St. Peter Canisius, called “The Second Apostle of Germany,” as St. Boniface was the first, was the first German Jesuit. He was born at Nymwegen, May 8, 1521., and was received into the Society of Jesus by Blessed Peter Faber, at Mayence, May 8, 1543. After an extraordinarily apostolic life as teacher, orator, writer, adviser, he died a holy death on December 21, 1597, at Freiburg, Switzerland. He was beatified November 20, 1868, and canonized May 21, 1925. He had a great love for children; to him we owe the first catechism of Christian Doctrine; he is often pictured as surrounded by a group of devout children, teaching them the catechism. The greatest stress he placed upon the education of priest. “To train good priests,” he said, “ is the simplest way towards the sanctification of an entire people.’’
