Said Pope St. John Paul II of St. José, “His life was very troubled, but even if the tribulations and difficulties followed one another at an almost dizzying pace, they never broke the spirit of the ardent apostle of evangelical charity.”
Welcome to "North American Sanctity," a series on holy men and women, boys and girls, saints and those on the road to sainthood, from Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Some will be familiar, others less so; but all are inspiring!
By Kimberly Bruce
You might say “charity” was his middle name.
Saint José María de Yermo y Parres (feast day: Sept. 20), a priest who cared deeply about the poor, was called the “Giant of Charity” by Gov. Gen. Manuel Gonzáles of Guanajuato, Mexico, and the “Apostle of Charity” by those around him.
Witnessing a terrible scene one day as a young priest, exemplifying the plight of the destitute, caused him to embark upon a different ministerial priesthood, one dedicated to serving the poor.
Pope St. John Paul II, who beatified him in 1990, said St. José bore the features of the Good Shepherd: “In him the marks of the true priesthood of Christ are clearly delineated, because the priesthood was the center of his life and priestly holiness his goal.”
Called from an early age
José was born in Hacienda de Jalmolonga in Malinalco, Mexico, on Nov. 10, 1851. His mother, María Josefa Parres, died 50 days after his birth, so he was raised by his father, Manuel de Yermo y Soviñas, a lawyer, and his aunt Carmen.
Knowing he was called to the priesthood from a young age, José entered the Congregation of the Mission in Mexico City when he was 16. He went through some struggles, however, in discernment of his vocation, leading him to leave the congregation.
Later, realizing his desire to continue in pursuit of the priesthood, he resumed his studies in the Diocese of León. Filled with apostolic zeal, José was ordained a priest on Aug. 24, 1879.
Father José spent his first few years as a priest as an eloquent speaker. He also loved promoting the teaching of the faith to children. As he began to suffer from illness, though, he had to eventually resign from important positions he held within his diocese.
Parish ministry
A new bishop then assigned Fr. José to care for two small parishes, El Calvario and Santo Niño, both in outlying areas of the city. This was quite a blow to Father who had been so heavily involved within his diocese, his own church, and through his speaking ministry. He chose to accept his new position out of obedience, however, with humility, and kept his disappointment to himself.
It was one day while walking to El Calvario, that Fr. José came upon a horrific scene that struck him to his core. He saw wild pigs devouring two abandoned newborn babies. He decided then what he must do: build a home for the needy and abandoned.
Dedication to the poor
With permission from his bishop, Fr. José launched the Asylum of the Sacred Heart as well as a new community of religious sisters, the Servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and of the Poor.
Father José had a great love for the Eucharist and devotion to the Blessed Mother. He had also been heavily influenced by St. Alphonsus Liguori’s spirituality and so turned El Calvario into a center for Eucharistic Adoration and charity.
But his priesthood was not without its share of disparagers. Father suffered continuously from malicious slander, misunderstandings, betrayals, and humiliations. He carried on, through it all, with humility, heroic stoicism, and charity.
Said St. John Paul of St. José, “His life was very troubled, but even if the tribulations and difficulties followed one another at an almost dizzying pace, they never broke the spirit of the ardent apostle of evangelical charity.”
Father José went on to also found hospitals, schools, homes for the elderly, orphanages, and a home for women who had been caught up in the world of prostitution.
Our Lord in disguise
Saint Faustina, as the doorkeeper to her community, was also in touch with many poor and needy individuals. One time, she ended up feeding Our Lord, Himself, who had come to her door disguised as a poor beggar boy. After revealing Himself to her, St. Faustina recorded in her Diary:
From that moment on, there was stirred up in my heart an even purer love toward the poor and the needy. Oh, how happy I am that my superiors have given me such a task! I understand that mercy is manifold; one can do good always and everywhere and at all times. An ardent love of God sees all around itself constant opportunities to share itself through deed, word and prayer (Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, 1313).
Father José even embarked upon a mission trip to the Tarahumara indigenous people of northern Mexico with his fellow religious. Word of his holiness spread so fast amongst the natives, said St. John Paul, that they “entrusted themselves to his intercession.” This occurred just before Father’s death from a stomach ulcer on Sept. 20, 1904, at age 52.
Urgent call
The beatification of Fr. José, which took place on the World Day of Prayer for vocations at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, May 6, 1990, “is an urgent call to all to go out to work in the Lord’s vineyard, according to their own vocation,” said St. John Paul. “We have an example of how all the church must be mobilized to evangelize and bear witness to Christ—the lay faithful, children and teenagers as well as adults, priests and religious. All must heed and follow the call of the Lord Jesus: ‘You too go into my vineyard’ (Mt 20:4).”
Saint José Maria was canonized by St. John Paul on May 21, 2000. Named the Patron of the Puebla Clergy by Archbishop Rosendo Huesca Pacheco, St. José’s relics are kept today in the Chapel of the Central House of the Servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Puebla.
Saint José María de Yermo Parres, pray for us!
Next in the series: Saints Cristobal, Antonio, and Juan, Child Martyrs of Tlaxcala, Sept. 23.
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