Saints do not live in a vacuum, and they are often formed by reading about or encountering other saints or saintly individuals.
Such was the case of St. John Paul II, who initially wanted to devote his entire life to the theater and to acting. It was a primary passion of his life, even in the midst of World War II.
Yet God was tugging at his heart. During a pivotal time in his life, St. John Paul II learned about the life of "Brother Albert," who would eventually be canonized a saint.
The painter turned beggar
St. Albert was initially a relatively famous artist who studied with some of the greatest painters of his time in Poland. However, that life did not satisfy him and he sought to serve the poor.
He became a member of the Third Order of St. Francis and devoted himself to caring for the poor and homeless of Kraków, selling his paintings to raise money for a homeless shelter. Calling himself “Brother Albert,” he would eventually found the Albertine Brothers and Sisters and establish homes for the poor across Poland.
St. John Paul II praised his charitable heart when he canonized him on November 12, 1989:
In this tireless, heroic service in favor of the underprivileged he finally found his way. He found Christ. He took upon himself his yoke and his load; and it was not only “one who does charity, ” but became the brother of those he served. Their brother. The “gray brother,” as he was called.
St. Albert was a true brother to the poor and homeless, living with them in a shelter he established.
He even died in that shelter on Christmas Day, December 25, 1916 -- spending his last moments with his brothers, the poor.
After St. John Paul II learned about St. Albert's heroic witness, he wrote a play about this saintly man called Our God’s Brother, and said of him, “I found in him a real spiritual support and example in leaving behind the world of art, literature and the theater, and in making the radical choice of a vocation to the priesthood" (Gift and Mystery).
Since his canonization in 1989, St. Albert is remembered each year on June 17, which is the anniversary of his baptism.
