December 23rd.  St. John of Kenty.

As pre-Christmas turmoil reaches its peak and it becomes impossible to focus on saints (or anything else, for that matter), the Church slips into the Novena of prayer for Christmas a discreet celebration of this 15th. century Polish priest.  Born in 1390 at Kenty (or Kanti, or to be purist Kety) near Oswiecim – the ill-famed Auschwitz – in southern Poland, he was educated at the University of nearby Cracow, ordained priest, and appointed a university lecturer.  Both his lectures and his sermons attracted much attention, but he must have fallen foul of somebody in what he said, for he was suddenly and mysteriously removed from his post and appointed to a parish, Olkusz.   He was clearly better suited to the academic than the parochial pastoral life of the church – a reassuring reminder that even saints are not totally versatile – and before long he was recalled to his original theological work.

He was noted for the austerity and modesty of his life-style, and while he required rigorous accuracy from his students, he was also concerned that all debate and disputation should be conducted with charity and courtesy – things for which the higher realms of the academic world are not always renowned.  He died in 1473.  Such was his reputation that subsequently each new Doctor of the University of Cracow was invested by donning the saint’s own, preserved, academic gown.