He was born of poor parents at Copertino near Brindisi in a garden shed because
his father, a carpenter, had had to sell his house to pay debts.
Resented by his mother, he had an unhappy childhood, he was nicknamed 'the
Gaper', for his habit of wondering about open-mouthed.
He joined the Franciscan Order as a stable-lad and lived a life of extreme
asceticism. Despite his awkwardness and poor education, he was ordained in
1628.
Joseph became notorious for, when immersed in prayer, for swooning and
levitating. This is why he is the patron saint of airmen and air passengers.
The religious authorities, disturbed by these phenomena, kept him in isolation,
for thirty-five years he was not allowed to celebrate a public Mass or attend
choir and refectory with his community. He was even on one occasion, brought
before the Inquisition.
The Lutheran Duke of Brunswick became a Catholic after twice seeing Joseph in
ecstasy at Mass.
In 1655 the conventuals petitioned for his return to Assisi; two years later he
was restored to their house at Osimo in strict seclusion. Here he died and was
buried, the object of both official reserve and popular veneration.
His feast day is the 18th September.
Written and contributed by Phillip Lloyd.
