St. Paul of the Cross

Their story

Paolo Danei was born in 1694 in Ovada, in northern Italy, into a family of merchants who had fallen on hard times. He was a devout young man and briefly joined the army of Venice, but soon realized that God was calling him to a different kind of battle. Through prayer he came to see that the Passion of Jesus, His suffering and death on the cross, is the greatest sign of God's love for us. In 1720 the bishop gave Paolo a simple black habit, and during a forty-day retreat he wrote a rule for a new religious community dedicated to keeping alive the memory of Christ's Passion. He took the name Paul of the Cross. With his brother John Baptist he began the Congregation of the Passion, the Passionists, whose members wore a badge on their habits with the words "the Passion of Jesus Christ." The community grew slowly amid many difficulties, but it was finally approved. Paul became one of the great preachers of Italy, leading missions that drew crowds and brought many back to God. He was also a wise and gentle spiritual guide. For many years he himself endured great spiritual darkness, feeling far from God, yet he persevered in faith. He died in Rome on October 18, 1775, and was canonized in 1867.