St. Joseph of Copertino

Saint Joseph of Cupertino was an Italian Conventual Franciscan friar who is honored as a Christian mystic and saint. He was said to have been remarkably unclever, but prone to miraculous levitation and intense ecstatic visions that left him gaping. Joseph was born in Cupertino, Apulia, in the Kingdom of Naples, in 1603. After being apprenticed to a shoemaker, Joseph applied for admittance to the Conventual Franciscan friars at Cupertino, but was rejected, his inability to concentrate even during prayers being given as the reason. He applied to the Capuchin friars in Martino, near Taranto, by whom he was accepted in 1620 as a lay brother, but was soon dismissed as his continued trance-like states made him unfit to work. Following a brief sojourn with the Franciscans of Grotella, where he was again dismissed due to his inattention, he succeeded in gaining admission to the Conventual Franciscan friars at Cupertino in 1625, at the age of 22. He died in 1663. He is known for his miraculous levitation and intense ecstatic visions that left him gaping, as well as his deep devotion to God.

Feast Day is on September 18. 

Patronage:Astronauts, pilots, and people with a mental handicap.