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.