Capuchin, linguist, military chaplain, diplomat and
minister general - Born 22 July 1559- Died 22 July 1619
St. Lawrence felt an early call to
religious life, and was educated by the
Friars Minor Conventuals of Brindisi.
He studied in Venice and joined the
Capuchin Friars in 1575 at age 16,
taking the name Brother Lorenzo. He
and was known as a brilliant student;
studying theology, the Bible, French,
German, Greek, Spanish, Syriac* and
Hebrew at the University of Padua. St.
Lawrence was famous as an effective and forceful
preacher in any of several languages, and also wrote
catechisms. He founded convents in Vienna, Prague and
Graz. He was made Chaplain of the Army of the Holy
Roman Empire in 1601. St. Lawrence rallied the German
princes to fight a superior Turkish force, and was asked to
lead the army into battle at Stuhlweissenburg, (modern
Albe-Royal) carrying no weapon but a crucifix; the Turks
were completely defeated. St. Lawrence was Master
General of his Order from 1602 to 1605 and was the choice
for another term, but turned it down. He carried out
important and successful diplomatic peace missions to
Munich and Madrid. He was assigned in 1605 to
evangelize in Germany, where he had great success and
he convinced Philip III of Spain to join the German Catholic
League. He was Commissary General of his Order for the
provinces of Tyrol and Bavaria and was Spiritual Director
of the Bavarian army. St. Lawrence tended to fall into
ecstasies when celebrating Mass.
*Syriac is the important branch of the group of Semitic
languages known as Aramaic. Aramaic was the official
language of all of the nations from Asia Minor to Persia.