JOHN CANTIUS, ST.

Theologian; b. Kanti near Oswiecim, Poland, June 23, 1390; d. Cracow, Poland, Dec. 24, 1473. He enrolled at the University of cracow in 1413 and received the master's degree in liberal arts in 1417. From 1421 to 1429 he was rector of the school of the templars at Miechów. After returning to the university, he taught in the school of philosophy, of which he was dean in 1432 and again 1437–38. In 1443 he obtained the degree of master in theology. He made a pilgrimage to jerusalem and journeyed several times to Rome. As the 16 extant manuscript volumes of his lectures show, he was a devoted and conscientious professor, but he became noted more for his sanctity than for the brilliance and originality of his teaching. A man of great mortification, he was also very considerate of the destitute. His biographies, mostly popular, abound with examples of his holiness and miracles, actual and legendary. Beatified in 1690, he was declared patron of Poland and Lithuania in 1737 by clement xii and canonized in 1767. He was buried in the church of St. Anne at Cracow.

Feast: Dec. 23 (formerly Oct. 20).

Bibliography: Podreczna encyklopedia Kościelna, v.17–18 (Warsaw 1909) 336–337. Acta Sanctorum Oct. 8:1042–1106. f. jaroszewicz, Matka Świetych Polska (Cracow 1767; repr. in 4 pts. Poznań 1893). p. skarga, Żywoty Świetych Pańskich [Kraków: 1723 ] z dod. Ks. Stagraczynskiego (Chicago 1905) 393–397. a. zahorska, Ilustrowane Zywoty Swietych Polskich (Potulice, Poland 1937) 264–273. m. rechowicz, S Świety Jan Kanty i Benedykt Hesse w świetle krakowskiej kompilacji teologicznej z XV wieku (Lublin 1958). r. m. zawadzki, ed., Catalogus codicum manu s. Ioannis Cantii scriptorum qui in Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana asservantur (Cracow 1997).

[l. siekaniec]