This saint was the iron rod of resistance at the siege of Belgrade

                  March 28 -- St. John of Capistrano

The city of Capistrano in Naples, Italy has the honor of calling St. John a native son. He was born there in 1386, became a famous jurist and , at 26, governor of that city. Disillusioned by the ways of the world, St. John entered the Franciscan Monastery of Monte. 

He had the singular blessing of being influenced by Blessed Mark of Bergamo, St. Bernadine of Siena, and St. James of the Marches. With their support and with the support of four Popes, St. John reformed his Order, led a Crusade, evangelized in Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary and Poland.

Tens of thousands of pagans, heretics, and Jews were converted by his oratory.  In addition, he fought zealously against the Hussite heresy.  When the Muslims conquered Constantinople, St. John preached a Crusade to exhort Catholics to resist the infidels. 

In Belgrade, he encouraged 40,000 Catholic soldiers to pray and fight until victory was theirs. He accompanied them in all the attacks and maneuvers , taking unheard of risks.  Belgrade was saved. 

The saint that Pope Pius II described as, "small, dry, old, thin, wasted, nothing but skin and bones...", stalled the Turkish invasion and saved Europe by his bravery.  A few months later, at seventy years old, St. John was called to Heaven.

Let us ask St. John to help us in our daily combats.