“…at Mass he frequently floated in the air in rapture. Once as Christmas carols were being sung, he soared to the high altar and knelt in the air, rapted in prayer. On another occasion he ferried a cross thirty-six feet high through the air to the top of a Calvary group as easily as one might carry a straw…” (Excerpted from http://www.catholic.org)Our patron is Saint Joseph of Cupertino, an Italian monk who lived from 1603-1663. He was somewhat of a simpleton, and lived an undistinguished life of prayer until his miraculous powers began to manifest, including the ability to levitate and fly, superhuman strength, and other abilities simply described as “amazing miracles.”
Once he began to attract attention, he was moved several times by the Church in an effort to keep his powers a secret. However, wherever he went, he was followed by those who had witnessed his abilities.
Joseph is the patron saint of those who fly and also of students, because although Joseph was dimwitted and simple, he was able to answer every question put to him when he underwent his examinations to enter the seminary.
It is possible that Joseph was also the very first superhero, but his abilities were so widely misunderstood that he was hidden away from the world.