Saint Who?
Saints Who Established Schools
Saint Henry de Osso y Cervello
Priest and founder († 1896)Feast: January 27
Born in Spain in 1840, Henry de Osso was a devout child, who would forego playtime to accompany the parish priest on sick visits. He wanted to be a teacher, and his mother wanted him to be a priest. But his father sent him to learn a trade. During this period he encountered the works of Teresa of Ávila, whose writings would shape his future work. At age twenty-four, prompted by his mother’s death, he decided to pursue a vocation. He was ordained a priest in 1867.
As a priest, he established twelve centers for catechesis, which served twelve hundred students. He founded the Teresian Apostolic Movement, whose purpose was to teach children the spirituality of Saint Teresa of Ávila, and the Society of Saint Teresa of Jesus, a women’s religious community, known today as the Teresians. He also published many works, including a guide for catechists, textbooks for the sisters, a monthly magazine, and several books of prayer.
De Osso wrote, “This is our main endeavor: to think, to feel, to love as Christ Jesus, to act and to speak as he…. We need, above all, to study his life, know it, and meditate upon it, not only in its outward appearance, but by immersing ourselves in the thoughts, feelings, hopes, and dreams of Jesus Christ.” Osso died in 1896 and was canonized in 1993.
Merciful Father, may all teachers and students
think, feel, and love as Christ Jesus.
