Peter Canisius
Saint Peter Canisius is the patron of catechists and the Catholic press above all because of his catechisms: the three he wrote in the 1550s were translated into dozens of languages and reprinted hundreds of times, becoming for German-speaking Catholics what Luther’s catechism was for Protestants — so much so that “to know your Canisius” simply meant to know the faith. Recognizing the new power of the printing press, he poured his energy into Catholic publishing to answer the flood of Reformation tracts, which is why the Catholic press claims him. He is patron of Germany as the “Second Apostle of Germany,” the great rebuilder of the Catholic faith there during the Counter-Reformation.
Saint Peter Canisius was a Dutch Jesuit and Doctor of the Church, known as the “Second Apostle of Germany.” Born in 1521 in Nijmegen, he played a vital role in the Counter-Reformation in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland through his preaching, teaching, and catechetical writings. His catechisms were widely used for centuries.
