Joseph was born in a stable, for his father, Felix Desa, was already dead, and his mother, Francis Parnara, had been evicted from her home in Copertino in Apulia (Italy). Poor and uneducated, Joseph failed to be accepted by the Capuchins in 1620, but soon joined the Conventuals, and despite problems of learning, he was ordained priest in 1628. Joyfulness, humility, rigid penance, and an uncontrollable mystical gift of levitation marked his life. Because of his levitations, he was not allowed to say Mass in public. Joseph lived in seclusion in Osimo (Marche region, Italy) for the last six years of his life. He was canonised in 1767 by Clement XIII and, somewhat humorously, is regarded as patron of those who travel by air.
First Reading: 1 Cor. 12: 31 & 13: 1-10, 13; Gospel: Mt. 11: 25-30
