Never heard of him, but he seemed to really want the East and West to be unified once more...
St. Josaphat was a Byzantine Catholic bishop and a martyr for Church unity who lived from about 1580 to 1623. He was born in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, became a monk in the Basilian Order, and was later consecrated as the Archbishop of Polotsk. He worked to bring Orthodox Christians back into communion with the Catholic Church in Rome, but was murdered by an anti-Catholic mob in Vitebsk in 1623.
St. Josaphat was a Byzantine Catholic bishop and a martyr for Church unity who lived from about 1580 to 1623. He was born in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, became a monk in the Basilian Order, and was later consecrated as the Archbishop of Polotsk. He worked to bring Orthodox Christians back into communion with the Catholic Church in Rome, but was murdered by an anti-Catholic mob in Vitebsk in 1623.
- Life and work: Born Jan Kuncewicz, he was inspired by the call for unity between the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches. After joining a monastery, he took the name Josaphat and dedicated his life to this cause. He was an effective preacher and theologian, and as bishop, he implemented pastoral reforms and worked to bring many back into union with Rome.
- Martyrdom: His efforts to foster unity led to significant opposition. In 1623, a mob broke into his residence and beat and shot him to death in an act of violence against the union with Rome.
- Legacy: St. Josaphat is a martyr for Church unity, and his feast day is November 12th. He is the patron saint of Ukraine and is invoked for the reunification of the Eastern and Western Churches. He was canonized by Rome in 1867 and his body is interred in St. Peter's Basilica.
