<p>Giuseppe Cafasso was a significant social reformer in the early nineteenth century.&nbsp; He was born in Piedmont, Italy in 1811. Even as a young man Joseph loved to attend Mass and was known for his humility and fervor in prayer.&nbsp; Giuseppe was ordained as a young man, and assigned to a seminary in Turin. There he worked especially against the spirit of Jansenism, an excessive preoccupation with sin and damnation.&nbsp; Joseph used the works of St. Francis de Sales and St. Alphonsus Liguori to moderate the regiment, popular at the Seminary.&nbsp;</p> <p>Joseph himself, studied at the seminary in Turin, and continued his theological studies at the seminary and university in Turin, and then at the Institute of St. Francis.&nbsp; Despite a deformed spine, he became a brilliant lecturer in &ldquo;Moral Theology&rdquo;.&nbsp; He was noted for fighting state intrusion into Church affairs. &nbsp; He also was the rector of the Institute and made a deep impression on his young priest students with his holiness and discipline of high standards for his students. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>He was a sought after confessor and spiritual adviser, and ministered to prisoners &ndash; working to improve their terrible conditions.&nbsp; He met Don Bosco in 1827 and the two of them became great friends.&nbsp; It was through Joseph&rsquo;s encouragement that Don Bosco decided that his vocation was working with boys.&nbsp; Joseph was his adviser, and worked closely with him in his foundations, convincing others to fund and found religious Institutes and Charitable Organizations. &nbsp;</p> <p>Among the most notable attributes that Joseph presented were his ability to preach, a great confessor, and retreat master.&nbsp; He was also noted for his commitment to work with condemned prisoners, helping many of them to die in a state of grace, and at peace with God.&nbsp; He was the apostle of prions and the comforter of those condemned to the death penalty and was called, &ldquo;The Priest of the Gallows&rdquo;.&nbsp; He was canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1947.&nbsp; Joseph found his strength to do this through his Devotion to the Eucharist &ndash; which gave energy to all of his activities. &nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>Practical Take Away</strong></span></p> <p>St. Joseph Cafasso was able to see those that were in most need of the sacraments and of God&rsquo;s Mercy, and was able to draw strength from the Holy Eucharist to assist him.&nbsp; He helped many souls that were condemned to death, by bringing peace to their souls, and reconciling them with God.&nbsp; He also understood the importance of standing up to the State, to keep them out of Church matters.&nbsp; In today&rsquo;s society with our religious freedom being attacked, we too, can draw strength from the intercession of St. Joseph Cafasso.&nbsp; The Church calls for his intersession on his Feast Day. May we all become stronger in helping those most in need of God&rsquo;s Mercy, by asking for the intercession of St. Joseph Cafasso&rsquo;s. &nbsp;</p>