Pope St. Pius V

Pope St. Pius V was born of a noble family at Bosco, Italy in the year 1504. Pius received the name Michael at his baptism and as a child received an excellent education in piety and holiness. As a youth, Michael received a scholastic education from a Dominican friar and by the time he was 15, he joined the order. Michael made great strides in his relationship with God and in his education.

In the year 1528, Michael was ordained a priest and was appointed as a teacher of philosophy and divinity in Genoa. For the next sixteen years, Michael traveled to various Dominican houses and encouraged a stricter following of the Order's Rule with both words and example.

In the year 1555, Michael was ordained Bishop of Nepi and Sutri against his will and in the year 1557 Michael was elevated to the College of Cardinals. In his time as bishop, Michael worked to lead his flock with words and example and served as a continual messenger encouraging personal piety and devotion to God, In the year 1566, Pope Paul IV died and Michael was chosen to take his place. Michael took the name Pius V and almost immediately faced the task of enacting the reforms of the Council of Trent.

During the papacy of Pius V, new seminaries were opened, a new breviary, a new missal, and a new catechism were published and foundations were established to spread the Faith and preserve the doctrine of the Church. Pius did not allow the public life of being pope to stand in the way of his personal generosity and devotion to the Faithful. He spent much time giving of himself to the poor and personally providing for the needy. Pius built many hospitals and generously used the papal treasury to satisfy the needs of the poor. Pius faced many difficulties in the public forum, both in the implementation of the Tridentine reforms and interaction with other heads of state. Pius died in office in the year 1572.