Pope Saint Pius X coloring page: August 21st

Pope Saint Pius X was born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto in a little Italian town. He had a great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, particularly Our Lady of Confidence. He once declared, “Let the storm rage and the sky darken — not for that shall we be dismayed. If we trust as we should in Mary, we shall recognize in her, the Virgin Most Powerful who with virginal foot did crush the head of the serpent.”

Pius X spent his papacy defending the Catholic Church and protecting Her traditions from modern views. One of the things he is most known for is encouraging frequent reception of Communion. In fact, he is the author of the encyclical Quam Singulari, which declared children make their First Holy Communion at age 7, instead of the traditional age 12. Sometimes he is still referred to as the “Pope of the Blessed Sacrament.” He also encourage people to frequently receive the Sacrament of Penance, in order to worthily receive the Eucharist.

Pius X felt a deep compassion for the poor and yearned to help those around him. When an earthquake struck in 1908, he was one of the first to help victims, welcoming refugees to stay in the Apostolic Palace. Shortly before he died, he declared, “I was born poor, I have lived poor, and I wish to die poor.” Pius X is buried in Saint Peter’s Basilica, in the the Presentation Chapel. His body is below the altar, and his face and hands are covered in silver.

Click on the images below to print the coloring page.