The Saint Who Gave the Poor an Education | St. Joseph Calasanz

About this sermon

St. Joseph Calasanz, patron saint of Catholic schools and schoolchildren, devoted his life to educating the poor and forming children in the Catholic Faith. Born into a noble Spanish family in 1556, Calasanz received an excellent education and eventually answered God’s call to the priesthood. After going to Rome, he was deeply moved by the poverty, ignorance, and spiritual danger facing the city’s children. He gathered boys and girls from the streets, taught catechism, and in 1597 opened what the sermon describes as the first free public school in Europe. His work grew rapidly, eventually serving roughly a thousand children and giving rise to the Piarists. But success brought envy, opposition, accusations, humiliation, and even the suppression of his religious order. Yet St. Joseph Calasanz refused bitterness. He forgave his enemies and accepted his suffering with profound humility. Today’s Gospel gives the key to his holiness: “Unless you be converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” The lesson is simple: do not seek to be great in your own eyes. Become little before God. And pray especially for our schools and children, that they may be protected from corruption and formed in truth, purity, and holiness. 🙏 St. Joseph Calasanz, pray for us! 00:00 – Become Like Little Children 00:37 – St. Joseph Calasanz, Patron of Catholic Schools 00:53 – Childhood and Education 01:17 – Early Signs of Holiness 01:33 – His Call to the Priesthood 01:51 – His Father Wants Him to Marry 02:08 – Ordained a Priest 02:21 – The Call: “Go to Rome” 02:38 – The Poor Children of Rome 02:54 – Ignorance as the Mother of Vice 03:08 – Gathering Children from the Streets 03:24 – The Need to Educate the Poor 03:48 – Free Classes for Poor Children 04:05 – The First Free Public School 04:20 – Nearly 1,000 Children Under His Care 04:35 – Founding the Piarists 04:50 – Opposition From the Powerful 05:07 – Friendship With Galileo 05:23 – Arrest and Humiliation 05:38 – Betrayed From Within His Own Order 05:54 – He Forgives His Enemies 06:02 – Suppression of the Order 06:18 – The Legacy of St. Joseph Calasanz 06:34 – Influence on Later Catholic Education 06:43 – Canonization and Heroic Fortitude 07:01 – A Forgotten Counter-Reformation Saint 07:27 – Pray for Our Schools and Children 07:42 – Become Like Little Children 07:58 – Be Little in Your Own Eyes 08:15 – The Gate of Paradise Is Low 08:32 – Closing & Sensus Fidelium For more please visit https://www.themarianfranciscans.org/ Please sign up at this link https://lifecrusade.org/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 ✝️ SUPPORT THE MISSION 🙏 Donate https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 📬 Free Catholic Newsletter https://sensusfidelium.com/newsletter/ 📰 Read on Substack https://sensusfidelium.substack.com/ ──────────────────── 📺 WATCH & READ 📺 Sensus Fidelium App https://sensusfidelium.tv/ 📚 Sensus Fidelium Press https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ 👕 Official Merchandise https://sensusfidelium.com/merchandise/ ──────────────────── 🤝 PARTNER WITH US 📣 Advertise on Sensus Fidelium https://sensusfidelium.com/advertise-with-sensus-fidelium/ 🎤 Invite Steve Cunningham to Speak https://sensusfidelium.com/speaking/ ⛪ Parish Formation & Consultation https://sensusfidelium.com/for-parishes/ ──────────────────── 🌎 CATHOLIC COMMUNITY ✝️ Trusted Catholic Businesses https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 #StJosephCalasanz #CatholicEducation #CatholicSchools #CatholicSaints #CatholicChildren #CatholicFaith #CatholicHistory #CatholicSermon #Humility #TraditionalCatholic #Piarists #SensusFidelium

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