Sometimes the biographies of saints at the Catholic Encyclopedia leave more than a little to be desired. I recall that the biograph of St. Teresa of Avila is that way. But more often, in my experience, they can be wonderful, even thrilling. The biography of St. Alphonsus Liguori at the Encyclopedia is not only that but a meditation on holiness and life, almost independent of the saint himself. And I have the Catholic Encyclopedia to thank for the esteem I have for this man, St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen.

Iacobus has taught me to enjoy the word “sassy”, and it is just the word we want when it comes to St. Fidelis, the first martyr for the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, and the man whose feast we celebrate today. Sassy, because of the way in which he died.

Father Cuthbert in the Catholic Encyclopedia concludes his report thus:

At Sevis [St. Fidelis] entered the church and began to preach, but was interrupted by a sudden tumult both within and without the church. Several Austrian soldiers who were guarding the doors of the church were killed and Fidelis himself was struck. A Calvinist present offered to lead him to a place of security. Fidelis thanked the man but said his life was in the hands of God.

Outside the church he was surrounded by a crowd led by the preachers who offered to save his life if he would apostatize.

Fidelis replied: “I came to extirpate heresy, not to embrace it.”

whereupon he was struck down. He was the first martyr of the Congregation of Propaganda. His body was afterwards taken to Feldkirch and buried in the church of his order, except his head and left arm, which were placed in the cathedral at Coire. He was beatified in 1729, and canonized in 1745.

The man had some panache. May he intercede on behalf of the Church that she may not forget her mission to convert all nations to the one, true Faith.

Deiparae Virginis et Rosarii cultor eximius, a Deo postulavit, ut pro catholica fide martyr occumberet . . . . [et] cum nulli labori parcens plures haereticos ad Christi fidem convertisset, malorum invidiam subiit.

Look! we wish to be popular today, the Church, I mean, wishes to be popular; popular with the Jews, with the protestants, with the schismatics (I’m speaking of the Easterns), with every part of this world. I posted the other day about my frustration when the Pope won’t call it like it is - but look at the consequence of preaching the Faith, martyrdom. The spirit of the martyrs must return if we are again to preach the Faith. Will there not be martyrs in Europe in the coming years? As one country after another on the Continent succumbs to the Mohammedan horde, the Catholics will be increasingly envied, as it were, invidiam subibunt, to mirror the words of the biography.

Europe long ago became mission territory; St. Fidelis would know how to get us started on the road back.

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