Today, December 21, is the memorial of Saint Peter Canisius.
Doctor of the Church.
Born in 1521 in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, Peter had wealthy parents (his father was the mayor). At 19, he was sent to study at the University of Cologne. There he met St. Peter Faber, one of the founders of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). Peter became the first Dutchman to become a Jesuit. He was an influential Catholic preacher and writer.
He fought fiercely against the spread of Protestantism in Germany, Austria, Bohemia, Moravia (Czech Republic), and Switzerland. The restoration of the Catholic Church in Germany after the Reformation is attributed to his work.
He taught that, with many roads leading to Jesus, the best road is the veneration of the Virgin Mary. Marian veneration was the focus of his many sermons, letters, and publications.
Peter died of natural causes at age 76 in 1597. He was beatified in 1864 by Blessed Pope Pius IX. He was canonized and proclaimed Doctor of the Church in 1925 by Pope Pius XI.