This is the life of the cobbler's son who became a great Pope, of the country curate who rose to the Chair of Peter. His entire life in its succeeding stages as pastor of a small village, cathedral canon and seminary professor, as Bishop of Mantua, as Cardinal Patriarch of Venice, and then as Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church, was marked by utter simplicity, humility amid honours, wide charity and a personal poverty so great that he often pawned his own belongings to give the money to the poor. Over the years since his death in 1914 a belief in his sanctity has been growing spon aneously in the deep conviction of the people. This work will be of special interest at this time now that the saintly Pontiff's cause is being considered at Rome. Even during his lifetime there were evidences that he possessed a healing power, and many cures have taken place at his tomb.