Born in 1811 on the island of Sardinia which is now part of Italy, he was the third of four children and because of a problem with his spine, he struggled with his health all of his life. 

Devout from childhood, Joseph made the decision to become a priest, entering the seminary at Turin, and was ordained in 1834. 

He was assigned to teach at the seminary and one of his students was a bright and holy young man from his hometown, John Bosco. 

Joseph asked John Bosco to help with some troubled and poor young boys he’d been mentoring. 

A gifted preacher and instructor, he also crossed paths with Luigi Guala, co-founder of the Institute of St. Francis of Assisi, which was dedicated to the formation of priests, a critical need in that time, when the Church was still reeling from the ravages of Napoleon. 

He was acutely aware of the social needs and suffering among the poor, and at one point was asked to become a politician because of his leadership skills. 

Joseph developed the nickname; “Priest of the Gallos”, because of his dedication to ministering to the condemned right up to the moment of their execution. 

He was a model of prayer, pastoral instruction, and an outstanding confessor. 

He died on this day in 1860 at the age of just 49. 

St. Joseph Cafasso, please pray for us.