Walking with the Saints l Feast of St. Pius V, Pope, Patronage of Roccaforte Mondovì Diocese of Alessandria Urbiztondo, Pangasinan l April 30 Today, we have another very extraordinary saint, St. Pius V, a pope who had accomplished so much for the Roman Catholic Church. He implemented the decrees and spirit of the Council of Trent, the Council which addressed the challenges of the Protestant Reformation and systematized the Catholic Church’s response to the Protestants. He was also responsible for the standardization of the manner of celebrating the Holy Mass, in administering the Sacraments, in praying the Liturgy of the Hours and the performance of other ecclesiastical functions. St. Pius V was born Antonio Ghislieri in Bosco, Lombardy, Italy on January 17, 1504.  At the age of 14, he took the Dominican habit and after his priestly ordination was assigned as lector in philosophy and theology for 16 years, and became a novice master, governing the house according to the spirit of the founder. In 1556, he was appointed Bishop. He was transferred to the bishopric of Mondovi after it was ravaged by war and was able to restore peace, order and stability in the place. Afterwards, he was recalled to Rome for other important duties. In 1565, Pope Pius IV died and Michael (his Baptismal name) Ghislieri was chosen to take his place. He took the name Pius V. Among his first injunctions was that all bishops should stay in their own dioceses and the parish priests should have residence in their parish. The new Catechism was completed, and catechetical instruction to the young was carried out seriously, the new Breviary was published, the Holy Scripture regained its proper place, and the prayers of the Missal were restored, some revised and adapted to the needs of the time. He also encouraged the improvement of Ecclesiastical music. Besides the preoccupation for the needs of the Church, he also devoted time and effort to help the poor and the needy. For instance, the money intended to give a lavish banquet for ambassadors, bishops and dignitaries during his coronation was not spent for that purpose but was distributed to the poor and the hungry. Pope Pius V was a young boy when Protestantism began and in his lifetime, he saw it as a big challenge to the Church. So among the many problems he faced was the growing Protestant influence among the Catholics. He had also to combat the Turks under the Ottoman Empire. When the forces of the Ottoman Empire (the Turks) attacked and tried to take a part of Venice, the Holy League composed of Christian forces fought against them. Through divine intervention, the Christians defeated the Turks. The victory which happened on October 7, 1571 was attributed to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whom the Christians invoked during the fierce battle.  It is recorded that Christians prayed the Rosary while the battle was going on. This is now known as the “Victory of Lepanto.” Pope Pius V gave Mother Mary the title Our Lady of Victory and a feast was established under this title. Six months after the glorious victory, Pope Pius V was struck by a painful bodily disorder which he had suffered for some time and died on May 1, 1572.  He was canonized by Pope Clement XI in 1711.  His shrine is in the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome. Virtue: piety, humility, commitment, perseverance, charity, courage, loyalty and integrity Prayer: “St. Pius V, pray for us, that all Church leaders and Catholic faithful may follow devotedly the various rules of the Church.”