Today, November 12, we celebrate the feast day of our patron saint, St. Josaphat.
In 1584, St. Josaphat was born to a respectable Polish family in current day Volodymyr-Volynsky, Poland. After noticing growing divisions in the church, St. Josaphat decided to study philosophy and theology under two Jesuits. Inspired by the Jesuits, St. Josaphat entered the religious life and became ordained as a priest.
In 1617, when he was 38 years old, St. Josaphat became the Archbishop of Polotsk. As bishop, St. Josaphat recognized many issues with the church. The church was falling apart both
literally and physically. Many members of the clergy were marrying multiple times and didn’t set strong models for others. In three years, St. Josaphat was able to rebuild the church. He held religious meetings, began enforcing rules of conduct for members of the clergy, and published a
catechism.
Despite his strong efforts to unify the church, many other influential religious figures at the time opposed St. Josaphat. When the King of Poland declared St. Josaphat as the only
legitimate archbishop, many people broke into riots. Leo Sapiah, the chancellor of Lithuania, believed stories about St. Josaphat that said St. Josaphat tried to stir up violence within the church.
In October 1623, St. Josaphat returned to Vitebsk to clear up issues about himself. He boldly stated, “If I am counted worthy of martyrdom, then I am not afraid to die,” proving his
commitment to the church. Those who didn’t agree with St. Josaphat saw this as an opportunity to get rid of him.
On November 12, 1623, an angry mob crowded a courtyard and began beating and trampling the friends and servants of St. Josaphat. When St. Josaphat went outside to fix the situation, the angry mob shouted “Kill the papist,” and they struck St. Josaphat with a stick and axe, killing him. St. Josaphat became a martyr and is remembered as the patron saint of unity.
By Maddie French, St. Josaphat Parish Support Associate
