CrucisPope St. Pius X
Pope St. Pius X was born Giuseppe Sarto on 2 June 1835 at Riese in the Veneto region of Italy, the son of a village postman and a seamstress, and never lost the simplicity and pastoral heart of his humble origins. He rose from country curate to bishop and Patriarch of Venice, and was elected pope in 1903, taking as his motto "to restore all things in Christ."
His pontificate left a deep mark on the Church's inner life. He is remembered above all for encouraging frequent and even daily reception of Holy Communion and for admitting young children to the Eucharist upon reaching the age of reason, reforms that transformed Catholic devotion. He reformed the Church's sacred music, restoring Gregorian chant; began the codification of canon law; and firmly condemned the errors of Modernism as a grave threat to the faith. A man of personal holiness and charity to the poor, he died in Rome on 20 August 1914, heartbroken at the outbreak of the First World War. Canonized in 1954, he is celebrated on 21 August.
Selected quotes
“The greatest obstacle to the apostolate is timidity; have courage, for it is God who works through the soul that trusts in Him.”
“Let your worship be reverent and your reverence sincere, for God looks not at the splendor of the rite but at the heart that offers it.”
“Do not be afraid to give yourself wholly to God, for He never allows Himself to be outdone in generosity.”