St. Peter Canisius was born in 1521 AD as the son of the wealthy mayor of the Dutch city of Nijmegen. He studied at the University of Cologne and entered the Society of Jesus. He was ordained a priest at the age of 25. Shortly after, he was appointed as a theologian at the Council of Trent. After his final profession, he was sent to Vienna, where he taught theology at the University, preached in the cathedral, and at the court of Ferdinand I. The Church in Vienna was in ruins, with no priests having been ordained there for nearly 20 years, and Fr. Peter made all possible efforts toward spiritual renewal. Protestant views were prevalent in those days, and he became the most influential leader of the Counter-Reformation in those lands. His humility, moderation, and tact earned him the title of the "Second Apostle of Germany." This holy man corresponded with his contemporaries, Sts. Charles Borromeo, Philip Neri, and Francis de Sales, and was an advisor to the clergy, monarchy, and commoners alike. He worked towards forming a devout clergy and a learned laity, founding around 30 schools and seminaries and actively promoting Rosary Sodalities. Thousands came back to the faith, the confessional, and the Masses again gathering a crowd. He also encouraged the publication of good books. His Triple Catechism-for children, young people, and adults contains a sound treatise on Roman Catholic dogma, and his ascetic and homiletic writings were also widely read. St Peter spent the last 17 years of his life in Fribourg, Switzerland, where he died on 21 December 1597. Beatified in 1864, he was canonized and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1925.
Prayer:
O God, who for the defense of the Catholic faith made the Priest St. Peter Canisius strong in virtue and in learning, grant, through his intercession, that those who seek the truth may joyfully find You, their God, and that Your faithful people may persevere in confessing You.
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