Seelos Society
Growing devotion to Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, a Redemptorist priest who served in Pittsburgh in the mid 19th century.
Blessed Francis X. Seelos, C.Ss.R.
Lived from 1819-1867, known as “The Cheerful Ascetic”
“Therefore…continue to work at your sanctification, because only this is God’s will for us; only this is important and momentous, and absolutely the one thing necessary.”
Final words from last known letter by Fr. Seelos before his death, New Orleans, 1867
Biography
As a young boy in Bavaria, Francis prayed to become a missionary, hoping to serve as a “second St. Francis Xavier.” In seminary, he answered God’s call to mission work in Amercian with the Redemptorist Order.
Fr. Seelos served in Baltimore, Detroit, and New Orleans, but mostly in Pittsburgh’s Strip District at St. Philomena Church.
As both parish priest and rector of the local Redemptorist community, Fr. Seelos possessed a simple yet inspiring preaching style that attracted great crowds. He was also renowned as an inspiring confessor.
When considered for the position of Bishop of Pittsburgh, he asked that his name be withdrawn, to remain a simple parish priest.
Fr. Seelos’ final assignment was St. Mary Assumption Parish, New Orleans. There just 13 months, Fr. Seelos developed yellow fever while caring for the sick. He died there at the age of 48. His remains are enshrined at the National Seelos Center and Seelos Shrine, New Orleans.
Quotes
on Mission
“I love the work of the mission more than any other labors; it is the complete apostolic employment in the Lord’s vineyard.”
on St. John Neumann
“I was his subject, but more like a son who needed help, for I had just left the novitiate . . . above all, the example of his virtue is vivid in my memory, his tender modesty, his great humility and his insuperable patience.”
on Joy in Suffering
“When extraordinary and unexpected sufferings, sadness, and despair come, encourage yourself on the spot to the greatest trust in Divine Providence. O, if we would only believe it: these are the days of salvation, here we can become rich for heaven.”
Fr. Neumann and Fr. Seelos
+ His Practical Guide to Holiness +
- Go to Mass with deepest devotion
- Spend half hour to reflect on your main failing and make resolution to avoid it.
- Do daily spiritual reading for at least 15 minutes, if a half hour is not possible. Pray the Rosary every day.
- Pray the Rosary every day.
- Each day, if possible, visit the Blessed Sacrament; toward evening, meditate on the Passion of Christ for a half hour.
- Conclude the day with evening prayer and an examination of conscience over all the faults and sins of the day. Every month make a review of the month in confession.
- Every month make a review of the month in confession.
- Choose a special patron each month and imitate that one in some virtue.
- Precede every great feast with a novena, that is, nine days of devotion.
- Try to begin and end every activity with a “Hail Mary.”
Seelos Society 