Today let us remember a former pope: Saint Pius V. He was born to an impoverished Italian family as Antoni Ghisleri on January 17, 1504 in Lombardy, Italy. When he was a boy he worked as shepherd. He went to school and learned from the Dominican friars and he joined the Order himself in 1518 taking the name Michele. He was ordained in 1528 and taught philosophy and divinity in Genoa. He then was a professor of theology in Pavia, Italy for 16 years. For the Dominicans he was the novice master and prior and worked to make the men adhere to the Order's Rule. He was consecrated, against his will, as bishop of Nepi e Sutri on September 4, 1556. He was then made cardinal on March 15, 1557. He was part of the conclave in 1559 which elected Pope Pius IV. He worked to lead his flock in his diocese through person piety and devotion to God. He was chosen as the 225th pope in 1566. As pope, immediately he had the task of enacting the reforms of the Council of Trent. Seminaries were opened, a new breviary, new missal, and new catechism were published. He helped spread the faith and preserve the doctrine of the Church. As pope, he personally worked with the needy by building hospitals. He was worked in a Christian European alliance to break the power of the Islamic states, but he died on May 1, 1572 in Rome of renal disorder. He is buried in the chapel of San Andrea, Saint Peter's Basilica. He was canonized on May 22, 1712 by Pope Clement XI. He is patron of Bosco Marengo, Italy.
"Following the example of our predecessors, seeing that the Church militant, which God has placed in our hands, in these our times is tossed this way and that by so many heresies, and is grievously troubled and afflicted by so many wars, and by the deprave morals of men, we also raise our eyes, weeping but full of hope, unto that same mountain, whence every aid comes forth, and we encourage and admonish each member of Christ’s faithful to do likewise in the Lord."
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