The Saints of 1622: Holy People Have Holy Companions

National Catholic Register, 12 March 2022

Jesus founded a Church — an ecclesia, an assembly — so that we would not be disciples alone.

The greatest canonization in history took place 400 years ago on March 12,1622, with Pope Gregory XV recognizing at the same time the holiness of Isidore the Farmer (ca. 1070 – 1130), Francis Xavier (1506-1552), Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556), Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) and Philip Neri (1515-1595). 

The latter four were towering figures of the Catholic Reformation of the 16th century following the division of the Protestant Reformation in 1517.

The saints of the Catholic Reformation (often called the Counter-Reformation) are not limited to the saints of 1622. To those we would add other towering figures such as Francis de Sales (who died in 1622), Jane Frances de Chantal, Robert Bellarmine and Charles Borromeo. 

Saints usually come in bunches; holy people usually have holy companions. That’s the way it should be. Jesus founded a Church — an ecclesia, an assembly — so that we would not be disciples alone.

Think of last year in Poland, which celebrated the 75th anniversary of the heroic Adam Sapieha being made a cardinal, Blessed Stefan Wyszynski being consecrated a bishop, and St. John Paul II being ordained a priest; 1946 was a good year. Sapieha was the young Karol Wojtyla’s model and inspiration; later as an archbishop, Wojtyla would form a formidable partnership with the Primate of the Millennium, Blessed Stefan.

We saw something of that in the 16th century. Teresa of Avila had a profound spiritual friendship with John of the Cross. It was a fascinating collaboration; John was Teresa’s spiritual director, but in leading the reform of the Carmelites, it was Teresa who took the lead. 

It was as college roommates that Francis and Ignatius met. Francis was rooming with Peter Faber and had goals of a rather worldly sort. The much older Ignatius then joined their little household and began to share with them his spiritual wisdom. That changed the direction of both Francis and Peter’s lives. Both are canonized saints, a magnificent model for how friends help friends become holy.

That said, being a saint does not mean agreeing with other saints. Christians know that well; it is part of the revealed Word of God. Moses and Aaron were in conflict at times and, more famously, Paul “opposed Peter to his face” (Galatians 2). Still, many are surprised when more recent saints are in conflict with each other. 

Peter and Paul were the first apostles of Rome. Philip Neri came to be known as the second “Apostle of Rome” and he too knew holy conflict. Ignatius lived just a short walk up the street from Philip in Rome, but they followed very different paths. 

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