B. Edoardo Poppe 
«Have you ever noticed the halo of light that surrounds holy priests and illuminates all those in their presence? They bring about such transformations by the silent preaching of their holy life! How many imitators they draw in their wake, attracting them by their priestly ideal! May Jesus favor us with entering into contact with such a priest!» The author of these lines, Father Edward Poppe, (1890-1924)—whom Pope John Paul II beatified on October 3, 1999—could not imagine that these words would be applied to his own life story. Edward Poppe was born on December 18, 1890, into a profoundly Catholic Flemish family. His father, Désiré, and his mother, Josefa, lived in a modest home in the small city of Temse, close to Ghent, Belgium. In his profession as a baker, Désiré worked hard to support his family. In his trials, he had the custom of saying, «We must always be satisfied with the will of God.» Josefa displayed in her household both warm affection and firm discipline. She attended Mass every day, as much as she could, for the family grew quickly. Eleven children would join the family circle—three would die at an early age, the two sons would become priests, five daughters were to become nuns, and one daughter alone remained at home with her mother.
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