Saint of the day September 18: Saint Joseph of Cupertino. Catholic Saints

Every September 18, the Church celebrates a saint whose legacy begins with the virtue of humility, confidence in prayer and determination: Saint Joseph of Cupertino (1603-1663), Italian, Giuseppe da Copertino, born Giuseppe Maria Desa.

Don’t get tired of praying!

“Pray, never get tired of praying. That God is not deaf nor is Heaven made of bronze. “Everyone who asks, receives,” said this great Franciscan, expressing in an unbeatable way how much God had done in his life thanks to his persevering prayer.

As an example, this “small” detail is enough: José was never good at studies, but despite this difficulty, from God he received the strength and light necessary to move forward. That is why today – and not by chance – he is considered the patron saint of students, especially those who are going through academic problems.

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Phil 4, 13)

Giuseppe María – José María, his given name – was born in 1603, in the town of Cupertino, Lecce region (Kingdom of Naples, today Italy), into a very humble family.

At the age of 17 he asked to be admitted by the Franciscans, into the branch of the Conventual Friars Minor; However, he was rejected. Shortly thereafter, he applied to join the Minor Reformed Brothers, another branch of the Order of St. Francis of Assisi, but was also unsuccessful. And the fact is that Joseph had received almost no instruction in his life and, in what little he received, he did not bind or loose.

Despite these “failures”, José was encouraged to make a new attempt. This time with the Capuchin friars, who did receive him as a lay brother.

However, contrary to what could be expected after so much fighting, José ended up being expelled from the convent after a few months. The reason: he was very distracted, and his superiors denounced him for “ineptitude.” His biographers often give an account of his clumsiness: he constantly dropped the plates he took to the dining room, he forgot the assigned orders and it seemed that he was always abstracted, outside the world, thinking about anything.

To be holy is to know how to stand up

Saint Joseph of Cupertino, then, sought refuge in the home of a wealthy relative. Despite the initial welcome, he would also end up throwing him out on the street, frustrated by his continuous mistakes. After this, José more than confirmed the rumors that pointed him out as “a good-for-nothing.” It was then that his mother intervened and went to beg a relative of hers, a Franciscan friar, to receive the boy as a messenger from his convent.

This time, Joseph would be accepted as a worker: since he was not good at errands, he was sent to work in the stable. And, to the surprise of many, he didn’t do too badly. Something had happened: through blows, in his still short life, Saint Joseph had become firmly attached to the cross, his anchor and his foundation. From then on, the boy would begin to perform better and better, even showing skill for his noble profession.

This earned him, little by little, the appreciation of the religious of the convent, who began to consider him as someone exemplary. His displays of humility and kindness, adorned with a spirit of penitence and the constant presence of God, merited reconsideration among the Franciscans, who in 1625 – when the saint was about 22 years old – admitted him to the convent by unanimous vote.

“Eternal life to those who persevere in doing good” (Rom 2, 6)

Shortly after, the older friars determined that José study to be a priest. However, in exams and evaluations, José seemed unable to do well. Captured by nerves because he had little clarity to express himself, most of the time he remained silent in front of his teachers, with his mind blank.

Thus arrived the day of the start of the final exams, and the examiner announced that he would open the Bible and read a random passage to hear the student’s interpretation. José was terrified waiting for his turn.

However, Providence wanted the passage chosen to examine Fray José to be the only one he was capable of adequately explaining. It was that of the Gospel of Luke that refers to the Mother of God and that we pray in the Hail Mary: “Blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.”

In the last test – the definitive exam to define who would be ordained – the bishop in charge of the evaluation began to question the first friars of the group in which Joseph was. As they all responded very well, the prelate decided not to continue examining the rest because he did not consider it necessary. San José -the next on the list of candidates-, unintentionally escaped the test.

The least likely would be that it was a “stroke of luck”, but perhaps it wasn’t. It seemed, rather, that God wanted to lighten the day of the saint, who had made every effort to arrive well prepared.

Patron of students

Because of his commitment to study, and not because of any brilliant result, this saint is considered the patron saint of students, especially those who find themselves in academic difficulties.

On March 18, 1628, Fray José was ordained a priest, well aware that he had no special qualities to preach or teach, but he did have the love due to the Eucharist. He also decided for this reason, in a special way, to support his priesthood with penances and prayers for sinners.

“Who would give me wings like a dove!” (Ps 55, 6)

It was on that spiritual route that Saint Joseph came to embrace the mystical life. He fell into ecstasy constantly and on occasions his brothers saw him levitate. He was even seen flying as if it were a bird, going from one place to another to attend to the spiritual needs of the faithful.

In the book of the cause of canonization of Saint Joseph of Cupertino it is stated that there were numerous witnesses who witnessed the supernatural events mentioned. These include that of Pope Urban VIII (p. 1623-1644) and that of the Protestant Prince John Frederick, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1625-1679), who thanks to Friar Joseph converted to Catholicism.

“I would fly and find rest” (Ps 55, 6)

Saint Joseph of Cupertino left for the Father’s House on September 18, 1663. He was beatified in 1753 by Benedict XIV and canonized in 1767 by Clement XIII.

He is the patron saint of airplane travelers, aviators, those with mental disabilities and students taking exams.

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If you want to know more about this great saint, we recommend this article from the Catholic Encyclopedia: https://ec.aciprensa.com/wiki/San_Jos%C3%A9_de_Cupertino.