St. Peter Canisius

Peter Canisius was born at Nijmegen in the Netherlands in 1521. His father held public office and hoped that his son would marry well. Peter studied at Cologne, receiving a master's degree in 1540, and gradually discerned a different vocation. In 1543 he made the Spiritual Exercises under Peter Faber and entered the young Society of Jesus, the religious order founded by Ignatius of Loyola.

His first work included helping to establish a Jesuit house at Cologne, teaching and preaching. After ordination in 1546, he served as a theologian at the Council of Trent and spent time under Ignatius's direction in Rome. He also taught at Messina in Sicily. These early assignments prepared him for a life in which study and travel would repeatedly lead him to new responsibilities.

In 1549 he went to Ingolstadt to teach theology and soon became rector of the university. Ignatius later sent him to Vienna. There he preached at St. Stephen's Cathedral, taught, and heard confessions in hospitals and prisons. He also visited neglected parishes. The work of defending Catholic teaching included the care of people who needed instruction, the sacraments and personal encouragement.

Canisius served during the divisions of the Reformation. Religious disagreement affected universities, rulers, local churches and families. He took part in public discussions, advised bishops and helped establish colleges. As a provincial superior, he also had responsibility for other Jesuits and their missions. Much of his life was spent making journeys, answering requests and strengthening institutions that could continue teaching after he had moved on.

His catechisms became a particularly lasting part of this work. A larger account of Christian doctrine appeared at Vienna in 1555. Shorter versions followed for children and students at different stages of learning. They organized the faith in clear questions and answers, drawing on Scripture and the Fathers of the Church. Braunsberger's 1911 account emphasizes the clarity and measured language of these books. Teaching people what the Church believed was central to Canisius's response to religious controversy.

He also understood the importance of books reaching their readers. He worked with printers, helped prepare editions of Christian writings and encouraged other scholars to publish. Preaching and personal instruction continued alongside this labor. In later years he helped establish a college at Fribourg in Switzerland, supported religious associations among its citizens and devoted himself to converts, spiritual instruction and writing.

Canisius died at Fribourg in 1597. His life had joined the lecture room and the parish, careful scholarship and explanations suited to beginners. The schools and catechisms carried his teaching beyond the places he could visit himself.

Pius XI canonized him on May 21, 1925 and declared him a Doctor of the Church. In his homily at the ceremony, the pope praised the learning Canisius had placed at the service of the Church. The title recalls the enduring value of his teaching, which helped so many people understand and practice their faith.