Walking with the Saints Podcast | Feast of St. Joseph Desa of Cupertino, A flying Saint | September 18

Walking with the Saints Podcast | Feast of St. Joseph Desa of Cupertino, A flying Saint | September 18       Have you heard about the flying saint? Yes, we have a flying saint! Today, we try to discover why St. Joseph Desa of Cupertino is called the "Flying Saint.” Joseph was born on June 17, 1603 in Cupertino, a small village in the Kingdom of Naples, Italy. His father died before he was born, so he and his siblings grew up with their strict mother. As a child, Joseph was absent-minded and a slow-learner. At 18, he was still in the grade school, together with little boys. His mother, who considered him a nuisance, treated him harshly. To keep him away from home, he presented him to become a servant at the Friars' convent. But he was dismissed because he was many times doing the wrong thing. At another time, his mother brought him to the Capuchins to take care of the animals at the stable. Surprisingly, he was quite successful in this job. His personality also changed. He prayed, made acts of penance and became more humble and kind. After some time, he expressed his desire to become a Friar and unexpectedly, he was accepted to study for the priesthood. Still, he had a hard time learning other secular subjects not directly pertaining to religion. The examination for Ordination was also tough for him, but a Bishop who read the holiness of his soul helped him. He was ordained on March 28, 1628. After his Ordination, the Holy Spirit began working miracles in him. While offering the Holy Mass or kneeling at prayer, people would see him rise from the ground. He was often caught talking to God in ecstasy, floating on air. He became so popular that the Friars kept him away from the public. Suspecting that his levitations came from the devil, his superiors sent him to the Inquisition and for further observation, he was transferred from one community of the Friars to another. But his ecstasies and levitations continued. On July 9, 1657, he was sent back to his original community. Six years later, he died on Sept. 18, 1663. Many miracles followed. The Church recognized his holy life and he was canonized on July 16, 1767. Now, you have rightly guessed why St. Joseph Desa of Cupertino was called "The Flying Saint." Dear Jesus, teach me to disregard the vain things of this world and make us humble and simple like St. Joseph of Cupertino.