St. John of Dukla

John was born in Dukla, Poland , 1414. Dukla is a little town in the Carpathians, which is situated on the oldest Hungarian way and is surrounded by the mountains, which are covered by thick forests. His family was neuter and was differ by its saint and devotion to the God. John was alredy interested in God’s life during his young age. Going after his heart’s voice he spent his lonely life in mountains Zasyp and Isergova. He had a lot of time there for prayer, reflection and penance.

Such way of life needed a lot of physical work and self-control. He lived there to 1430 year. In this year John entered the Order of Friars Minor, the branch which is called Conventuals, had a great influence on the regious life of Carpathians. That is why John chose them for the entering the monastery in Krosno. Several times he was chosen as an urgent of the monastery. Thanked to his knowledge of Polish, German and Ukrainian languages he could preach Evangelism to people of different nationalities.

During some period he was an urgent of all monasteries of Conventuals of Russia. The Centre of Franciscans Russian Custodia was situated in Lvov, where John spent the main part of his life. John wanted to serve to the God more perfect. The words of St. Francis of Assisi: “Begin our serving to the God, because we hadn’t done anything yet” found an echo.

At the same time the Observants, the second branch of the Order developed in the West. Thanked to the activity of St. John of Kapestrano and St. Bernardin of Siena it was good developed.

In 1459 St. John of Kapestrano arrived to Poland and found the first monastery of the Observants. The Patron of the monastery was St. Bernardin of Siena. The Observants arrived to Lvov in 1460. The new church was built for them and their patrons were St. Bernardin of Siena and St. Andrew Apostol.

The differences of the Observants were poor life and severe charter. John saw in the devotion to confession. In 1463 St. John arrived to the monastery of the Observants. His life in Lvov was calm.

John served to the God in such normal way as: confession, preaching, praying, penancing. He was the spirit priest of different people , wrote religious songs.

A lot of witneses confirmed that he spent nights in prayer. He took care about his own poverty. Before his death he lost his sight, but it didn’t destroy him. He learned his preaching by heart, took part in prayings, confessions. After he had lost his sight his legs began to ill, but he was still confessing and preaching.

St. John of Dukla died in 29 of September, 1484. He was buried in the church. The place of his burying was famous for its wonders. The first official wonders was curing an urgent of Lvivsk’s monastery. He was put on the bed of St. John of Dukla and was cured. The second wonder was curing a woman. She became blind in 10 years. She saw the light after the praying on the tomb of St. John of Dukla. St. John of Dukla was chosen as a patron of Lvov. The Pope John Paul II proclaimed John as a saint in 1997. He also proclaimed him as patron of Ukraine.