Leopold Mandić

Who was Leopold Mandić?

Saint Leopold Bogdan Mandić was born on May 12, 1866, and died on July 30, 1942. He was an ethnic Croat born in Castelnuovo di Cattaro, in Bocche di Cattaro, then in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, today in Montenegro, and died in Padua, Italy. Physically malformed and delicate, having a height of only 1.35 m, with a clumsy walk and afflicted by stuttering, he developed tremendous spiritual strength. His feast is celebrated May 12.

Although he wanted to be a missionary in Eastern Europe, he spent almost all his adult life in Italy, and lived in Padua from 1906 until his death. He also spent one year in an Italian prison during WWI, since he did not want to renounce his Austrian nationality. He also dreamed unceasingly about reuniting the Catholic and Orthodox churches and going to the Orient. He became known as Apostle of Confession and Apostle of Unity. He made a famous prayer that is the forerunner of today's ecumenism.