Lawrence of Brindisi
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Saint Lawrence of Brindisi O.F.M. Cap. |
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| Priest; Doctor of the Church | |
| Born |
22 July 1559 Brindisi, Kingdom of Naples |
| Died | 22 July 1619 (aged 60) Lisbon, Portugal |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Beatified | 1 June 1783, Saint Peter's Basilica, Papal States by Pope Pius VI |
| Canonized | 8 December 1881, Saint Peter's Basilica, Kingdom of Italy by Pope Leo XIII |
| Major shrine | Villafranca del Bierzo |
| Feast | 21 July |
| Attributes |
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| Patronage | Brindisi |
Saint Lawrence of Brindisi, O.F.M. Cap. (22 July 1559 – 22 July 1619), born Giulio Cesare Russo, was a Roman Catholic priest and a theologian as well as a member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin.
He was beatified on 1 June 1783 and was canonized as a saint on 8 December 1881. He was named a Doctor of the Church in 1959.
Giulio Cesare Russo was born in Brindisi, Kingdom of Naples, to a family of Venetian merchants. He was educated at Saint Mark's College in Venice, and joined the Capuchins in Verona as Brother Lawrence. He received further instruction from the University of Padua. An accomplished linguist, Lawrence spoke most European and Semitic languages fluently.
He was appointed definitor general to Rome for the Capuchins in 1596; Pope Clement VIII assigned him the task of converting the Jews in the city. Beginning in 1599, Lawrence established Capuchin monasteries in modern Germany and Austria, furthering the Counter-Reformation and bringing many Protestants back to the Catholic faith.
In 1601, he served as the imperial chaplain for the army of Rudolph II, Holy Roman Emperor, and successfully recruited Philippe Emmanuel, Duke of Mercœur to help fight against the Ottoman Turks. He then led the army during the brief liberation of Székesfehérvár in Hungary from the Ottoman Empire, armed only with a crucifix.
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