Daily Martyrology for October 23

In 1456, St. John of Capistrano. Born in the Abruzzi, he studied law at Perugia and became governor of the city in 1412, marrying the daughter of a leading family. During a civil war he was imprisoned. When he was released he became a Franciscan, studied under St. Benardino of Siena (May 20), and became an outstanding preacher and reformer. He wrote a Mirror for the Clergy. He worked in Hungary to convert the Hussites and helped to stop the invading Turks in the battle of Belgrade.

In 524, the death of St. Severinus Boethius. He was a public figure, but retired to a life of scholarship, writing influential theological treatises and translations of Aristotelian logical works. He fell afoul of the the Ostrogoth King Theodoric and was imprisoned. While he was in prison, Boethius wrote the Consolation of Philosophy.

In 877, St. Ignatius, patriarch of Constantinople. He was the son of Emperor Michael I. He was deposed by the Emperor for political reasons and replaced by Photius, who was more amenable to state control of ecclesiastical matters. They were alternately installed and deposed as patriarch several times.

In 1478, at Rome, Blessed Catherine, Queen of Bosnia. Her son, King Tomasevic, was captured by the invading Turks. He offered to convert to Islam, but they beheaded him anyway. Catherine escaped to Rome and there spent the rest of her life praying for her country and for her two sons, who disappeared when their stepbrother was killed.

In 1890, Blessed Arnold Rèche, a Christian Brother, who served the wounded heroically during the Franco-Prussian War and later became a superior and novice-master in his order.

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Our daily martyrology was written by Fr. Hugh Feiss, OSB. Copyright © 2008 by the Monastery of the Ascension, Jerome, ID 83338.