SAINT OF THE DAY
TUESDAY, 23 JUNE 2020
SAINT JOSEPH CAFASSO
(1811 - 1860)
Joseph Cafasso was born on January 15, 1811 in Castelnuovo d'Asti, Italy to well-to-do peasant parents. From birth, he suffered from a deformed spine and was of a very small and misshapen stature. As a child, he exhibited unusual piety, devoting his time to prayer and attending Mass along with other religious exercises. His teachers, friends, and family noted his humility, innocence and faithfulness to rules.
Shortly after his ordination Cafasso began teaching young priests about the errors ofJansenism (an excessive preoccupation with sinand damnation). He was a popular professor of moral theology, an excellent lecturer and an example of holiness and discipline. Cafassso helped priest become pastors with rich inner lifes and profound zeal in pastoral care, faithful to prayer and committed to preaching and to catechesis, dedicated to the celebration of the Eucharist and ministry of Confession. One of his students was St. John Bosco.
As 'Priest of the Gallows', Cafasso worked to improve the dehumanizing conditions of inmates in the Turin jails. Serving as their pastor he took into account each person's life circumstances and gently taught them about God, prayer and sacraments. He accompanied to the scaffold after hearing their confessions and administering the Eucharist to them.
St. Joseph Cafasso died on June 23, 1860 at Turin, Italy at the age of forty-nine from pneumonia and complications of congenital medical problems. He had poured himself out unreservedly for both God and neighbor. St. John Bosco preached at his funeral. St. Joseph Cafasso was canonized in 1947 by Pope Pius XII.
PATRON: Captives, Prisoners & Prison Chaplains
ST. JOSEPH CAFASSO'S PRAYER TO AVOID PURGATORY
O my sweet Jesus, in addition to the many graces which Thou hast conferred on me in the course of my life, I ask Thee for this further one: when my soul shall have departed from this world, not only that it not be condemned to Hell, but that it shall not be compelled to remain away from Thee for even a moment in Purgatory. It is true that I am a debtor to Divine Justice, but I hope to pay all my debts from the infinite merits of Thy Passion and Death. O Heaven, holy city of my God, my dear native land! Oh, howI sigh for thee! O happy day when I shall reach thee! O Heavn, my dear Heaven, come quicky and satisfy the desires of a wretched heart that sighs for thee!
"My God, I accept whatever kind of death it may please Thee to send me, with all the terrors, all the pains, all the sufferings that shall justly accompany it. Finally, I pray Thee to accept the destruction of my body as the last act of homage that I can offer to Thy Supreme Divine Majesty, in satisfaction for the offenses committed in the course of my life.
"O Mary, I ask thee for one more grace: Obtain from thy Divine Son that I may die, but that I may die with thee, and that I may fly to Heaven along with thee. O merciful Mother, grant that when my soul is liberated from this wretched body I may go immediately to find thee in Heaven, there to commence that life which will be my occupation for all eternity. AMEN.