Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of John (21: 15-17) in which Jesus asks Peter 'do you love me?' and invites him to 'feed his sheep'. Afterwards, Fr Paul shares a little about the life of St Pius X, Pope whose memorial we celebrate today.

Fr Pauls says, Pius was born in the village of Riese, near Venice, and was one of ten children of a very poor family. He was ordained to the priesthood at the age of 23. He was successively bishop of Mantua and of Venice, and was elected Pope, against his wishes, in 1903.

In his time as Pope, Pius sought to "restore all things in Christ". He campaigned for the freedom of the Church from state control. He revised the code of Canon Law, founded an institute for scriptural studies, and initiated the revision of the Latin translation of the Bible (the Vulgate) and the reform of the liturgy.

Pius lived in great poverty even when he was Pope, and preached sermons every Sunday in the courtyards of the Vatican, to any who would listen. In his simplicity and goodness of heart, he performed miracles even when he was alive, and the clamour for his canonization started immediately after his death on 20 August 1914, broken-hearted at the outbreak of the First World War.

So today, Fr Paul invites us to ask, 'St Pius… Pray for us!'.