I’ve been bad about updating my blog lately as things have been really busy. So, I will put something of more substance up this weekend. But, for now, here’s something quick from the lighter side. The statue in the picture above is one of St. Pascal Baylon that sits on top of a big pillar at the end of our campus here at the seminary. I guess I should say that it used to be of St. Pascal Baylon; you will notice that his head is missing. We had a big thunderstorm here at the beginning of the year and poor Pascal was hit by lightning. It zapped his head right off and we found it lying on the ground. Fortunately, it fell in nice soft grass and is fine.

Now, the real question here is…why this attack on St. Pascal? There’s a much taller pillar with Our Lady on it in the middle of campus. St. Paul is on an identical pillar at the other end of campus. So why was St. Pascal singled out? You might say it’s a bit of a Pascal mystery, but I have a theory…

After you get over the initial shock of the situation, perhaps at least once you’ve asked yourself…”Just who is this St. Pascal…I’ve never heard of him.” Perhaps the sight of the headless statue has sparked your curiosity to learn more about him. I think this is the answer to the mystery. Perhaps St. Pascal deliberately had his statue struck by lightning because he felt slighted that no one knew who he was. Everyone knows St. Paul and Mary; they’re the kind of saints you would expect to find on pillars. It’s sad to say that I think most guys around the seminary assume that the saint on top of the other pillar is St. Francis until you get right up next to the base and see that it says “St. Pascal.” To add insult to injury, how many people then think of Blaise Pascal and go away thinking, “I didn’t know he was a saint.”

I think the sad truth here is that St. Pascal had finally just had enough. When it all came to a head he just blew his top, resorting to this drastic idea of being struck by lightning so as to increase his press. Well, I’m sure the saint is happy to see that his plan is working. Many more people now know about St. Pascal Baylon. Tourists and other random people now come and look at his headless statue and want to know who he is. I am even featuring him on my blog in tribute. Check out the link below for a brief paragraph on his life.

After reading his life you may still wonder just why he got his own pillar along with St. Paul and the Virgin Mary. “He seems like a great saint and all…but why his own pillar at the seminary?” (Of course you will be somewhat scared to wonder this too much for fear that the saint who took the head off his own statue might not be in such a great mood and might lash out). Anyway, you’ll note that St. Pascal is the patron saint of Eucharistic Congresses, and that is why his is on our pillar. He was put there in honor of the 1926 International Eucharistic Congress held in Chicago at the time the seminary was built. Below are also some pictures of me and my new friend St. Pascal Baylon.

Brief Info on St. Pascal

Some Pictures of the 1926 Eucharistic Congress at Soldier Field