Deepertruth: Stand In The Gap With Us And Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos

Stand In The Gap With Us And Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos 10/12/2023

When I was stationed in New Orleans serving in the United States Army, I would spend time at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church at 3037 Dauphine Street in New Orleans, Louisiana, a shrine dedicated to Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos and meet with pilgrims coming from all over the world. There I encourged them to give thanks to the Lord for the blessings and answered prayer. This was a geat blessing for me to see this active faith in action.

Seelos was born in Fussen in the Kingdom of Bavaria on January 11, 1819, one of 12 children

Having expressed a desire for the priesthood since childhood, he entered the diocesan seminary on September 19, 1842.

He was accepted by the Redemptorists on November 22, 1842, and sailed the following year from Le Havre, France, on March 17, arriving in New York on April 20, 1843. On December 22, 1844, after having completed his novitiate and theological studies, Seelos was ordained a priest in the Redemptorist Church of St. James in Baltimore, Maryland.

Although only 48 years old, his influence lasted well beyond his brief lifetime. Father Seelos is the patron of immigrants to the United States; his feast is celebrated on Oct.

Beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2000, Fr. Seelos possessed great mystical gifts due to his life of intense prayer and penance. His innate kindness, understanding and dedication to the needs of the faithful from all walks of life makes him an outstanding model for those in religious life and laity alike.

Francis Xavier Seelos, CSsR (January 11, 1819 – October 4, 1867) was a German Redemptorist who worked as a missionary in the United States frontier. Towards the end of his life, he went to New Orleans to minister to victims of yellow fever.

Zeal as a preacher and a confessor led Father Seelos to works of compassion as well.