Isidore of Saint Joseph
Encyclopedia
Blessed Isidore of Saint Joseph, also known as ‘the Brother of the Will of God’ born Isidore de Loor, a lay brother of the Passionist
Passionist
The Passionists are a Roman Catholic religious order founded by Saint Paul of the Cross . Professed members use the initials C.P. after their names.-History:St...

 Congregation, born on April 13, 1881 in Vrasene, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

; died October 6, 1916 at Kortrijk
Kortrijk
Kortrijk ; , ; ) is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province West Flanders...

, Belgium. Beatified by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...

 in 1984.

Life

Isidore de Loor, was born on April 13, 1881, in the small town of Vrasene, located in the diocese of Gent-Gand, in Eastern Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...

. His parents, Aloysius and Camilla had been married for two years when Isidore was born and they were a deeply Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...

 couple. Isidore’s education came to an end when he was aged 12 and from then on he joined his father in working on the family’s farm. He grew up to be a devout and hard-working young man and often thought of following a vocation
Vocation
A vocation , is a term for an occupation to which a person is specially drawn or for which they are suited, trained or qualified. Though now often used in non-religious contexts, the meanings of the term originated in Christianity.-Senses:...

 to the religious life. At a mission given by the Redemptorist Fathers he discussed the matter of his vocation with a priest who advised him to join the Passionists. On April 15, 1907 he set off for the Passionist monastery at Ere (which had been founded by Blessed Dominic Barberi
Dominic Barberi
Blessed Dominic of the Mother of God, born Dominic Barberi was an Italian theologian and a member of the Passionist Congregation...

). Here the French language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

 was spoken and the Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...

-speaking Isidore found it very difficult to navigate his way to the monastery. Initially shy, Isidore quickly put himself to work and greatly impressed the superiors with his determination. On the feast of the Birthday of the Virgin Mary he was vested as a Passionist lay brother
Lay brother
In the most common usage, lay brothers are those members of Catholic religious orders, particularly of monastic orders, occupied primarily with manual labour and with the secular affairs of a monastery or friary, in contrast to the choir monks of the same monastery who are devoted mainly to the...

 and received the religious name Isidore of Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ ....

. A year’s novitiate
Novitiate
Novitiate, alt. noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a novice monastic or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether they are called to the religious life....

 followed during which Isidore became an example to his fellow novices who were impressed by his charity and joyful disposition. On September 13, 1908 he professed his vows as a Passionist.

After his profession Brother Isidore was transferred to the Passionist monastery of Kortrijk where he was employed as gardener and cook. Despite suffering with a painful tumour in his eye Isidore was reluctant to complain about it, cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...

 was diagnosed and his right eye was removed. The cancer had spread throughout his body however and Isidore was given only a few years left to live. He then served as porter of the monastery thereafter. As World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 took its toll on Belgium more and more visitors prevailed upon the monastery for help, help Brother Isidore was only too willing to offer. In late summer 1916 his health worsened and finally, having asked the permission of his superior to die, he died of cancer and pleurisy
Pleurisy
Pleurisy is an inflammation of the pleura, the lining of the pleural cavity surrounding the lungs. Among other things, infections are the most common cause of pleurisy....

on October 6, 1916. He was only thirty-five years of age, and had lived as a religious for only nine years.

External links

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