St. Pius X (1835–1914) was a poor village boy who became a parish priest, a bishop, the Patriarch of Venice and, in 1903, pope, taking as his motto “To restore all things in Christ.” He is remembered above all as the pope of the Eucharist: he encouraged Catholics to receive Holy Communion often, even daily, and he allowed children to make their First Communion as soon as they reach the age of reason, about seven. He also renewed the Church’s music, catechism and canon law. His feast day is August 21. Below are his story, what he is the patron of, Scripture and prayers to St. Pius X.
A short prayer to St. Pius X, written for this page:
St. Pius X, you longed for all the faithful, even little children, to receive Jesus often.
Pray that I may love the Holy Eucharist,
receive Communion worthily and frequently,
and help to restore all things in Christ. Amen.
Who was St. Pius X?
Giuseppe Sarto was born on June 2, 1835, in Riese, a village near Venice, the son of a postman and a seamstress, the second of ten children. He walked miles to school, was ordained a priest in 1858, and spent seventeen years as a curate and parish priest, loved by the poor for his generosity. He became bishop of Mantua in 1884 and Patriarch of Venice in 1893, and in 1903 he was elected pope.
As Pope Pius X he:
- encouraged frequent and even daily Communion (1905) and allowed children to receive First Communion at the age of reason (Quam Singulari, 1910);
- restored Gregorian chant and reformed church music;
- began the codification of canon law, completed in the 1917 Code;
- issued a simple catechism and reformed the Breviary;
- defended the faith against the errors of Modernism (1907).
He remained humble and poor; he once said he was born poor, lived poor and wished to die poor. Heartbroken by the outbreak of the First World War, he died on August 20, 1914. Pope Pius XII canonized him in 1954, the first pope declared a saint since St. Pius V in 1712.
The Eucharist in Scripture
Jesus’ words that St. Pius X wanted every Catholic to take to heart (John 6:54–55, Douay-Rheims):
Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you.
He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day.
See the First Communion guide and the prayer before Communion.
What is St. Pius X the patron saint of?
St. Pius X is the patron saint of:
- First communicants and children preparing for the Eucharist
- Catechists and religious educators
- Church musicians, because of his reform of sacred music
- Pilgrims, and his home diocese of Treviso
Prayers to St. Pius X
Written for this page.
For a child preparing for First Communion
St. Pius X, you opened the way for little children to receive Jesus.
Pray for (name) as (he/she) prepares for First Communion.
Fill (his/her) heart with faith and love, and let this first Communion be the beginning of a lifelong friendship with Jesus. Amen.
For love of the Eucharist
Lord Jesus, present in the Blessed Sacrament,
through the prayers of St. Pius X, increase my hunger for you.
Help me to prepare well, to receive you often and to live what I receive. Amen.
Feast day
The memorial of St. Pius X is August 21; it is in the universal calendar. Before 1969 it was kept on September 3.
Frequently asked questions
What is St. Pius X known for?
Encouraging frequent Communion, lowering the age of First Communion to about seven, and reforming church music, the catechism and canon law.
When is St. Pius X’s feast day?
August 21.
What was the motto of Pope Pius X?
Instaurare omnia in Christo, “to restore all things in Christ” (Ephesians 1:10).
More prayers
- First Communion
- Prayer before Communion
- Eucharistic adoration prayers
- Prayer for the Pope
- Patron saint of altar servers
- Saint feast days
Texts and sources
- John 6:54–55 (Douay-Rheims).