5. Joseph of Cupertino (1603 – 1663)
Joseph of Cupertino is an Italian saint. He was said to have been remarkably unclever, but prone to miraculous levitation, and intense ecstatic visions that left him gaping. In turn, he is recognized as the patron saint of air travelers, aviators, people with a mental handicap, and weak students. He was canonized in 1767. On October 4, 1630, the town of Cupertino held a procession on the feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi. Joseph was assisting in the procession when he suddenly soared into the sky, where he remained hovering over the crowd.
When he descended and realized what had happened, he became so embarrassed that he fled to his mother’s house and hid. This was the first of many flights, which soon earned him the nickname “The Flying Saint.” Joseph’s most famous flight allegedly occurred during a papal audience before Pope Urban VIII. When he bent down to kiss the Pope’s feet, he was suddenly filled with reverence for the Pope, and was lifted up into the air.
He experienced ecstasies and flights (witnessed by thousands) during his last mass which was on the Feast of the Assumption 1663. Apple Inc.’s headquarters are in the California town of Cupertino, which was named after this saint. A film (the Reluctant Saint) was made about St Joseph – you can see a small clip of it at youtube (warning: it contains some serious over-acting – but has some humor too). [Source]
