Saint Leopold Mandic (1887-1942)
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Born in Croatia, Leopold Mandic was the 11th of 12 children of a devout Christian and industrious family according to Catholic Heroes his parents Peter and Carlotta Mandic owned a fishing fleet.
Leopold joined the ‘Capuchin Franciscans’ and was Ordained several years later in spite of his health issues–Physically challenged, delicate and having a height of only 1.35 Meters (4.4 feet) with a clumsy walk, he could not speak loudly enough to preach publicly and for many years suffered from severe arthritis together with poor eyesight but despite his disabilities, Fr. Leopold Mandic developed tremendous spiritual strength and used to repeat to himself:
“Remember that you have been sent for the salvation of people, not because of your own merits, since it is the Lord Jesus and not you who died for the salvation of souls.”
A teacher of Patrology (the study of the Church Fathers) Fr. Leopold Mandic taught the Clerics of his province for several years but he is best remembered for his work in the Confessional where he sometimes spent 13 to 15 hours daily. — Several Bishops would seek him out for his spiritual advice.
Fr. Leopold Mandic’s dream was to go to the Orthodox Christians and work for the reunion of Roman Catholicism and Orthodoxy but unfortunately his health never permitted it — Often he would renew his vow to go to the Eastern Christians, this cause of unity was constantly in his prayers.
At a time when Pope Pius XII said that the greatest sin of our time is “to have lost all sense of sin,” (a plague that seems prevalent in our day too, I digress) — Fr. Leopold Mandic had a profound sense of sin and an even firmer sense of God’s grace awaiting human cooperation.
Suffering from esophagus cancer, in July 1942 while preparing for the liturgy Fr. Leopold Mandic collapsed, he would subsequently be given last rites — Franciscan Friars that had gathered at his bedside reportedly began singing the ‘Salve Regina’ and when they saw that Fr. Leopold Mandic had passed away they sang “O Clement, O Loving, O Sweet Virgin Mary.”
Fr. Leopold Mandic often had said, “A Priest must die from apostolic hard work, there is no other death worthy of a Priest.” — Fr. Leopold Mandic did what he said.
In 1976 Pope Paul VI Beatified Fr. Leopold Mandic — On the 16 October, 1983 he was Canonized at St. Peter’s Square by Pope Saint John Paul II
More here from Natl Catholic Register
Related: Alternative Feast Day of Blessed Stanley Rother, First American Martyr – Franciscan Media
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