Saint John of Capistrano

Saint John of Capistrano

Born: June 24, 1386 in Capestrano, Kingdom of Naples

Died: October 23, 1456 (aged 70) in Ilok, Kingdom of Croatia

Canonized: 1690 or 1724, by either Pope Alexander VIII or Pope Benedict XIII

Feast day: October 23

Patronage: Jurists, military chaplains, Belgrade and Hungary

Franciscan friar and priest Saint John of Capistrano was born on June 24, 1386 in Capestrano, Italy.

In 1614, at the age of 28, John was accepted by the Order of Friars Minor at Perugia, Italy. He thrived in the environment of austerity and strict asceticism.

He began to preach in 1620 and eventually became a well-known speaker. He preached to large crowds throughout central and northern Europe.

Unfortunately, John was also very anti-Semitic and was known as the “scourge of the Jews.” His passionate speeches led to mass deportations of Jews in the southern part of Germany and in other places Jewish residents were burned at the stake.

His writings also stressed the need for more rigor in religion among the Franciscans, devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus, the sovereignty of papal authority over that of councils and strict admonitions against heresy.

John of Capistrano often performed diplomatic missions for popes Eugene IV, Nicholas V and others. He also coordinated the Observant Reform movement among the Order of Friars Minor.

When John was 69, Constantinople fell to the Turks and Christianity in Europe was under threat from the Ottoman Empire.

In 1454, Pope Callixtus III sent John of Capistrano to inspire a crusade against the invading Turks.

By 1856 John was able to enlist enough troops to march on Belgrade and in the summer of 1456 the soldiers, some led by John, defeated the siege of Turks from Belgrade. For that accomplishment he became known as the Soldier Priest.

After the battle, John of Capistrano fell ill to the bubonic plague. He passed away on October 23, 1456 in the town of Ilok, Croatia.

Source: Wikipedia