St John of Capistrano

 Feast of St John of Capistrano

 

Saint John of Capistrano (1386–1456), known as the "Soldier Saint," was a fifteenth-century Italian Franciscan priest, preacher, and reformer. He is the patron saint of jurists, lawyers, and military chaplains ... keep reading and you'll soon understand why.
 

St John of Capistrano is remembered for his tireless preaching, his work to purify and strengthen Franciscan religious life, and his role in rallying defenders  during the Ottoman siege of Belgrade in 1456. His life combined intense devotion and missionary energy with actions shaped by the religious and political conflicts of his day and age.

Early life

John was born in Capestrano, in the Abruzzo region of Italy, around 1386, and studied civil and canon law at the University of Perugia, establishing himself as a brilliant jurist. His skill caught the attention of King Ladislaus of Naples, who appointed him Governor of Perugia in 1412 at age 26 to restore order in the turbulent region. In that office he worked against corruption and bribery. 

During a war between Perugia and the powerful House of Malatesta in 1416, John was sent as an ambassador to negotiate peace but was betrayed and imprisoned in 1412. During his captivity he dreamed about encountering St Francis of Assisi to reconsider the direction of his life and embraced a new life of poverty, chastity and obedience to the Franciscans.

Religious life

John entered the Franciscan Order in 1416 where he studied theology under Saint Bernardine of Siena at Fiesole. Alongside Saint James of the Marches, he embraced the Observant Franciscan movement, which sought a strict adherence to the original Rule of Saint Francis focused on poverty, penance, and evangelical zeal 

Ordained a priest in 1425 John quickly became one of the most celebrated preachers in Europe. And soon became renowned for

1. Charismatic Preaching: Known for his fiery, uncompromising style, his outdoor sermons drew crowds so vast—often tens of thousands—that local churches could not hold them. His sermons called people to conversion and renewed Christian living. He also promoted devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus, a devotion closely associated with Bernardine of Siena. When Bernardine was accused of heresy for promoting it, John defended him.
2. Preaching across Europe: Unlike many Italian contemporary preachers, he traveled extensively across northern and central Europe especially among Churches of the Eastern Orthodox faith, preaching in the German states, Austria, Bohemia, Moravia, Hungary, Croatia, Poland and Russia.
3. Ecclesiastical Service: Popes Martin V, Eugene IV, Nicholas V, and Callixtus III entrusted him with various papal legations and diplomatic missions to combat heresies, resolve internal Church divisions among the people of Central Europe, and promote moral reform.
4. Reformer of the Franciscan Order: particularly the branch known as the Observants, who sought a stricter observance of the Rule of Saint Francis. He helped formulate regulations for Franciscan life and took part in efforts to address divisions and disputed practices within the order. His reforming work was important, but it took place amid intense religious disputes: he was also given ecclesiastical authority to investigate movements judged heretical by the Church.   

Accounts from his time and later biographies describe him as a powerful and hardworking preacher with a dying devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus and the most Blessed Virgin Mother. One account praised him as “cheerful, strong and strenuous in labour,” despite his frail appearance and austere way of life. 

The Siege of Belgrade - the unlikely military hero 

The Fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II  in 1453, shocked and alarmed the Christian world who were rightfully afraid of further Ottoman expansion into Europe. 

 Flush with is victory at Constantinople, Sultan Mehmet II set his sights on Europe and marched with a vastly superior force of 60,000 to 100,000 men including the professionally trained elite Janissaries, and heavy artillery, attacking the poorly equipped Castle garrison with just 7000 forces defending the fortress. 

Rushing to their aid, was the Hungarian military leader John Hunyadi with 12,000 mercenaries. He was soon joined by John of Capistrano leading 50,000 untrained peasants, who broke through the river blockage.  

And in a shocking turn of events, the Ottomans were soundly defeated and did not return for more than 60 years. Though John’s role in rallying the untrained peasants was significant, he should not be pictured as a professional general: his contribution was principally as a preacher, organizer, and spiritual encourager.

The victory came at great cost - and due to wide spread disease, John died just three months later at Ilok on October 23, 1456, after the exertions of the campaign and illness. He was beatified by Pope Innocent X in 1650 and canonized by Pope Alexander VIII in 1690. The Vatican biography summarizes his service this way: “With the fervor of his exhortations and his prayers he encouraged the faithful.”

Mission San Juan Capistrano in Orange County, California

Mission San Juan Capistrano, Orange County, CA

Starting in 1756, St Junipero Serra built a string of missions separated by a days journey on horseback from south to north California under a dual motivation: a personal, evangelical religious mission intertwined with the geopolitical strategy of the Spanish Empire.

Mission San Juan Capistrano, dedicated to St John Capistrano, was permanently founded by St Junipero Serra on November 1, 1776, as the seventh of 21 missions to be established in California and is now a historic landmark and museum, considered by many to be the Birthplace of Orange County. It  features a chapel still standing where Saint Serra once celebrated Mass, and is a living monument to California’s multi-cultural history, embracing its Native American, Spanish, Mexican and European heritage. Originally built as a self sufficient community by Spanish Padres and Native Americans, the Mission was a center for agriculture, industry, education and religion. Famous for the Annual Return of the Swallows, Mission San Juan Capistrano is the “Jewel of the California Missions” and welcomes over 300,000 visitors each year.

Miracle of the Swallows at Mission San Juan Capistrano
The miracle of the “Swallows” of Capistrano takes place each year at Mission San Juan Capistrano, on March 19th, St. Joseph’s Day. Swallows migrate 6,000 miles from Goya, Argentina to San Juan Capistrano in large groups.  The town of San Juan Capistrano welcomes visitors from all parts of the world to witness the return of the swallows, a tradition that has been celebrated since the early 1930s.

The legend took on a life of its own in 1939, when Leon René wrote the song “When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano.” It became a hit, most famously recorded by the Ink Spots in 1940, and it tied the town to an image of reliable return, renewal, and homecoming.
The phrase signifies

• Faithful return and renewal. Used figuratively, it means something that comes back on schedule, usually tied to spring, hope, or a new beginning.
• Nostalgia and longing. The song itself is a romantic one, about waiting for a loved one to come home, so the phrase carries a wistful tone.
• Predictability. People also use it ironically for things that recur on a regular schedule, as in “as sure as the swallows return to Capistrano.

Bell Ringing at Mission San Juan Capistrano
Mission San Juan Capistrano’s oldest tradition is the ringing of the historic bells. This tradition is performed by a chosen few. The official bell ringer positions have only been occupied by a handful of men, since the late 1800s.
Four bells were originally cast for Mission San Juan Capistrano and each is named after a Saint (from largest to smallest these names are San Vincente, San Juan, San Antonio, and San Rafael). With the earthquake of 1812 and the collapse of the bell tower, they were relocated to a bell wall, or Campanario.

Today, the original two largest bells (San Vicente and San Juan) hang in the footprint of the bell tower of the ruins of the Great Stone Church were they once hung. On the Bell Wall are two replica large bells, and the original two small bells (San Antonio and San Rafael) which are still rung today.