St. Paul of the Cross

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Italian:: San Paolo Della Croce

Original name:: Paolo Francesco Danei

Born:: January 3, 1694, Ovada, Republic of Genoa [Italy]

Died:: October 18, 1775, Rome (aged 81)

St. Paul of the Cross

Q: Who was St. Paul of the Cross?

St. Paul of the Cross was an Italian mystic and the founder of the Roman Catholic order of missionary priests known as the Passionists .

Q: What is St. Paul of the Cross the patron saint of?

St. Paul of the Cross the patron saint of Hungary .

Q: When was the miracle of St. Paul of the Cross?

In his lifetime St. Paul of the Cross is said to have performed healing miracles and exhibited powers over nature. For example, while visiting the village of Canepina ( Italy ) in 1750 during a famine , he prayed for rain, which made the withering chestnut trees flourish and yielded an abundance of chestnuts for the hungry townspeople. After he died, many people reported miracles after praying to him or coming into contact with one of his relics , as in the case of a woman who was cured of breast cancer in 1844 because of St. Paul’s intercession.

Roman Catholic priest

Also known as: Paolo Francesco Danei, San Paolo della Croce

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Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 14, 2026 •History

Who was St. Paul of the Cross?

What is St. Paul of the Cross the patron saint of?

When was the miracle of St. Paul of the Cross?

St. Paul of the Cross (born January 3, 1694, Ovada, Republic of Genoa [Italy]—died October 18, 1775, Rome; canonized 1867; feast day October 19) was an Italian mystic and the founder of the Roman Catholic order of missionary priests known as the Passionists.

In 1720 Paul dedicated his life to God and began to experience visions, in the last of which the Virgin Mary (the mother of Jesus) appeared to him. He was inspired by this vision to found a religious congregation devoted to the suffering of Christ on the cross (i.e., the Passion), and his rule for the new order was approved in 1741 by Pope Benedict XIV and confirmed in 1769 by Clement XIV.

Paul subsequently founded the Passionist Nuns at Corneto (modern Tarquinia); the order was approved by Clement XIV in 1770. By the time of his death, Paul had established 12 monasteries in Italy, and since then the Passionist order has spread throughout the world.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by René Ostberg.

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St. Paul of the Cross

Who was St. Paul of the Cross?

What is St. Paul of the Cross the patron saint of?

When was the miracle of St. Paul of the Cross?

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