Paolo Francesco Danei, the oldest son in a poor but noble Italian family, lived austerely even as a teen. After a year in the Venetian army, he returned to a monk-like life of prayer and penance, and refused to marry. In a vision in 1720, Our Lady, wearing a black habit with a white cross and bearing Jesus’ name, told Paul to start an order to preach Christ’s passion. With his bishop’s approval, he founded the Discalced Clerks of the Most Holy Cross and Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, which he led for the rest of his life, and later began a nuns’ institute. Passionists were soon doing missions, retreats and spiritual direction throughout Italy. Paul was canonized in 1867.