Saint of the day April 10, 2025

Today is the feast of Saint Michael de Sanctis, also known as St. Michael of the Saints, a Spanish Discalced Trinitarian priest, the patron of cancer patients.

Michael Argemir was born on September 29, 1591, at Vic, Catalonia, Spain. At age 6, he told his parents that he planned to become a monk and began modeling his life after Saint Francis of Assisi.

Michael’s parents died when he was about ten years old. He then served as an apprentice with a local merchant. During this apprenticeship, he continued his fervent devotion to the Lord, especially to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. At the age of 12, he joined the Trinitarian Friars at Barcelona, taking his vows at St. Lambert’s monastery in Saragosa four years later. Shortly afterwards, Michael expressed a desire to join the reformed group of Trinitarians and was given permission to do so. He went to the Novitiate at Madrid and, after studies at Seville and Salamanca, he was ordained a priest. Twice, he served as Superior of the house in Valladolid. As Superior, Michael set a high standard of holiness for the order, focusing on prayer, penance, and mortification, as well as devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.

While he was still alive, he was viewed as a saint due to his personal piety, leadership, devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, and the frequent ecstasies he experienced during the Consecration at Mass. Outside of the monastery, his preaching was known for its holiness, and the neighboring royal court called upon him for spiritual and pastoral counseling. His generous service to the poor and the sick made him a compassionate priest and a faithful friend.

Michael died on April 10, 1625, at the monastery in Valladolid, Spain, at the age of 33. He was beatified by Pius VI in 1779 and canonized by Pius IX in 1862. Many miracles were attributed to him at his tomb following his death. He was known as one of the greatest apostles of the Trinitarian order in the 17th century and is often called 'the Ecstatic One.'

Reflection

St. Michael de Sanctis was noted for living a life of prayer and mortification. He was devout in his love and reverence for the Holy Eucharist. Those around him said that he had many ecstasies while saying Mass, during the Consecration. He led the Monastery as Superior by example, living in holiness and often displaying heroic virtues of humility and prayer. From childhood, Michael’s trajectory towards remarkable sanctity never deviated. Today, as young individuals navigate a seemingly indifferent world, St. Michael de Sanctis offers both a model for emulation and a source of intercession.
In a world frequently marred by uncertainties, the story of Saint Michael de Sanctis is a potent reminder of faith's transformative power. His life stands as an enduring testament to absolute devotion, steadfast faith, and unyielding commitment to the will of God. It is an inspiration, a beacon of light guiding every lost soul back to the path of righteousness.