| Saint John Cantius | |
|---|---|
Saint John Cantius |
|
| Confessor | |
| Born | June 23, 1390 Kęty, Oświęcim, Poland |
| Died | December 24, 1473 (aged 83) Kraków Academy |
| Honored in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Beatified | March 28, 1676, Rome by Pope Clement X |
| Canonized | 1767, Rome by Pope Clement XIII |
| Feast | December 23 October 20 (General Roman Calendar 1770-1969) |
| Attributes | in a Professor's Gown with his arm around shoulder of a young student whose gaze is directed towards Heaven; giving his garments to the poor |
| Patronage | Poland; Lithuania; University of Cracow |
Saint John Cantius (Latin: Johannes Cantius) (Polish: Jan z Kęt or Jan Kanty) (23 June 1390 – 24 December 1473) was a renowned Polish priest, Scholastic philosopher, physicist and theologian. He is also known as John of Kanty or John of Kanti.
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He was born in Kęty, a small town near Oświęcim, in the diocese of Kraków, Poland, to Stanisław and Anna Kanty. He attended the Kraków Academy at which he attained bachelor, licentiate, and doctor.[1] Upon graduation he spent the next three years preparing for the priesthood, at the end of which he was ordained.
Upon his ordination, he was offered a professorship at another university, which he accepted. While there, he was offered a professorship of Sacrae Scripturae (Sacred Scripture) back at the Jagellonian. He accepted, and held the professorship until his death in 1473. In physics, he helped develop Jean Buridan's theory of "impetus," which anticipated the work of Galileo and Newton.
St John Cantius was noted throughout his life for his good humor and humility. He subsisted only on what was strictly necessary to sustain his life, giving alms regularly to the poor. He made one pilgrimage to Jerusalem with the desire of becoming a martyr among the Turks, and four pilgrimages to Rome, all on foot.
Michael Miechowita, the medieval Polish historian and the saint's first biographer, described the saint's extreme humility and charity; he took as his motto:
His remains were interred in the Church of St. Anne, Kraków, where his tomb became and remains a popular pilgrimage site.
Throughout his life, various miracles were attributed to him. John Cantius was beatified in Rome by Pope Clement X on March 28, 1676. He was named patron of Poland and Lithuania by Pope Clement XII in the year 1737.[3] Ninety-one years after his beatification, Blessed John Cantius was canonized on July 16, 1767, by Pope Clement XIII.
The Roman Breviary distinguishes him with three hymns; he is the only confessor not a bishop who has been given this honor in the Roman Catholic liturgy.
St John Cantius is a popular saint in Poland. A number of churches and schools founded by Polish diaspora communities throughout North America are named in his honor, in cities as far-ranging as Cleveland, Ohio; Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; Detroit, Michigan; Chicago, Illinois; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Philadelphia and Erie, Pennsylvania; Buffalo, New York; and New York City.
In 1998, a new religious order based in Chicago took St. John Cantius as their patron, the Canons Regular of Saint John Cantius.
When Saint John Cantius'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.[4] Some traditionalist Catholics continue to observe pre-1970 versions of the Roman Calendar: in the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite the General Roman Calendar of 1962 is used; thus, in that liturgical use his feast day is still on October 20.
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