St. John of Capistrano
Franciscan Priest and Preacher
Feast Day: October 23
Biography
St. John of Capistrano (1386–1456) was born in Capestrano, in the Abruzzi region of Italy. He studied law at Perugia and became a judge and governor of that city. Captured during a war and imprisoned in 1416, he underwent a deep conversion, and after his release he entered the Franciscan Order. A disciple of St. Bernardine of Siena, he became one of the most famous preachers of his age, drawing enormous crowds in Italy, Austria, Germany, Bohemia, Hungary, and Poland. He promoted the reform of the Franciscan Observants, served popes on many diplomatic missions, and worked against the Hussite movement and for Church unity. His zeal was intense, and some of his preaching and actions, especially toward Jewish communities, were harsh in ways the Church today recognizes as wrong. When Ottoman forces besieged Belgrade in 1456, the seventy-year-old friar preached a crusade and led volunteers alongside the Hungarian commander John Hunyadi; the siege was lifted in July. Weakened by the campaign, he died of plague at Ilok, in present-day Croatia, on October 23, 1456. He was canonized in 1690. The California mission of San Juan Capistrano, founded in 1776, bears his name.
Patronages
Symbols
Prayer
St. John of Capistrano, you turned from worldly power to serve Christ with your whole heart. Help me to hear God's call to conversion and to use my gifts for His kingdom. Pray for all chaplains and for those who serve in the armed forces, that they may be strengthened in faith, courage, and charity. Amen.
Asking for Intercession
Catholics ask saints to pray with us and for us, as we ask friends on earth. St. John of Capistrano, who lives in God's presence, intercedes before His throne. Speak from your heart: “St. John of Capistrano, please pray for me…” You may also pray the prayer above or include this intention in your Rosary.