November 12 Celebration of Saints

November 12 Celebration of Saints

Saint Josaphat of Polotsk

Saint Josaphat Kuntsevych was born Ioann Kuntsevych circa 1580 in Volodymyr, Lesser Poland Province of the Polish Crown (now Northern Ukraine). He was baptized in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Ioann joined the Monastery of the Holy Trinity in Vilnius, where he received the religious name of Josaphat. There, he became well known for his holiness and received many visitors as the order grew in membership.

He studied religion under the tutelage of Jesuit Valentin Groza Fabricy and was ordained a priest by the bishop in 1609.

He then became a prior for several monasteries and became bishop of the Eparchy of Vitebsk and coadjutor for the Archeparchy (Archbishop) of Polotsk on November 12, 1617. He was elevated to be archeparchy in March 1618.

As Josaphat endeavored to get local Eastern Orthodox congregations to unite with Rome, his years as archbishop were marked by conflict between the Uniates (Roman Catholics) and Disunites (Eastern Ortodox).

Josaphat Kuntsevych was martyred by a mob organized by Disunites and Lithuanian Protestants in Vitebsk on November 12, 1623. He was beatified on May 16, 1643 by Pope Urban VIII and canonized a saint by Pope Pius IX on June 29, 1867.

Other Saints for Today

Other saints for this day include:

Saint Anastasius XIX, Saint Astericus, Saint Benedict and Companions, Saint Cadwallader, Saint Cummian Fada, Saint Emilian Cucullatus, Saint Evodius, Blessed Gregory Lakota, Saint Livinus, Saint Machar, Saint Namphasius, Saint Nilus the Elder, Saint Paternus, Saint Patiens, Saint Renatus, Saint Rufus of Avignon and Saint Ymar.