Saint Josaphat
Feast day: November 12
Saint Josaphat, an Eastern Catholic bishop who gave his life for the unity of the Church (12/11)
Who is he?
Saint Josaphat was a bishop of an Eastern Catholic Church of the Byzantine rite, one of the Eastern liturgical traditions. He lived in lands that today belong to Ukraine and Belarus, and he gave his life for the unity of the Church.
Life story
He was born around 1580 in Volodymyr, and as a boy his name was John. In 1596, many Eastern bishops in that region united with the Pope in Rome while keeping their own Eastern rite. John loved this unity. In 1604, he entered the Monastery of the Holy Trinity in the city of Vilnius, following the rule of Saint Basil, and received the religious name Josaphat.
He lived a very strict life, prayed a great deal and preached very well. In 1609, he became a priest. In 1617, he was ordained coadjutor bishop of Polotsk, and in 1618 he succeeded as archbishop. He visited the parishes, taught the catechism, helped priests to live holy lives, and often helped the poor.
But some people were against unity with Rome. On 12 November 1623, in the town of Vitebsk, a crowd burst into his house and killed him, then threw his body into the Dvina River. He had known about the danger beforehand, but he stayed with his flock.
In 1867, Pope Pius IX declared him a saint. He was the first saint of the Eastern Catholic Churches to be canonized by the Holy See through a formal canonization process. Today his relics rest in Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome.
Why is he a saint?
Saint Josaphat loved the Church as Jesus himself loves it. At the Last Supper, Jesus prayed for his disciples and for all who would believe in him (cf. Jn 17:20), “so that they may all be one” (Jn 17:21). Saint Josaphat lived and died for that prayer, without hating those who harmed him.
A lesson for you
- When there is a quarrel in class or at home, be the first to make peace.
- Pray for Christians all over the world to be united, especially during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (18 to 25 January).
- The Church has many different rites and is still one family: respect the brothers and sisters who celebrate the liturgy differently from you.
Identifying marks
- A round bishop's mitre shaped like a crown, with small icons: the mitre of a bishop of the Byzantine (Eastern) rite.
- A white band on the shoulders, embroidered with crosses: the omophorion, a vestment proper to Eastern bishops.
- An image of Our Lady holding the Child Jesus, worn on the chest: the panagia, the medallion of an Eastern bishop.
- A small hand cross: Eastern bishops use this cross to give blessings.
- A palm branch: a sign that he is a martyr.
- Red vestments: a reminder that he shed his blood as a witness to the faith.
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