As a youth, Pierre-Joseph Cassant of Casseneuil, France, was hampered in his school studies by a very poor memory. Because of this difficulty, Joseph's ardent desire to become a priest seemed unattainable, but his parish priest encouraged him to consider entering the Trappist Order, recognizing in the young man a contemplative disposition.
At the age of sixteen, Joseph entered the Trappist Monastery of Sainte-Marie du Desert near Toulouse. The movice master, Dom Andre Mallet, took Joseph under his wing, telling him, "Only trust, and I will help you to love Jesus!" Father Andre patiently supported the insecure Novice, who was plagued with the fear that Father Andre would give up helping him. Gifted with child like simplicity, Joseph overcame his intellectual deficiencies, passing his examinations after suffering repeated humiliations from an impatient theology professor. He was ordained as a Trappist presbyter on October 12, 1902. Soon afterwards he became diagnosed with advanced tuberculosis. He was sent home to his family for seven weeks to rest, but continued to decline and asked to return to the Abbey where he spent his remaining time working in the infirmary, passing away on June 17, 1903, at the early age of 25, after only nine months of priesthood.
The sheer ordinariness of his life has been noted by some: sixteen quiet years at Casseneuil and nine years of monastic enclosure spent in doing the simplest of things: prayer, studies, work. They are indeed simple things, but lived in an extraordinary way. They were the slightest of deeds, but performed with limitless generosity. Pope John Paul II (1920 - 2005), beatified him on October 3, 2004.
At the age of sixteen, Joseph entered the Trappist Monastery of Sainte-Marie du Desert near Toulouse. The movice master, Dom Andre Mallet, took Joseph under his wing, telling him, "Only trust, and I will help you to love Jesus!" Father Andre patiently supported the insecure Novice, who was plagued with the fear that Father Andre would give up helping him. Gifted with child like simplicity, Joseph overcame his intellectual deficiencies, passing his examinations after suffering repeated humiliations from an impatient theology professor. He was ordained as a Trappist presbyter on October 12, 1902. Soon afterwards he became diagnosed with advanced tuberculosis. He was sent home to his family for seven weeks to rest, but continued to decline and asked to return to the Abbey where he spent his remaining time working in the infirmary, passing away on June 17, 1903, at the early age of 25, after only nine months of priesthood.
The sheer ordinariness of his life has been noted by some: sixteen quiet years at Casseneuil and nine years of monastic enclosure spent in doing the simplest of things: prayer, studies, work. They are indeed simple things, but lived in an extraordinary way. They were the slightest of deeds, but performed with limitless generosity. Pope John Paul II (1920 - 2005), beatified him on October 3, 2004.
As a youth, Pierre-Joseph Cassant of Casseneuil, France, was hampered in his school studies by a very poor memory. Because of this difficulty, Joseph's ardent desire to become a priest seemed unattainable, but his parish priest encouraged him to consider entering the Trappist Order, recognizing in the young man a contemplative disposition.
At the age of sixteen, Joseph entered the Trappist Monastery of Sainte-Marie du Desert near Toulouse. The movice master, Dom Andre Mallet, took Joseph under his wing, telling him, "Only trust, and I will help you to love Jesus!" Father Andre patiently supported the insecure Novice, who was plagued with the fear that Father Andre would give up helping him. Gifted with child like simplicity, Joseph overcame his intellectual deficiencies, passing his examinations after suffering repeated humiliations from an impatient theology professor. He was ordained as a Trappist presbyter on October 12, 1902. Soon afterwards he became diagnosed with advanced tuberculosis. He was sent home to his family for seven weeks to rest, but continued to decline and asked to return to the Abbey where he spent his remaining time working in the infirmary, passing away on June 17, 1903, at the early age of 25, after only nine months of priesthood.
The sheer ordinariness of his life has been noted by some: sixteen quiet years at Casseneuil and nine years of monastic enclosure spent in doing the simplest of things: prayer, studies, work. They are indeed simple things, but lived in an extraordinary way. They were the slightest of deeds, but performed with limitless generosity. Pope John Paul II (1920 - 2005), beatified him on October 3, 2004.
At the age of sixteen, Joseph entered the Trappist Monastery of Sainte-Marie du Desert near Toulouse. The movice master, Dom Andre Mallet, took Joseph under his wing, telling him, "Only trust, and I will help you to love Jesus!" Father Andre patiently supported the insecure Novice, who was plagued with the fear that Father Andre would give up helping him. Gifted with child like simplicity, Joseph overcame his intellectual deficiencies, passing his examinations after suffering repeated humiliations from an impatient theology professor. He was ordained as a Trappist presbyter on October 12, 1902. Soon afterwards he became diagnosed with advanced tuberculosis. He was sent home to his family for seven weeks to rest, but continued to decline and asked to return to the Abbey where he spent his remaining time working in the infirmary, passing away on June 17, 1903, at the early age of 25, after only nine months of priesthood.
The sheer ordinariness of his life has been noted by some: sixteen quiet years at Casseneuil and nine years of monastic enclosure spent in doing the simplest of things: prayer, studies, work. They are indeed simple things, but lived in an extraordinary way. They were the slightest of deeds, but performed with limitless generosity. Pope John Paul II (1920 - 2005), beatified him on October 3, 2004.
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