Pius X

Who they were

Giuseppe Sarto was born in 1835 at Riese in the Veneto, the second of ten children, and walked to school in Castelfranco, often barefoot. When his father died his mother worked day and night so he could follow his vocation. He was curate, parish priest, seminary spiritual director, bishop of Mantua and Patriarch of Venice, then elected Pope, the first of modern times from a peasant family.

His motto was 'Instaurare omnia in Christo', to restore all things in Christ. He published the catechism of questions and answers that bears his name, opposed Modernism, began the reform of canon law and the Curia, lowered the age of First Communion to about seven, and promoted the liturgy, Scripture and Gregorian chant. He wrote in his will: 'Born poor, lived poor, and sure to die very poor.'

The miracles

The miracles examined for his beatification and canonisation are not described in the sources we have used.

Why that counted as sanctity

Pius X was a pastor before all else: he wanted every Christian taught the faith and fed by the Eucharist, opened Communion to children, and lived and died poor.