Also known as Giuseppe Melchior Sarto, Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, Giuseppe Sarto, Joseph Sarto, Pope of the Blessed Sacrament

Memorial 21 August

Profile Son of Giambattista Sarto, a village cobbler, and Margherita Sanson. Lived an impoverished childhood as one of eight children. Baptized on 3 June 1835. Confirmed on 1 September 1848. Felt a calling to the priesthood from his youth. Studied at the seminary of Padua, and was known as an exceptional student. Ordained by Blessed Giovanni Antonio Farina on 18 September 1858. Chaplain at Tombolo from 1858 to 1867. Archpriest of Salzano from 1867 to 1875. Canon of the Treviso cathedral chapter in 1875. Rector of the Treviso seminary and its spiritual director for nine years. Primicerius of the cathedral in 1879. Chancellor of the diocese of Treviso. Vicar capitular from December 1879 to June 1880. Bishop of Mantua, Italy on 10 November 1884. Assistant at the Pontifical Throne on 19 June 1891. Created cardinal-priest of Saint Bernardo alle Terme on 12 June 1893. Patriarch of Venice on 15 June 1893. Chosen 257th pope, taking the name Pius X. Issued decrees on early (age 7 instead of 12 or 14 as previously) and frequent Communion. Destroyed the last vestiges of Jansenism by advocating frequent and even daily Communion. Reformed the liturgy, promoted clear and simple homilies, and brought Gregorian chant back to services. Revised the Breviary, and teaching of the Catechism. Fought Modernism, which he denounced as "the summation of all heresies". Reorganized the Roman curia, the administrative elements of the Church. Worked against the modern antagonism of the state against the Church. Initiated the codification of canon law. Promoting Bible reading by all the faithful. Supported foreign missions. His will read: "I was born poor; I lived poor; I wish to die poor."

Born 2 June 1835 at Riese, diocese of Treviso, Venice, Austria (now Italy) as Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto

Died 20 August 1914 at Vatican City from natural causes aggravated by worries over the beginning of World War I buried under the altar of the chapel of the Presentation, Saint Peter's basilica

Beatified 3 June 1951

Canonized 29 May 1954 by Pope Pius XII

Patronage Atlanta, Georgia, archdiocese of, Des Moines, Iowa, diocese of, first communicants Great Falls-Billings, Montana, diocese of, Kottoyam, India, archdiocese of, pilgrims Santa Lucija, Malta Springfield-Cape Girardeau, Missouri, diocese of, Zamboanga, Philippines, archdiocese of

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