St. Peter Canisius

 


Some of the saints of December get overlooked in the pre-Christmas rush. 

One of the saints worth knowing about is St. Peter Canisius.  His feast day was yesterday,  December 21st.   He was a real "everyman" who did it all in a very difficult and challenging time for the Church.

In the 16th century in much of norther Europe, when the Church was beginning to collapse due to the Protestant revolution, he was an important part of the Catholic Counter reformation to help save the faith, not only in his native Germany, but also Austria, Switzerland, Bohemia

He was a brilliant scholar and preacher but was able to work with people from all works of life -- from children to prisoners to imperial courts.  He was an Apostle of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and helped to restore an understanding of the Real Presence of the Lord in the holy Sacrifice of the Mass (which we see is beginning to slip again today). 

St. Peter Canisius, pray for us! 


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