Joseph Calasanz was declared the "heavenly patron of all Christian schools" by Pope Pius XII.
St. Joseph Calasanz, pray that we may love and serve God with all our heart, mind, and strength.
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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