Last week, we completed the third and the last series of catechetical articles. You are invited to review all three series of catechetical articles on the Creed, Commandments, Sacraments and prayer on my website, www.fatheranthonyho.ca.

The Church has just celebrated the 50th International Eucharistic Congress in Dublin, Ireland. These few weeks, I am going to share with you the stories of modern saints and blessed who had great devotion to Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. Our first saint is Pope Pius X (1835-1914).

In his last will, Pius X wrote, “I was born poor, I have lived poor, I wish to die poor.”

Giuseppe Sarto (the future Pius X) was born on June 2, 1835 in Riese, a small village in Italy. He was the second of ten children of the village postman and his seamstress wife.

At the age of ten, Giuseppe expressed his desire to become a priest. His family was very poor, but with the help of the parish priest, Sarto was able to obtain scholarship and to complete his study in the seminary. He was ordained in 1858.

As pope, Pius X loved to call himself a “country priest”. Father Sarto first assignment was assistant pastor in the village of Tombolo. In 1867, he was appointed pastor of the parish in Salzano.

Father Sarto was a zealous priest who visited the people and treated them with love and respect. He comforted the sick and gave material aids to the poor. Father Sarto has a passion for teaching catechism. He believed that without catechetical instructions, the faith of the people would languish and die.

In 1875, Father Giuseppe was appointed chancellor of the diocese, and spiritual director of the seminary. He was appointed Bishop of Mantua in 1884.

As bishop, Sarto continued to emphasize on the importance of catechetical instructions. He set up schools and confraternities, and he personally gave instructions to children. He also continued his policy of going out to his sheep. He did visitation to parishes, spent hours hearing confessions in parishes, and even served Mass for the parish priest.

Bishop Sarto prepared the texts of a popular question and answer Catechism, which is now known as the Catechism of St. Pius X.

In 1893 Bishop Sarto was made Cardinal Patriarch of Venice.

In 1903, after the death Leo XIII, Cardinal Sarto was elected Pope. He took the name Pius X.

The motto of Pius X is “to renew all things in Christ”. He is called the “Pope of the Eucharist”. Pius X said, “Holy Communion is the shortest and safest way to Heaven”. He encouraged frequent Communion, and he emphasized the importance of frequent Confession, so that Communion can be received worthily. The required interior dispositions for Communion are the state of grace and a right intention.

One morning as Pius X was giving out Holy Communion, a child got away from his mother and approached the pope saying, “Please, Mr. Pope, why don’t you give Jesus also to me?” The pope was visibly moved, and it was Pius X who lowered the age of First Communion to seven.

Pius X wrote that the age for Confession as for First Holy Communion is towards the seventh year, when the child begins to reason, and can distinguish Eucharistic Bread from ordinary bread.

The pope lowered the age because he wished to impress the event on the minds of children and to let them receive Jesus at a time when their hearts are still untouched by the distractions and dangers of the world.

The hope voiced by Pius X is: “We shall have saints among our children!”