Our united parish is blessed to have many patron saints praying for us as we work together to live out the Gospel message. Each of these individuals has guided a segment of our parish community for many years, and now that we are united together as one parish, there is so much we all can learn about these powerful witnesses to the faith. Their example helps bring us closer to Jesus as his disciples on Earth.

Saint Pius X
(1835-1914)
 
If you received your first Holy Communion in second grade, you should say a prayer thanking God for the gift of Saint Pius X! Joseph Sarto was born in 1835 to a poor family in Italy. His humble background guided his approach to issues throughout his life, especially when he was elected pope. Sarto was known for his kindness and his love for God, and he had a special devotion to the Eucharist, the Blessed Sacrament.
 
When he was elected Pope in 1903, he adopted the motto “to restore all things in Christ, so that Christ may be all in all.” As he worked to live out this motto through the many areas of the Church, he oversaw the production of the 1917 Code of Canon Law which was a massive undertaking and took several years, finally being released after his death. 
 
To bring those he shepherded closer to Jesus, he also encouraged Catholics to frequently receive Holy Communion. Previously, in the Roman Catholic rite, one had to be in their teenage years to receive, but Pius X allowed children around the age of seven, or at the age of reason, to receive Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. His reasoning was rooted in the Gospels when Jesus told his disciples, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for such is the kingdom of God.” By allowing young people to receive Jesus, they are more closely united to him. Naturally, Saint Pius X is the patron saint of first communicants. 

The Catholic Church celebrates Saint Pius X on August 21.

Prayer to Saint Pius X
  
O God, who to safeguard the Catholic faith and to restore all things in Christ, filled Pope Saint Pius X with heavenly wisdom and apostolic fortitude, graciously grant that, following his teaching and example, we may gain an eternal prize. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Saint Pius X, pray for us!