Saint Joseph of Cupertino: The Franciscan Friar Who Was Considered Unfit to Learn

Who Was Saint Joseph of Cupertino?

Saint Joseph of Cupertino, born Giuseppe Maria Desa on June 17, 1603, was an Italian Franciscan friar and priest. He was born in Cupertino, in the Kingdom of Naples, to Felice Desa and Francesca Panara. His father, a carpenter, died before Joseph was born, leaving the family with debts and serious financial difficulties. His mother was forced from the family home, and Joseph was born in a stable. (New Advent)

From childhood, Joseph displayed an unusual devotional temperament. At school he experienced episodes of intense religious absorption, and accounts of his life describe him as having difficulty with ordinary academic learning. His poor performance in studies later became one of the defining difficulties of his early attempts to enter religious life. (New Advent)

He eventually became a member of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual and was ordained a Catholic priest. He became known in his lifetime for prolonged prayer, reported ecstasies, and episodes in which witnesses said he was lifted from the ground. Pope John Paul II later referred to him as a teacher of prayer and a figure particularly associated with young people and students. (Vatican)

His Upbringing and Family Life

Joseph was born into poverty. His father, Felice Desa, worked as a carpenter but died before Joseph's birth, leaving debts that contributed to the family's loss of their home. Francesca, Joseph's mother, gave birth to him in a stable after being forced from the house. (New Advent)

His childhood was not marked by conventional academic success. According to the traditional biographies, Joseph struggled to read and write and had difficulty with formal education. His limitations became particularly important when he later sought admission to religious communities, where theological study and intellectual examinations were part of preparation for priesthood. (New Advent)

Despite these difficulties, Joseph developed a strong religious life from an early age. His biographies describe religious subjects, sacred images, church music, the name of God, and the mysteries of Christ's life as occasions that could draw him into profound states of contemplation. (New Advent)

His Struggle to Enter Religious Life

Joseph initially attempted to join the Capuchins. He was admitted as a lay brother but was eventually dismissed because he was considered unable to fulfill the practical requirements of the community. He subsequently returned to his family before seeking another religious path. (New Advent)

He was eventually accepted by the Conventual Franciscans at Grottella. There he was given work that did not initially depend upon advanced academic ability, including duties involving manual labor and service within the community. His perseverance eventually led his superiors to reconsider his suitability for religious life. (New Advent)

Joseph progressed toward the priesthood despite his academic difficulties. Traditional accounts state that during his examination for ordination he was questioned by the bishop on matters he could answer, while other candidates were examined on material they could not explain satisfactorily. He was subsequently ordained a priest in 1628. (New Advent)

His Struggles, Pain, and Suffering

Joseph's difficulties did not end with ordination. His unusual mystical experiences became increasingly visible to other people, particularly during Mass, prayer, and religious ceremonies. Witnesses reported that he sometimes entered ecstatic states and, on some occasions, appeared to rise from the ground. (New Advent)

These phenomena created practical problems within his religious communities. According to historical accounts, he was eventually restricted from participating in certain communal activities because his ecstatic episodes caused disruption and attracted crowds. For approximately thirty-five years, he was not permitted to attend choir, eat in the common refectory, process publicly, or celebrate Mass publicly. A private chapel was prepared for him. (New Advent)

Joseph was also subjected to suspicion and investigation. He was brought before the Inquisition and moved between different Franciscan houses, including periods of isolation. Pope John Paul II later described his life as one marked by “incomprehensions” and obstacles, while emphasizing his obedience to his superiors during these experiences. (Vatican)

His Life of Prayer and Religious Discipline

Prayer became the central activity of Joseph's religious life. His day was centered on Mass and extended periods of Eucharistic adoration. Pope John Paul II described him as a “teacher of prayer” and noted his particular devotion to the mysteries of the Incarnation and the Passion of Christ. (Vatican)

Joseph also practiced severe forms of fasting and bodily discipline. Historical accounts state that he observed repeated periods of forty-day fasting and, during some of these periods, ate only on particular days. These practices formed part of the ascetical discipline associated with his Franciscan religious life. (New Advent)

His Franciscan spirituality was also expressed through simplicity and obedience. Rather than remaining in one place according to his own preference, Joseph accepted transfers ordered by his superiors. Pope John Paul II specifically described his willingness to move from one friary to another as an expression of obedience. (Vatican)

His Mission and Service

Joseph's ministry was primarily expressed through prayer, priestly service, spiritual counsel, and his religious life rather than through the establishment of a separate institution or charitable organization. He celebrated the sacraments when permitted and spent substantial periods in prayer and Eucharistic adoration. (Vatican)

He also became known for speaking about religious subjects in simple language. Pope John Paul II noted that although Joseph was not regarded as an accomplished orator and his handwriting was poor, those who heard him speak about God found that his manner changed when discussing matters of faith. (Vatican)

