July 21 is the feast of St. Lawrence of Brindisi (1559-1619), the Capuchin friar, Doctor of the Church, and great preacher of the Catholic Reformation. Born Giulio Cesare Russo at Brindisi, in Apulia, he entered the Capuchins at Verona in 1575 and was ordained priest in 1582. He preached through Italy, France, Spain, Germany, and Austria, often in the open air, to crowds of thousands; he is said to have preached in nine languages, including Hebrew, which he read fluently.
Lawrence was the definitor general of the Capuchin order and served as papal envoy to the German princes in the League against the Turk. He died at Lisbon on July 22, 1619, on a mission to the King of Spain. He was canonized in 1881 and proclaimed Doctor of the Church in 1959 by Pope John XXIII — the first Capuchin doctor.
Lawrence is the patron of Brindisi, his birthplace, and of preachers. From Brindisi, where he was born, to Lisbon, where he died, the July 21 feast is the feast of the Capuchin who preached the Word in nine languages.
