SAINT JOSEPH OF CUPERTINO


Saint Joseph of Cupertino
Saint Joseph of Cupertino

 By Edward Matulanya

Early life of Saint Joseph of Cupertino

St. Joseph of Cupertino was born June 17, 1603, in Cupertino, Apulia (southern Italy). Orphaned before birth and raised in poverty, he struggled with learning and was considered slow by his peers. After repeated rejections from religious communities, he was eventually accepted as a servant by the Conventual Franciscans and later admitted as a friar.

Vocational life of Saint Joseph of Cupertino 

Despite his lack of education, Joseph was ordained a priest in 1628 after a providentially simple examination. He became famous for extraordinary mystical phenomena, especially levitation during ecstatic prayer. These events attracted large crowds and even the attention of the Inquisition, though he was never condemned.

Because the public excitement disrupted community life, Joseph spent much of his later years in seclusion, devoted to humility and prayer. He died on September 18, 1663, in Osimo, Italy. He was beatified in 1753 and canonized in 1767. Today, he is venerated as the patron saint of aviators, astronauts, and students, particularly those facing exams.

Feast day of Saint Joseph Cupertino 

Saint Joseph of Cupertino, a 17th-century Franciscan friar known for his humility and mystical experiences such as levitation during prayer, is honored in the Roman Catholic Church on September 18 (Catholic News Agency, n.d.).

St. Joseph of Cupertino pray for us

Reference

Catholic News Agency. (n.d.). St. Joseph of Cupertino. Catholic Saints. Retrieved September 17, 2025, from https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-joseph-of-cupertino-609


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