St. Pacifus
Feast Day: September 24
Born: 1653 :: Died: 1721
Charles Anthony was born in Italy and when he was just five years old his loving parents died. He was then sent to live with his uncle.
This uncle was a mean man who was always angry. He treated Charles worse than a servant. Yet the boy took this hard treatment quietly and patiently.
When he was seventeen, Charles entered a monastery so he could study to be a priest. He chose the name Pacificus, which means "peaceful."
St. Pacificus had a sad childhood and could have let himself become an angry person. Instead, he prayed to Jesus for a forgiving, patient heart.
His hard times were turned into moments of growing in his love for God and people. Because he had suffered, he could sympathize with the hurts of others and help them to find God in their lives.
After he became a priest, he was made a teacher, but his great desire was to become a preacher. How happy he was when his superior sent him on a preaching mission to many little towns and villages.
St. Pacificus was very popular with people in the country because his talks were simple and gentle. Besides that, he had the marvelous gift of reading consciences.
At confession one day he reminded a man that he had been unkind to his mother. He had also kept impure thoughts in his mind. What Father Pacificus said was true. The man was very sorry for his sins. Everywhere the priest went to preach and hear confessions, he did much good.
But six years after he started preaching, Pacificus had to give it up because he became blind, deaf and crippled. He spent his time praying and doing penance in his monastery and helping others in any way he could.
God was always very close to him. He gave him the gift of prophecy. St. Pacificus foretold the great victory of the Christian armies over the Turks at Belgrade.
He also said to a bishop, "Your Excellency-heaven! Heaven! And I will follow you soon!" About two weeks later, the bishop died. Not long after, just as he had said, St. Pacificus died, too in the year 1721. Many miracles took place at his grave.
Each of us has been blessed by God in different ways. How am I called to share my gifts with others?