Saint of the day October 23: Saint John of Capistrano. Catholic Saints

Every October 23, the Church remembers Saint John of Capistrano (1386-1456), a Franciscan friar born in the city of Capistrano, former Kingdom of Naples (Italy), on June 24, 1386. Son of a prominent German baron, Juan was a lawyer and later a judge, he even served as governor of Perugia. Once completely consecrated to the service of God, he became a missionary, preacher and defender of the faith.

As a result of the intervention he had alongside the Christian hosts during the so-called ‘Siege of Belgrade’ (1456), he was named patron of military chaplains in 1984.

A man in pursuit of justice

Having developed a promising secular career, at the age of 30, he had a dream in which he saw Saint Francis of Assisi calling him to be part of the Order of Friars Minor. For Juan, that dream was confirmation of the desire that lit his heart: to dedicate himself to the service of those most in need. He himself had suffered from the lack of everything when he had to spend time in prison, at a time when the city had fallen into the hands of his enemies, the Malatesta family.

Already as a member of the Order, Juan began to stand out as a good student and speaker. He had holy formators as preceptors, among whom his Theology teacher, Saint Bernardino of Siena (1380-1444), stood out, who became his friend, and whom he had to defend years later from a set of unjust accusations.

As a priest, Juan de Capistrano would become a beloved and admired preacher. He fought the so-called “fraticism”, a heresy that sought to distort the evangelical message by using the rule and Franciscan spirituality. Due to the holy zeal that he showed in these arenas, Saint John was called the “Column of Observance” and was included in the list of the main reformers of the Order.

Evangelizer and defender of the faith even on the battlefield

Fray Juan de Capistrano traveled throughout almost all of Europe preaching the Gospel. He traveled through Germany, Bohemia, Austria, Hungary and Poland. He lived simply, eating and sleeping only what was strictly necessary. During his lifetime he earned a reputation for working miracles, to the point that it was common for sick people to be brought to him for healing. And although this fame was never to his liking, he did not refuse to care for anyone; on the contrary, he always welcomed the sick with kindness and blessed them in the name of God.

In 1456 the so-called Siege of Belgrade took place, in which Ottoman (Muslim) forces invaded the region of Serbia and were preparing to do the same in Hungarian land. The number of Ottomans was much larger than that of the local Christians. When the defenders of the city were about to flee in retreat, Saint John of Capistrano, who lived in Hungary at the time, took up the flag with the cross and encouraged them with the cry of “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, brave believers, all to defend our holy religion.”

For the love of faith

The Muslims were defeated that day and had to leave the region. Saint John of Capistrano was then hailed as a hero. Unfortunately, not long after, although Hungary had been freed from the invasion, it suffered another type of scourge: a great plague spread in the country and many contracted the disease, among them the saint.

Juan de Capistrano died, as a consequence of the plague, on October 23, 1456, at the age of 70. He was canonized by Pope Alexander VII in 1690.

Echoes in America: USA

San Juan de Capistrano was the name given to one of the most famous Franciscan missions of the 18th century, during the colonization of Alta California, currently belonging to the United States. The beautiful city that was built on the basis of the mission maintains its name to this day.

Saint John of Capistrano, pray for Christianity! May she be strengthened in love for the entire world through your holy intercession!

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If you want to know more about San Juan de Capistrano, we recommend this article from the Catholic Encyclopedia: https://ec.aciprensa.com/wiki/San_Juan_de_Capistrano.