St. John Cantius

Saint John Cantius
Saint John Cantius
Confessor
Born	(1390-06-23)June 23, 1390 Kęty, Oświęcim, Poland
Died	December 24, 1473(1473-12-24) (aged 83) Kraków Academy Kraków, Poland
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church
Beatified	28 March 1676, Rome by Pope Clement X
Canonized	1767, Rome by Pope Clement XIII
Major shrine	Church of St. Anne Kraków, Poland
Feast	23 December 20 October (General Roman Calendar 1770-1969)
Attributes	in a professor's gown with his arm around shoulder of a young student whose gaze is directed towards Heaven; giving his garments to the poor
Patronage	Poland; Lithuania; Jagiellonian University

Saint John Cantius (Latin: Joannis Cantii, Polish: Jan z Kęt or Jan Kanty; 23 June 1390 – 24 December 1473) was a Polish priest, scholastic philosopher, physicist and theologian. He is also known as John of Kanty or John of Kanti or John Kantius.

He was born in Kęty, a small town near Oświęcim, Poland, to Stanisław and Anna Kanty. He attended the Kraków Academy at which he attained bachelor, and licentiate. In 1418 he became a Doctor of Philosophy. Upon graduation he spent the next three years conducting philosophy classes at the university, while preparing for the priesthood.

Upon his ordination, he became rector at the school of the Canons Regular of the Most Holy Sepulcher in Miechow. While there, he was offered a professorship of Sacrae Scripturae (Sacred Scripture) back at his alma mater, the Kraków Academy, which would later be named the Jagiellonian University. He attained a doctorate in theology and eventually became director of the theology department. He held the professorship until his death in 1473. John spent many hours copying manuscripts of the Holy Scriptures, theological tracts, and other scholarly works.

In physics, he helped develop Jean Buridan's theory of impetus, which anticipated the work of Galileo and Newton.

During his time in Kraków, John Kanty became well known in the city for his generosity and compassion toward the poor, especially needy students at the university. He subsisted on what was strictly necessary to sustain his life, giving alms regularly to the poor. He made one pilgrimage to Jerusalem and four pilgrimages on foot to Rome.