St. Joseph Calasanz
Universal Patron of all Christian Popular Schools in the World
St. Joseph Calasanz was born in the Kingdom of Aragon in 1557, and he spent the first 35 years of his life in Spain, becoming a priest in 1583. In 1592, Joseph moved to Rome, and it was in Italy that he would minister to the poor for the rest of his life. He noticed that the children from poor and neglectful families in Rome did not receive any sort of education, which led them to struggle later in life. Thus, Joseph took the initiative to help educate the poor and homeless at a time when many people thought that they did not deserve an education. He founded some of the first free schools in Rome and was committed to both administrative tasks as well as teaching. Joseph was also friends with Galileo and was resolute in treating him justly at a time when his views jeopardized his own life. Even though his good works were sometimes unfairly viewed with suspicion, his ideals about how to treat the poor, the homeless, and the accused can inspire us today.