“Lord, you know that the room in Osimo was neither desired nor sought by me at all: if you want me to go there, you will arrange matters so that wherever I am, I may serve you.” With these words, Saint Joseph of Copertino accepted his transfer to what would become his final residence.
Born into extreme poverty, Joseph had a very troubled life, including in his religious life. He entered various Orders and was then expelled from them after a short time for “incompetence.” He finally managed to settle in the Order of Friars Minor Conventual, although he had already been expelled from it once before. Despite his very limited education and the great difficulties he encountered in his studies, with the providential help of the Virgin Mary he succeeded in becoming a priest.
Saint Joseph of Copertino is known for the mystical flights he experienced during his ecstasies, events that took place in front of very large crowds. This caused numerous difficulties for his superiors, who decided to move him from convent to convent, ultimately assigning him to the convent in Osimo, where he entered saying: “This is the place of my rest.”
The convent church, originally dedicated to Saint Francis and consecrated in 1234, was expanded and enriched in the second half of the 1700s, after the beatification and canonization of the “Flying Saint” (as Saint Joseph is affectionately known), to house the Saint's body and the large influx of pilgrims that began immediately after his death. Thus, the church changed its name (from Saint Francis to Saint Joseph of Copertino), and in 1796 it was elevated to the rank of basilica by Pius VI, who described it as “one of the most famous and venerable sanctuaries in Christendom.”
Today, the body of Saint Joseph, initially placed beneath the main altar, is kept in the crypt built in 1963, the third centenary of the Saint's death.
The rooms where Saint Joseph lived are still preserved in their original condition and include the three small rooms that housed him from 1657 to 1663 and the oratory where he celebrated Holy Mass every day. Pilgrims and devotees may visit these places during the sanctuary's opening hours.
To learn more about the Sanctuary
Basilica Sanctuary
Saint Joseph of Copertino
P.zza Gallo, 10
60027 Osimo (AN)
Tel: 071 71 45 23
email: basilicasangiuseppeosimo@gmail.com
How to get there the Sanctuary
To learn more about Saint Joseph of Copertino
