He was born Peter Kanis in Nijmegen in the Duchy of Guelders (now the Netherlands). Peter became the first Dutchman to join the Jesuit order of priests in 1543.
Through his work in the order he became one of the most influential Catholics of his time. He supervised the founding and maintenance of the early German Jesuit Colleges, often with little resources at hand. Because of his frequent travels between the colleges, a tedious and dangerous occupation at the time, he became known as the Second Apostle of Germany. Peter Canisius was an influential teacher and preacher, especially through his "German catechism", a book that defined the basic principles of Catholicism in the German language and found many readers in German-speaking countries.
Although I'm unsure exactly where they can be found, here are his 16th century relics which consist of his German Catechism book and book mark, and his shoes.


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