St Fidelis of Sigmaringen (1577-1622) martyr
Early life
Born in Sigmaringen, a town in the
Danube Valley, in the State of Baden-Wuttenberg in south west Germany,
his baptismal name was Mark and his father, Johannes Roy or Rey, was
the burgomeister, or local mayor. It is strange that none of
his biographers mention his mother. Mark studied law and philosophy at
Freiburg-in-Breisgau (Germany) and subsequently taught philosophy there.
Travels
From 1604 to 1610 Mark became tutor to
three young Swabian men who were on their travels in Italy and France.
During these travels, he visited churches and hospitals, cared for the
poor and would frequently attend Mass.
One of these companions
afterwards testified that he often practised serious asceticism during
the journey.
On their return, Mark took his doctorate in canon and civil
law in Freiburg 1611, and for a while practised as an lawyer at Colmar
in Alsace.
Joined the Capuchins
However, he soon returned to
Freiburg to join the Capuchin Franciscan Order and took the name
Fidelis.
During his novitiate, he wrote a book recording the spiritual
exercises he did and his own spiritual development.
It was subsequently
published in many languages.
Theology studies
After the novitiate, he went to
Constance to complete theology studies under Polish Capuchin Father
John-Baptist who had a reputation for holiness and learning. He was
ordained priest in 1612.
His apostolate
From 1618 Fidelis became guardian
of three houses in succession - Rheinfelden, Freiburg and Feldkirch -
(1618-22) and was well-known as a preacher and for his care of the sick.
Mission in the Grisons area of Switzerland
In
1622 Rome set up the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith to
help spread the gospel in the newly discovered countries, and also to
win back people in the Christian areas of Europe influenced by
Protestantism.
The Congregation appointed Fidelis as superior of
a mission in the Grisons area around Chur where Calvinists and
Zwinglians had acquired great influence.
He campaigned strongly,
especially by preaching not only in the churches but also often even in
the public streets.
He wrote pamphlets and held conferences with the
local magistrates and chief townsmen, often far into the night.
Opposition and confrontation
When as a result of
his preaching one influential leader returned to the Catholic Church,
the opposition stiffened to him.
As he travelled through the area of
north-east Switzerland, Fidelis had a premonition that he might meet a
martyr’s death. In fact, he was quite prepared for this and seems to
have even desired it.
On 24th April, after making his confession and
celebrating Mass at Grusch, he set out for the Seewis-im-Prättigau
region, near the border with Austria.
His companions remarked that he
was especially cheerful that day along the way. Stopping at a church to
preach, a confrontation arose and continued outside the church.
A
serious scuffle with an armed group broke out. Some of the confronting
crowd offered to save his life if he would join the Calvinists.
Fidelis
replied: "I am sent to root out heresy, not to embrace it. The Catholic
religion is the faith of all ages, I do not fear death."
Death and veneration
Fidelis was beaten, struck
down and died - the first martyr of the Congregation for Propagation of
the Faith.
His courage in facing death was a confirmation of all the
hard choices he had been making during his life.
His body was taken to
Feldkirch and buried in the church of his order there, but his head and
left arm were brought to the cathedral at Chur, where they remain today.
He was beatified in 1729, and canonised in 1745.