The Saints: St. John of Kanty

c. 1390-01473/Feast - Dec. 23

Greatly revered in his native Poland, this saint, also known as John Cantius, spent most of his life teaching at the University of Krakow, where he was a noted professor of sacred Scripture. He also spent an interval as a parish priest, reputedly forced on him because of academic jealousy. At the university, he impressed on students the need for moderation and good manners in controversy, and was famous for his boundless generosity to Krakow’s poor. A personal austerity contributed to his reputation for holiness: He ate no meat and slept on the floor.