>>508857214St. Paul of the Cross – Following the Footsteps of Jesus Crucified
Called to found a religious Order dedicated to contemplating and making reparation for the Passion of Christ, he was asked to undergo sorrow and perplexity, as the groundwork of his great work.
The Passionist religious perceived that the death of their spiritual father was at hand. Accordingly, they alerted the Pope as to the gravity of his condition and set about organizing a funeral on a par with such a great founder. However, when he learned the news, the Pontiff sent a command to the dying man: you must remain on this earth some time longer!
Despite his desire to depart for Heaven, St. Paul of the Cross, who had been bedridden for 18 months, submitted to the order of the Vicar of Christ and, against all expectations, regained his health in order to carry forward the final projects of his work.
Preparation for the future
On January 3, 1694, Paul Francis was born in the little town of Ovada, Italy, the firstborn of the Danei family. From his earliest childhood, a strong leaning toward piety blossomed in his soul, fuelled by the Catholic formation he received at home. “If I am saved, as I hope, it is due in great part to the education I received from my mother,”1 he would later comment.
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