His ministry therefore developed within the Franciscan community and among people who sought him for spiritual guidance. His devotion to the Eucharist, the Incarnation, the Passion of Christ, and the Virgin Mary remained central to his religious life. (Vatican)

The Reported Ecstasies and Levitation

The extraordinary phenomena associated with Joseph are among the most extensively recorded elements of his traditional biography. Witnesses reported that he could enter an ecstatic state in response to religious subjects, including the celebration of Mass, church music, sacred images, or references to God and the saints. (New Advent)

The accounts further describe episodes in which he was lifted from the ground or remained suspended above it. These events were witnessed by members of his religious community and others, and their unusual nature contributed to both his reputation and the restrictions imposed upon him. (New Advent)

The phenomenon was not treated casually by Church authorities. His unusual experiences were investigated during his lifetime, including through the Inquisition. Pope Benedict XIV later referred to testimony concerning his reported elevations and ecstasies in his writings on the beatification of servants of God. (Vatican)

His Final Years and Death

Joseph spent his final years at Osimo, where he continued his religious life under restrictions associated with his extraordinary experiences. His movements and public activities remained subject to the authority of his superiors. (New Advent)

He died in Osimo on September 18, 1663, at the age of sixty. His remains were subsequently placed in the church dedicated to him at Osimo, where they remain associated with his shrine. (New Advent)

His reputation for holiness continued after his death. The formal ecclesiastical process eventually led first to his beatification and later to his canonization. (New Advent)

The Road to Sainthood

Joseph was beatified by Pope Benedict XIV in 1753, ninety years after his death. The beatification process examined the testimony and evidence concerning his life and reported supernatural phenomena. (New Advent)

Fourteen years later, Pope Clement XIII canonized Joseph on July 16, 1767. His canonization established him formally among the saints of the Catholic Church. (New Advent)

His liturgical recognition subsequently expanded. Pope Clement XIV extended his office to the universal Church, while later popes continued to refer to Joseph's Franciscan spirituality, prayer, obedience, and reported mystical experiences. (New Advent)

The Miracles and Extraordinary Events Associated With Him

The extraordinary events associated with Joseph include reported levitations, ecstasies, healings, and other supernatural phenomena documented in the traditional accounts of his life. The reported levitations occurred during his lifetime and were witnessed by members of his community and other observers. (New Advent)

His canonization, however, should not be confused with a simple claim that every extraordinary story attributed to him was independently scientifically demonstrated. The Church's historical processes involved testimony, ecclesiastical investigation, and evaluation of evidence according to the standards of the period. The surviving accounts document what witnesses and ecclesiastical investigators reported. (Vatican)

Joseph's reported miracles therefore belong to two different categories: extraordinary phenomena attributed to him during his lifetime and miracles attributed to his intercession after his death. The former include the famous accounts of levitation and ecstasy; the latter formed part of the posthumous devotion and ecclesiastical investigation surrounding his sanctity. (New Advent)

Saint Joseph of Cupertino and Students

Saint Joseph of Cupertino eventually became particularly associated with students and examinations because of the contrast between his own academic difficulties and his eventual ordination as a priest. His traditional biography records that he struggled greatly with formal learning yet successfully completed the necessary path to priesthood. (New Advent)

This association with students was formally reinforced by later Catholic devotion. Pope John Paul II specifically described Joseph as continuing to speak to young people, particularly students who venerate him as their patron. (Vatican)

The Vatican's account of Joseph's life also connects his story with the relationship between faith and intellectual study. In 2003, Pope John Paul II addressed students and educators at an anniversary celebration of Joseph's birth and presented his life in connection with the pursuit of knowledge and faith. (Vatican)

His Legacy

Saint Joseph of Cupertino remains associated with the Franciscan tradition of prayer, Eucharistic devotion, simplicity, obedience, and contemplation. His life was shaped by poverty in childhood, difficulty with formal education, repeated religious transfers, investigation, physical austerity, and years of restrictions imposed because of his reported mystical experiences. (Vatican)

His historical record contains an unusual combination of ordinary religious duties and extraordinary reports. He worked within Franciscan communities, served as a priest, prayed for long periods, assisted people seeking spiritual guidance, and lived under obedience while Church authorities examined the phenomena associated with him. (New Advent)

Saint Joseph of Cupertino died in 1663, was beatified in 1753, and was canonized in 1767. His feast is celebrated on September 18, and he remains particularly associated in Catholic devotion with students and with the Franciscan spiritual tradition. (New Advent)

Saint Giuseppe of Cupertino — 1603–1663

Born: 17 June 1603, Copertino, Italy
Died: 18 September 1663, Osimo, Italy
Religious Order: Conventual Franciscan
Ordained: 1628
Beatified: 24 February 1753, Pope Benedict XIV
Canonized: 16 July 1767, Pope Clement XIII
Feast Day: 18 September
Patron: Students and examination candidates; traditionally also associated with aviators. (Comune di Copertino)