St. Paul of the Cross (1694-1775)

Born Paul Francis Daneii in Genoa, he grew up in a wealthy merchant family. For Paul, the Passion of Christ was the most overwhelming sign of God’s love, and a door to union with God. His life was devoted to spreading this message. He wanted to found a community whose members would do the same. In a vision, he saw himself clothed in the habit he and his companions would wear: a long, black tunic on the front of which was a heart surmounted by a white cross, and in the heart was written “the Passion of Jesus Christ”. On seeing it, he heard these words spoken to him: “This is to show how pure the heart must be that bears the holy name of Jesus graven upon it”. The community was named the Congregation of the Passion, or Passionists. Paul wrote the constitutions for the community in 1720. In 1725 he and his brother John Baptist were ordained. He took the name Paul of the Cross. After ordination the two brothers devoted themselves to preaching missions in parishes, particularly in remote country places where there were not a sufficient number of priests pastorally involved. Their preaching apostolate and the retreats they gave in seminaries and religious houses brought their mission to the attention of others and gradually the community began to grow. By the time of his death, the Passionists numbered 180 living in twelve monasteries. Paul of the Cross was beatified on 1 October 1852, and canonized on 29 June 1867 by Blessed Pius IX.
(Adapted from Wikipedia)