Vlad III Drăculea, Prince of Wallachia

Vlad III Draculea, Prince of Wallachia

Vlad III was born around 1430 into a dynasty whose princes struggled to hold Wallachia, a land between the Carpathian Mountains and the Danube. His father, Vlad II, belonged to the Order of the Dragon, a chivalric brotherhood associated with defending Christianity and supporting King Sigismund of Hungary. This connection gave the father the name Dracul. His son inherited the name Drăculea, commonly understood as “son of Dracul.” Centuries before its association with a fictional vampire, the name belonged to a family caught in the dangerous politics of Christian Europe and the Ottoman Empire.

As a boy, Vlad became part of those politics himself. He and his younger brother, Radu, were held as hostages by the Ottomans to secure their father’s loyalty. Their freedom depended upon agreements made by rulers beyond their control. After their father was killed in 1447, Vlad’s struggle for his inheritance began. In 1448, Ottoman support helped him briefly occupy the Wallachian throne. His rival, Vladislav II, soon returned and displaced him. The young prince then spent years seeking protection and an opportunity to recover his position.

Vlad regained the throne in 1456. Wallachia had endured repeated changes of ruler, rival claims, and interference from neighboring powers. He sought to strengthen princely authority and crush opposition among the boyars, the country’s nobles. His methods were severe. Conflicts with Transylvanian Saxon communities brought destructive raids and executions. He used impalement against opponents, earning the name Țepeș, meaning “the Impaler.” His victims included Christians as well as Muslims, civilians as well as soldiers. Terror became an instrument through which he maintained power and confronted his enemies.

Christian religious institutions also formed part of his rule. Vlad supported the Orthodox Church and founded Comana Monastery in 1461. Its original church stood amid woods and marshes, where the surrounding landscape offered protection. Archaeological investigations later uncovered traces of its brick foundations and wooden construction. This patronage belongs to the same historical life as his acts of violence. The surviving evidence records both a prince who supported monastic worship and a ruler who imposed terrible punishments. It gives little access to the private workings of his conscience.

His confrontation with Sultan Mehmed II intensified when he refused Ottoman demands, including payment of tribute. During the winter campaign of 1461 and 1462, Vlad attacked settlements along the Danube. In a letter to King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary, dated February 11, 1462, he reported killing thousands of Turks and Bulgarians, including men and women, and sought military assistance. The surviving copies contain inconsistent totals. Nevertheless, the letter documents the destruction of his campaign and his effort to obtain support against the Ottoman response.

Mehmed invaded Wallachia in 1462 with an army superior to Vlad’s forces. Vlad relied on attacks and the destruction of supplies to hinder its advance. On the night of June 16 to 17, he launched his famous assault on the Ottoman camp near Târgoviște. He failed to kill the sultan. Accounts also describe a field of impaled victims encountered during the campaign, although its frequently repeated enormous death toll remains disputed. Ottoman withdrawal did not secure Vlad’s throne. His brother Radu, supported by the Ottomans, gained the allegiance of important Wallachian nobles.

Vlad turned toward Hungary, hoping for assistance, but Matthias had him arrested in 1462. Years of imprisonment and restricted residence followed. Accounts of this period describe his marriage to a relative of the Hungarian king and his conversion to Catholicism. The precise chronology and circumstances of that conversion remain uncertain. It would be misleading to supply an imagined scene of repentance or claim knowledge of his intentions. What can be traced is his eventual return to military service and renewed prospects of recovering Wallachia.

In 1476, Vlad again participated in campaigns against Ottoman forces. With Hungarian and Moldavian assistance, he recovered the Wallachian throne late that year. His restoration lasted only weeks. Basarab Laiotă, a rival claimant supported by Ottoman troops, returned against him, and Vlad was killed around the end of 1476 or the beginning of 1477. The exact circumstances remain uncertain. His burial place is also disputed, with both Snagov and Comana appearing in historical discussions. His final return to power ended before he could establish a lasting rule.

Stories about Vlad’s cruelty circulated during his lifetime and after his death. Some preserved historical events, while others enlarged numbers and added sensational details. Much later, Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel gave the name Dracula a worldwide literary fame. The historical Vlad remains a figure of resistance to Ottoman expansion and of documented brutality. He has not been canonized or beatified by the Catholic Church. His life belongs to the troubled history of Christian princes, where religious allegiance, political survival, military courage, and grave wrongdoing could exist within the same ruler.

