Friar led battle against Turks

By Tony Staley
Compass Editor

	St. Lawrence of Brindisi When: July 22, 1559-July 22, 1619 Where: Italy and Germany What: Capuchin, Doctor of the Church Feast: July 21 Canonized: 1881

The lives of saints often take us by surprise. Sometimes it's because of how simply and strictly they lived, or how they served others, or their piety. But sometimes it's because they did things we don't think of saints doing.

Consider St. Lawrence of Brindisi. Lawrence was a Capuchin friar, a tireless preacher, an excellent administrator and a scholar. He also, at the request of Emperor Rudolf II, helped raise an army among the German rulers to fight the Turks who were threatening to conquer Hungary.

After recruiting the army, he consulted with the generals, advised them to attack, delivered a rousing address to the soldiers and, as their chaplain, led them into battle while carrying only a crucifix. The Turks were routed.

Perhaps Lawrence, born into a wealthy family at Brindisi, Kingdom of Naples, was inspired by his baptismal name - Julius Caesar Russo. He was orphaned at a young age and was educated by Conventual Franciscans and by his uncle at the College of St. Mark in Venice. He joined the Capuchins at Verona when he was 16 and was given the name Lawrence.

He was a gifted student in theology, philosophy, the Bible and languages, including Italian, Greek, Hebrew, German, Bohemian, French and Spanish.

After ordination, he began preaching with great success in northern Italy. Six times he was elected to represent his order in Rome. Pope Clement VII assigned him to work at converting Jews; his Hebrew was so good that some rabbis thought he was a Jew who had converted to Christianity.

Next, he and Blessed Benedict of Urbino were sent to Germany to build up the order and combat Lutheranism. The two started friaries at Gorizia, Prague and Vienna, which became the provinces of Syria, Bohemia and Austria. In 1602, Lawrence was elected vicar general of the Capuchins and began traveling by foot to all the houses. He refused reelection when his term expired.

After that, the emperor sent Lawrence to Spain to convince King Philip III to join the Catholic League. While in Spain, he founded a Capuchin house in Madrid.

Finally, in 1618, Lawrence was allowed to retire from civic affairs. But the rulers of Naples soon asked him to go to Spain to convince the king to remove the Duke of Osuna to prevent an uprising. While he succeeded in his mission, he became seriously ill and died.

Pope John XXIII named him a doctor of the church because of his commentary on Genesis and numerous sermons. He also wrote several treatises against Luther.