Saint of the Week

I have decided to appoint St. Joseph Moscati as the saint of the week.

St. Joseph Moscati was born in late 19th century Italy. He was the seventh of nine children. Joseph was inspired to become a doctor upon watching his older brother suffer from a head injury. He received his doctorate of medicine in 1903. In 1913 he made a vow of celibacy and aspired toward the priesthood but was discouraged from this path by a Jesuit who encouraged him to devote his life to the practice of medicine.
Moscati gave himself completely to his patients. His special love was for the poor and elderly. Often he would see patients for free and even slip money into their prescriptions. He was ahead of his time in his practice and believed that one's physical health requires a balance of body, mind and soul. Joseph's love sprang from the simple fact that he saw all people as children of God and beloved by Him. He worked tirelessly for his patients, completely exhausting himself. He died at the age of 46. He was canonized in 1987 and his feast is November 16.