MEMORIAL: NOVEMBER 12
Born John Kuntsevych in the 16th century, St. Josaphat was born in the Orthodox church which was separated from Rome. Josaphat was joined to the Holy See as a teenager as His church came back into communion in the Union of Brest. He then entered a Ukrainian monastery at the age of 24 where he took on the name Josaphat. As a priest and then bishop, Josaphat worked tirelessly for the reunion of the Eastern Orthodox with Rome. His focus was to return to the authority of Rome without compromising the Eastern Traditions. In addition, he implemented reforms within the clergy and emphasized care for the poor. Because of his work, he became very popular among the faithful, but made enemies who were threatened by his reforms. As a result, he would be martyred by being shot, beheaded, and dumped in a river. His body was found to be incorrupt 5 years later and he was canonized in the 19th century.
