St. Lawrence of Brindisi

Our Patron, St. Lawrence of Brindisi (1559 –1619), was born as Julius Caesar Russon, in Brindisi, Italy, on July 22, 1559.

He entered the Capuchin Franciscan Order in Venice when he was only 16 years old. He studied philosophy and theology at the University of Padua and was ordained a priest when he was 23 years old.

By the time he died on his sixtieth birthday, he had accomplished many things. He was widely recognized for his outstanding intellect, human compassion and administrative skills. As a scholar, he was good at languages—he studied the Bible using the original texts. But his skill in languages also came in handy when the Pope asked him to travel to several foreign countries as a peacemaker. In keeping with the Franciscan tradition, he was always concerned with the ordinary people.

He was elected the Minister General of the Capuchins in 1602. With St. Lawrence as its leader, the Capuchin Order grew rapidly.

St. Lawrence died on his sixtieth birthday in Lisbon, Portugal, on one of his peacemaking trips for the Pope to the King of Spain. St. Lawrence was beatified in 1783 and was canonized in 1881. In 1959 he was declared a “Doctor of the Church” by Pope John XXIII. His feast day is July 21.