Saint Paschal Baylon

Paschal Baylón, born on May 15, 1540, and died on May 17, 1592, was a Spanish Catholic religious brother in the Order of Friars Minor. He spent his early years as a shepherd alongside his father, but his heart yearned for the religious life. Despite being initially refused admission to the Franciscan order, Baylón was eventually accepted and became renowned for his rigorous asceticism and compassionate care for the sick. His devotion to the Eucharist was profound, leading him on a journey that included a harrowing encounter with Calvinists in Paris where he narrowly escaped death. The process for his canonization began posthumously, culminating in his beatification in 1618 by Pope Paul V and his subsequent canonization as a saint on October 16, 1690, by Pope Alexander VIII. Baylón's legacy is celebrated through his veneration and the patronages he holds, particularly for Eucharistic congresses and confraternities.