Saint John Kanty
Donated By: Jozef and Genowefa Sotula
St. John Kanty receives his name from his birthplace, Kant, near Oswiecim in Poland. His parents were country folk of respectable position and, seeing that their son was as quick and intelligent as he was good, they sent him in due course to the University of Cracow.
After his ordination, John was appointed to a Lectureship or chair at the University. He was known to lead a very strict life, and when he was warned to look after his health he replied by pointing out that the fathers of the desert were notably long-lived.
John was a country lad who made good in the big city and the big university Kraków. After brilliant studies he was ordained a priest and became a professor of theology. The inevitable opposition which saints encounter led to his being ousted by rivals and sent to be a parish priest at Olkusz. An extremely humble man, he did his best, but his best was not to the liking of his parishioners. Besides, he was afraid of the responsibilities of his position. But in the end he won his people’s hearts. After some time he returned to Kraków and taught Scripture for the remainder of his life.
He was a serious man, and humble, but known to all the poor of Kraków for his kindness. His goods and his money were always at their disposal, and time and again they took advantage of him. He kept only the money and clothes absolutely needed to support himself. He slept little, and then on the floor, ate sparingly, and took no meat. He made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, hoping to be martyred by the Turks. He made four pilgrimages to Rome, carrying his luggage on his back. When he was warned to look after his health, he was quick to point out that, for all their austerity, the fathers of the desert lived remarkably long lives.
There is a story told that once when he was dining, a famished looking beggar passed the door. John jumped up and carried out all his food to the man; when he returned to his seat he found his plate again full – miraculously. This, it is said, was long commemorated in the university by setting aside a special meal for a poor man every day; when dinner was ready the vice-president would cry out in Latin, “A poor man is coming”, to which the president replied “Jesus Christ is coming”, and the man was then served.
St. John’s second appointment at the University was as professor of Sacred Scripture, and he held it to the end of his life. He left such a reputation that his doctoral gown was long used to invest each candidate at the conferring of degrees, but his fame was not all confined to academic circles. He was a welcome guest at the table of the nobility (once his shabby cassock caused the servants to refuse him admission, so he went away and changed it. During the meal a dish was upset over the new one. “No matter,” he said, “my clothes deserve some dinner because to them I owe the pleasure of being here at all.”), and he was known to all the poor in Cracow. His goods and money were always at their disposal, and time and again they literally “cleared him out.” But his own needs were few; he slept on the floor, never ate meat, and when he went to Rome he walked all the way and carried his luggage on his back. He was never weary of telling his pupils to “fight all false opinions, but let your weapons be patience, sweetness and love.
Several miracles were reported of St. John, and when news got round the city that he was dying, there was an outburst of sorrow. “Never mind about this prison which is decaying” he said to those who were looking after him, “but think of the soul that is going to leave it.” He died on Christmas Eve 1473, at the age of eighty three. St. John Kanty was canonized in 1767.
When Saint John Kanty’s feast day was first inserted into the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints in 1770, it was initially assigned to October 20, but in 1969 it was moved to December 23, the day before the anniversary of his death, which occurred on Christmas Eve, 1473.
Biography From stjohnkantychurchbuffalo.wordpress.com
St. John Kanty receives his name from his birthplace, Kant, near Oswiecim in Poland. His parents were country folk of respectable position and, seeing that their son was as quick and intelligent as he was good, they sent him in due course to the University of Cracow.
After his ordination, John was appointed to a Lectureship or chair at the University. He was known to lead a very strict life, and when he was warned to look after his health he replied by pointing out that the fathers of the desert were notably long-lived.
John was a country lad who made good in the big city and the big university Kraków. After brilliant studies he was ordained a priest and became a professor of theology. The inevitable opposition which saints encounter led to his being ousted by rivals and sent to be a parish priest at Olkusz. An extremely humble man, he did his best, but his best was not to the liking of his parishioners. Besides, he was afraid of the responsibilities of his position. But in the end he won his people’s hearts. After some time he returned to Kraków and taught Scripture for the remainder of his life.
He was a serious man, and humble, but known to all the poor of Kraków for his kindness. His goods and his money were always at their disposal, and time and again they took advantage of him. He kept only the money and clothes absolutely needed to support himself. He slept little, and then on the floor, ate sparingly, and took no meat. He made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, hoping to be martyred by the Turks. He made four pilgrimages to Rome, carrying his luggage on his back. When he was warned to look after his health, he was quick to point out that, for all their austerity, the fathers of the desert lived remarkably long lives.
There is a story told that once when he was dining, a famished looking beggar passed the door. John jumped up and carried out all his food to the man; when he returned to his seat he found his plate again full – miraculously. This, it is said, was long commemorated in the university by setting aside a special meal for a poor man every day; when dinner was ready the vice-president would cry out in Latin, “A poor man is coming”, to which the president replied “Jesus Christ is coming”, and the man was then served.
St. John’s second appointment at the University was as professor of Sacred Scripture, and he held it to the end of his life. He left such a reputation that his doctoral gown was long used to invest each candidate at the conferring of degrees, but his fame was not all confined to academic circles. He was a welcome guest at the table of the nobility (once his shabby cassock caused the servants to refuse him admission, so he went away and changed it. During the meal a dish was upset over the new one. “No matter,” he said, “my clothes deserve some dinner because to them I owe the pleasure of being here at all.”), and he was known to all the poor in Cracow. His goods and money were always at their disposal, and time and again they literally “cleared him out.” But his own needs were few; he slept on the floor, never ate meat, and when he went to Rome he walked all the way and carried his luggage on his back. He was never weary of telling his pupils to “fight all false opinions, but let your weapons be patience, sweetness and love.
Several miracles were reported of St. John, and when news got round the city that he was dying, there was an outburst of sorrow. “Never mind about this prison which is decaying” he said to those who were looking after him, “but think of the soul that is going to leave it.” He died on Christmas Eve 1473, at the age of eighty three. St. John Kanty was canonized in 1767.
When Saint John Kanty’s feast day was first inserted into the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints in 1770, it was initially assigned to October 20, but in 1969 it was moved to December 23, the day before the anniversary of his death, which occurred on Christmas Eve, 1473.
Biography From stjohnkantychurchbuffalo.wordpress.com