Scholastic Cataldo, at the ripe age of fifteen years old, seemed to clearly know his own mind about joining the Jesuits, and becoming a missionary in particular. There is reason to believe this desire was formed even earlier, and thus may have influenced his preference for the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). His resolve was tested two years after his entrance, as symptoms of tuberculosis required withdrawal and six months of uncertainty before he was allowed to resume his studies. Cataldo completed his first phase of training in 1858, and spent the next two years teaching grammar at the Jesuits' Collegio Massimo, a boys 'high school' in Palermo.
