Saint Joseph of Cupertino: Life, Influence, Legacy, Prayers
Giuseppe (or Joseph) Maria Desa, known as Saint Joseph of Cupertino, was born on June 17, 1603, in Cupertino, Italy.
He died on September 18, 1663, and was beatified on February 24, 1753, in Rome by Benedict XIV, then canonized on July 16, 1767, in Rome by Clement XIII. The Church celebrates his feast day annually on September 18. Today, he is recognized as the patron saint of students and aviators.
Let us, then, get to know Saint Joseph of Cupertino: let us explore his life, his influence, and what he still has to say to us today.
After reading this, we invite you to discover other saints in Hozana’s Guide to the Saints.
Biography of Saint Joseph of Cupertino
Having lost his father at a young age, Joseph was devout from an early age, though he did not seem to excel intellectually. His intellectual shortcomings were even the reason he was denied admission to the Conventual Franciscans in Naples.
After accepting him as a postulant, the Capuchin Friars Minor asked him to leave due to his lack of skill in the tasks entrusted to him. Later, however, he was accepted into the Conventual Friars Minor, where he made his profession. Thanks to his obedience, piety, and humility, he was subsequently accepted as a cleric, despite his difficulties with reading and writing. Thus, he received the habit of the order in 1625. Despite his intellectual shortcomings, the Bishop of Castro, believing him to be as gifted as the other postulants, exempted him from an exam. Joseph was finally ordained a priest on March 4, 1628. We can therefore understand why he is the patron saint of students and aviators.
The life of Saint Joseph of Cupertino was marked by numerous experiences of ecstasy and levitation, which we will discuss below, and which also earned him the title of patron saint of aviators.
What can we learn from Saint Joseph of Cupertino?
Saint Joseph of Cupertino, Patron Saint of Students
As we saw earlier, Saint Joseph of Cupertino faced significant difficulties in learning. Although he was unable to meet the requirements for reading and writing properly, he nevertheless managed to enter religious life—and even to be ordained a priest—with divine help. It is said, in fact, that the first candidates who took the priesthood exam performed so well that the Bishop of Castro admitted the other candidates without having them take the exam, believing them to be just as brilliant as the first group. And so Saint Joseph was exempted from the exam, which, given his shortcomings, one might imagine he would have found very difficult. All of this goes some way toward explaining why Saint Joseph of Cupertino is the patron saint of students. He thus shows us that while intellectual qualities are important, they are not always enough; it is equally important to entrust ourselves to God.
At the end of this article, discover the prayer for students through the intercession of Joseph of Cupertino.
Saint Joseph of Cupertino and His Experiences of Ecstasy and Levitation
When we think of the saint, we also think of his experiences of ecstasy and levitation. He experienced a significant number of levitations. The first took place on October 4, 1630, in Cupertino, during a procession in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. While taking part in the procession, he rose into the air and remained floating. But after realizing what had happened, he was frightened. He was 27 years old.
He was certainly less afraid afterward, as he experienced roughly seventy levitations, according to the testimonies submitted for his canonization. It is said that one day, after rising off the ground, the saint found himself stuck in the branches of a tree, in full view of his fellow monks.
The most famous levitation certainly took place in the presence of Pope Urban VIII during an audience addressed to the monks of the monastery where Joseph lived. Indeed, after kneeling to kiss the Pope’s red leather shoes, Joseph himself rose into the air above the papal throne where the Pope was seated. It was then that Pope Urban said to the Saint’s Superior: “If Brother Joseph dies during Our pontificate, We wish to serve as a witness at his [canonization] trial to testify to the miracle We have just witnessed.”
During the ecclesiastical inquiry, which took place after his death, Brother Marie des Anges, who had known him, testified: “His body and his clothes gave off a scent that I cannot compare to any artificial or natural scent… wherever he went, he left that same fragrance, and I had the opportunity to smell it the entire time I spent near him.”
Furthermore, Pope John Paul II described Saint Joseph of Cupertino as an authentic Franciscan, saying of him:
“As the patron saint of students, Saint Joseph of Cupertino encourages the world of culture—particularly the school system—to ground its human knowledge in the Wisdom of God. And it is precisely thanks to his inner docility to the promptings of divine Wisdom that this particular saint can serve as a spiritual guide for all categories of the faithful. To priests and consecrated persons, to young people and adults, to children and the elderly, to anyone who desires to become a disciple of Christ, he continues to point out the priorities that this radical choice entails. Recognition of God’s primacy in our lives, the value of prayer and contemplation, and passionate adherence to the Gospel “sine glossa,” without compromise: these are some of the indispensable conditions for being credible witnesses to Jesus, lovingly seeking his holy Face. This is what this extraordinary mystic, an exemplary disciple of the “Poverello” of Assisi, did. He burned with a tender love for the Lord and lived in service to his Kingdom.”
What can Saint Joseph of Cupertino offer us today?
His levitations were not acts of magic. It was Christ who enabled him to experience these very real events, certainly thanks to his very deep faith.
These experiences can remind us that, like aviators—of whom Saint Joseph of Cupertino is also the patron— we can recall that as Christians, while we have our feet on the ground and are of this world, we are not of this world, for we already have our sights set on Heaven.
Praying with Saint Joseph of Cupertino
Prayer to Saint Joseph of Cupertino for Students “O Blessed Joseph of Cupertino, I come to implore your help for this exam I must take”:
“O Blessed Joseph of Cupertino, who loves to show favor to your devoted servants, I come to implore your help for this exam I must take. Despite my hard work and good will, I fear I may become flustered and be unable to answer properly. Remember that you yourself faced the same difficulty and that, through obedience and the powerful protection of your Father in Heaven, you emerged from it successfully. Do the same for me. Grant me confidence in my answers; give my mind quickness and alertness. I ask this of you for the love of Jesus, Mary, and Saint Francis, whose child and faithful servant you were. I entrust myself to you, most holy Patron of Exams, and I am convinced that my hope will not be disappointed.”
Amen.
Continue your journey in Christ with these suggestions from Hozana
Following in the footsteps of Saint Joseph of Cupertino, a member of the Conventual Friars Minor, rediscover Franciscan spirituality with:
- This
- This to deepen your faith.
- Also, following in the footsteps of this saint, the patron of students, discover .
