St. Joseph of Cupertino

Biography

St. Joseph of Cupertino (1603–1663) had one of the most unusual and remarkable lives in the history of the saints. Born Giuseppe Maria Desa in Cupertino, southern Italy, into grinding poverty (his father died before his birth, and his mother initially regarded him as a burden), he was considered slow-witted, absent-minded, and was nicknamed 'Open-Mouth' for his tendency to stare with his mouth agape. He tried to join the Conventual Franciscans but was rejected. He joined the Capuchins but was dismissed after eight months for dropping dishes and being unable to perform basic tasks. Finally, the Conventual Franciscans accepted him as a stable servant. His remarkable piety eventually led to his being admitted to the novitiate. When he sat for his ordination exams, he was asked to explain the only Gospel passage he had managed to learn well — and it happened to be the one passage the examiner chose to ask about. After ordination, he began experiencing ecstasies and levitations during prayer — rising off the ground and flying through the air. Over seventy levitations were witnessed by thousands of people, including Pope Urban VIII, who saw Joseph levitate during a papal audience. These phenomena continued for thirty-five years. Church authorities, uncomfortable with the spectacle, moved him from friary to friary, eventually confining him to a remote convent. He bore this isolation with patient obedience. His struggles with learning have made him the beloved patron of students, especially those facing exams.

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Symbols