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John Cantius, or Jan Kanty, was born into a pious rural Polish family near the town of Kanty in the year of Our Lord 1390. He studied philosophy and discerned his vocation at the famed university in Krakow, where he became a professor of philosophy after his ordination. He then briefly served as a parish priest, but struggled greatly with the assignment, and readily accepted a new position as professor of sacred Scripture back in Krakow. There Fr. John spent the rest of his life, aside from four pilgrimages to Rome entirely by foot, and a similar pilgrimage to Jerusalem, where he hoped in vain to be martyred by the Turks. On one pilgrimage he was robbed, but when he called the culprits back to give them some gold he had forgotten was sewn into his cloak, the astonished thieves restored what they had originally taken. Fr. John was as strict to his own flesh as he was generous to the city’s poor, and he worked many miracles and took special care of students, even after his retirement. By the time he died on Christmas Eve in the year of Our Lord 1473, he was renowned as a living saint, and many more miracles occurred at his tomb in the university’s church. In the modern calendar he is celebrated on December 23rd.
IN Poland, St. John Cantius, priest and confessor. Being glorious for virtues and miracles, he was inscribed among the saints by the Sovereign Pontiff, Clement XIII.
At Abia, near Aquila, in Abruzzo, the birthday [into heaven] of blessed Maximus, deacon and martyr, who, through the desire of suffering, presented himself to the persecutors that sought him. After answering with great constancy, he was racked and tortured, then beaten with rods, and finally he died by being precipitated from an elevated place.
At Agen, in France, St. Caprasius, martyr. As he was hiding himself in a cavern to avoid the violence of the persecution, the report of the blessed virgin Faith’s courage in suffering for Christ animated him to endure torments, and he prayed to God that, if he were deemed worthy of the glory of martyrdom, clear water might flow from the rock of his cavern. God having granted his prayer, he went with confidence to the scene of combat, and after a valiant struggle, merited the palm of martyrdom under Maximian.
At Antioch, St. Artemius, imperial officer. Although he had filled high stations in the army under Constantine the Great, Julian the Apostate, whom he had reprehended for his cruelty towards Christians, ordered him to be beaten with rods, subjected to other torments, and finally beheaded.
At Cologne, the martyrdom of the holy virgins Martha and Saula, with many others.
At Minden, the birthday [into heaven] of St. Felician, bishop and martyr.
At Paris, the holy martyrs, George, deacon, and Aurelius.
In Portugal, St. Irene, virgin and martyr.
In the diocese of Rheims, St. Sindulphus, confessor.
℣. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
℟. Thanks be to God.