St. Lawrence of Brindisi, Priest and Doctor

St. Lawrence of Brindisi, Priest and Doctor: 1559-1619 A.D.

Feast day, July 21

Birth, early life and entrance into the Capuchin Order

Caesare de Rossi, a.k.a. St. Lawrence of Brindisi, was born in the town of Brindisi, in the kingdom of Naples, on July 22, 1559 A.D. His education began with the Conventual Franciscans, who lived also in the same town of Brindisi. When Caesare's parents died, he was taken in by his uncle, who sent him to the College of Saint Mark's in Venice. Then, upon reaching sixteen years of age, Caesare joined the Order of the Friars Minor Capuchin - a branch of the Franciscans that had been established forty-six years earlier (in 1528 A.D.) by Matteo di Bassi Urbino. Upon entrance into this religious order, "Caesare" changed his name to "Lawrence".

His marvelous gift for languages

Lawrence was sent to the University of Padua for his philosophical and theological studies. It was there that they discovered his marvelous gift for languages. So, besides his own native Italian, he also became fluent in Latin, Greek, Hebrew, German, Bohemian, French and Spanish. Because of this knowledge, St. Lawrence was able to study the Bible in its original languages (Hebrew and Greek). Then, he was ordained a priest at age twenty-three, and began a preaching ministry in Padua, Verona, Vicenza and other cities in northern Italy.

Definitor General and converter of Jews

In 1596 A.D., the Capuchins called him to Rome to fill the post of definitor general of the Order - a position he was to hold five times. While in Rome, he was also asked by Pope Clement VIII to use his knowledge of Hebrew and the Old Testament to preach to the Jews in Italy. St. Lawrence proved to be successful at converting many Jews because his fluency in Hebrew led many Jews to believe that he was a Jew who converted to Catholicism.

Sent on a mission to the German Empire

In 1598 A.D., Germany and Austria were threatened by Lutheranism. St. Lawrence was thus sent to the German Empire, together with Blessed Benedict of Urbino, to establish the Capuchins in that part of Europe and to oppose Lutheranism. The two Capuchin friars founded friaries in Prague (now in modern day Czech Republic), Vienna (in Austria), and Gorizia (in northern Italy). These were to later develop into the provinces of Bohemia, Austria, and Styria.

Chaplain and leader in the battle against the Turks

It was while in Germany that Emperor Rudolf III asked St. Lawrence to help raise an army and to secure the help of the various German princes to defend the Empire against the Ottoman Turks, who were threatening to conquer all of Hungary. St. Lawrence of Brindisi was indeed able to raise an army and then became its chaplain and leader. It was said that he gave a rousing address to the troops and rode into battle mounted on a horse ahead of them - armed only with a crucifix. The victory over the Turks was then credited and attributed to him.

Accepted a mission to King Philip III of Spain

In 1602 A.D., St. Lawrence was elected vicar general of the Capuchins, but refused re-election in 1605 A.D. Instead, he accepted a mission on behalf of Emperor Rudolf, to talk King Philip III of Spain into joining the Catholic League - a league of countries headed by Catholic rulers in opposition to a group of nations headed by Protestant rulers. St. Lawrence was successful in this mission and was even able to found a house of the Capuchins in Madrid, Spain.

On a mission to Bavaria before retirement

After his mission in Spain, the Holy See saw his gift of diplomacy and thus appointed Lawrence as papal nuncio in Munich - where he was sent to the court of Maximilian of Bavaria. While living in Munich, St. Lawrence administered two Capuchin provinces and continued in his work of preaching and conversions. He was also frequently used as a mediator and peacemaker in several quarrels and disputes between rulers. After all these missions and activities, St. Lawrence then retired from worldly affairs to the friary at Caeserta in 1618 A.D.

Noted for his eleven volumes of collected sermons

Compared to other doctors of the Church, St. Lawrence of Brindisi did not write any important books. He did however write commentaries on Genesis and Ezekiel and several treatises against Luther. He is most noted though for his sermons which, when the Capuchins collected them in 1956 A.D., filled about eleven volumes. In those sermons, Lawrence of Brindisi relied on Scripture quotations to illustrate the points he was making. His teachings show a combination of brilliance and human compassion.

Last mission before his death

While in retirement, Lawrence was recalled at the request of the rulers of Naples to go to Spain to intercede with King Philip for them against the duke of Osuna. Lawrence acceded to their request and went to convince the king to recall the duke of Osuna to avert an uprising. As a result of this work, St. Lawrence was completely worn out. The trip in the sweltering heat of summer exhausted him and so he died a few days after his meeting with the king on July 22, 1619 A.D.

St. Lawrence of Brindisi was beatified in 1783 A.D. by Pope Pius VI, canonized in 1881 A.D. by Pope Leo XIII, and declared a doctor of the Church in 1959 A.D. by Pope John XXIII. The Church celebrates his feast on July 21.

References of this article

• Dictionary of Saints, by John J. Delaney
• The Doctors of the Church vol 1, by John F. Fink
• A Year With the Saints, by Don Bosco Press, Inc.