Bishop and Martyr · Feast day November 12
St. Josaphat
The feast day of St. Josaphat is November 12, a memorial in the US Catholic calendar.
| Feast day | November 12 |
|---|---|
| In the US calendar | Memorial |
| Title | Bishop and Martyr |
| Died | 1623 |
| Next on Bless’s Today screen | None left in the published calendar (through December 31, 2028) |
Life
A merchant’s son of Volodymyr who became a Basilian monk at Vilnius, taking the name Josaphat, and rose to be archbishop of Polotsk. He gave himself to the union of his Ruthenian church with Rome while keeping its Byzantine rite — winning most of his flock and the hatred of the rest.
He told agitators at Vitebsk that he knew they wanted to kill him and that he was ready to die for the holy union. Days later a mob broke into his house, and he went out to meet them. Axe and bullet made him the first Eastern saint canonized at Rome.
In the calendar
The upcoming dates, through December 31, 2028, when Bless’s Today screen shows St. Josaphat. Where the US calendar keeps another celebration that day, it is named instead and no rank is given.
Readings
No dates are left in Bless’s published calendar, which runs through December 31, 2028. St. Josaphat keeps November 12 in Bless’s calendar of saints: see the saints of November.
All the saints of November Born on November 12? A saint for every day
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