Floating saint

St. Joseph of Cupertino (1603-1663)

St. Joseph of Cupertino, known as the ‘most levitating of the saints,’ experienced so many levitations it became necessary to restrict his access to the choir and refectory so as not to cause disturbances during Mass. So slow and dimwitted, his own family considered him to be an idiot, and didn’t believe he would make it through the seminary. Eventually, with the help of God, he did. But because of his low intellect, he was kept to tend the pigs and sheep in the stables. St. Joseph loved this, and it was in this barn his levitation begun to take place when he would pray before a broken statue of Mary.

But St. Joseph of Cupertino was known to levitate to the height of the pulpit and more during the consecration. In order to test him, other monks actually chained him to the ground with heavy armor. This still did not deter the gifts of the Holy Spirit within him as he lifted up and the chains were ripped from the concrete floor in which they had been embedded.  Among the many witnesses was Pope Urban, V.  A Franciscan, he is patron saint to airplane passengers, pilots and astronauts.