Saint Joseph of Cupertino
Feast Day: Sept. 18
Patron saint: of air travelers, aviation, astronauts, people with mental handicaps, test takers and students
Canonized: 1767
Meaning of name: derived from the Hebrew name Yosef meaning “he will add”
Claim to fame: At the age of 17, he applied to the Capuchins and was accepted as a lay brother, but he experienced continual ecstasies that made him unfit for work so he was dismissed. He did not lose hope. He continued to pray and finally obtained permission to work in the stable as an oblate at the Franciscan convent near Cupertino. His personality changed. He became humble, obedient and loved to do penance. Three years later, in 1628, he was ordained a Franciscan priest.
Why is he a saint? Joseph was a mystic. His life was a long succession of visions and other heavenly favors. Everything that in any way made a reference to God or holy things would bring on an ecstatic state. Frequently he would be raised from his feet and remain suspended in the air.
Best quote: “When a man trains himself to acts of virtue, it is with the help of grace from God from whom all good things come that he does this. The will is what man has as his unique possession.”
How he died: He died from a fever on Sept. 18, 1663.