For a devotional image of Vlad Draculea, click here: Maryvale Catholic Press

 

Saint Nuno Álvares Pereira, The Constable Who Became a Carmelite

St. Nuno Álvares Pereira, OCarm

 Nuno Álvares Pereira was born in Portugal on June 24, 1360, probably at Cernache do Bonjardim. His father, Álvaro Gonçalves Pereira, belonged to the Knights Hospitaller, and his mother was Iria Gonçalves do Carvalhal. Raised in the world of medieval nobility, Nuno received an education shaped by the ideals of knighthood. At thirteen, he entered the royal court as a page to Queen Leonor and was made a knight. His early life prepared him for military service and public responsibility.

At sixteen, following his father’s wishes, Nuno married Leonor de Alvim, a wealthy young widow. They had three children. Their two sons died young, while their daughter Beatriz survived and eventually married Afonso, the first Duke of Bragança. Alongside his growing military responsibilities, Nuno experienced marriage, fatherhood, and the grief of losing children. The family he established would become connected to one of Portugal’s most important noble houses.

When King Fernando died in 1383, Portugal entered a bitter struggle over the succession. The king of Castile, married to Fernando’s daughter, claimed the Portuguese crown. Nuno supported João, the Master of Avis, who became King João I of Portugal. As constable, Nuno held command of the Portuguese army. On August 14, 1385, he helped lead the Portuguese forces to victory at Aljubarrota. His selection of defensive positions and battlefield preparations contributed to a victory that secured João’s position and strengthened Portugal’s independence.

Prayer accompanied Nuno’s military life. He cultivated devotion to the Eucharist and the Blessed Virgin Mary, fasting regularly in her honor. His personal banner bore Christian images, including the cross, Mary, and Saints James and George. He attributed his victories to Mary’s assistance. Centuries later, at his canonization, Pope Benedict XVI emphasized his trust in divine help. Nuno’s faith belonged within the demanding circumstances of his life, guiding the responsibilities he carried as a soldier and national leader.

Leonor died in 1387, and Nuno did not remarry. Over the following decades, his religious commitments found expression in generosity and the support of religious foundations. He financed the Carmelite convent in Lisbon and became closely connected to its community. The honors and property he had acquired also gave him the means to help others. As peace became established, he distributed wealth among companions in arms, family members, and those in need, preparing for a life of greater simplicity.

In 1423, Nuno received the Carmelite habit and took the name Nuno of Saint Mary. He entered the community he had helped establish, choosing the humble position of a brother. He accepted the discipline of prayer, poverty, chastity, and obedience. His decision astonished people accustomed to seeing him command armies and possess extensive estates. Within the convent, his daily responsibilities included attending the entrance and serving the poor. The celebrated constable now placed himself under religious obedience and undertook ordinary work.

Carmelite accounts preserve concrete memories of that service. Nuno distributed food to people who came to the convent seeking help. One account describes him serving soup from a large copper vessel previously used to prepare food for his soldiers. He also cared for sick members of the community and sought out former companions or poor people whose absence caused concern. Prayer continued alongside these duties. His devotion to Christ and Mary found expression in both contemplation and attention to the people around him.

Nuno died at the Carmelite convent in Lisbon in 1431 and was buried there. His reputation for holiness endured among the Carmelites, the royal court, and the people he had served. He became remembered as the Holy Constable, joining the memory of his military leadership with that of his religious life. In 1918, Pope Benedict XV confirmed his longstanding public veneration. The national hero was also honored as a man whose humility and charity had grown through his commitment to Christ.

Pope Benedict XVI canonized Nuno on April 26, 2009. His feast is celebrated on November 6. In the canonization homily, Benedict presented him as an example of Christian faith practiced even amid military service and war, directed toward the common good and God’s glory. His later years gave that witness another form through poverty, obedience, and care for the needy. Portugal remembers his courage in defending its independence, while the Church also remembers the Carmelite brother who welcomed the poor at the convent door.

For a devotional image of St. Nuno, click here: Maryvale Catholic Press

Jan III Sobieski, Defender of the Faith

 

Jan III Sobieski

Jan Sobieski was born on August 17, 1629, at Olesko, in the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth. Raised in a noble family with a strong military tradition, he received a broad education and traveled abroad before beginning the career that would make him one of Poland’s most celebrated commanders.

In 1673, Sobieski defeated an Ottoman army at Khotyn. The victory strengthened his reputation, and the following year he was elected king of Poland and grand duke of Lithuania. His reign brought the demanding responsibilities of defending the Commonwealth and navigating its divided political life.

His most famous undertaking came in 1683. An Ottoman army under Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa besieged Vienna, placing the city in grave danger. Following an alliance with Emperor Leopold I, Sobieski marched to its relief with Polish troops. He assumed command of the combined Polish, Habsburg, and German forces assembled to rescue the city.

On September 12, the allied army defeated the besiegers and lifted the siege. Sobieski’s leadership won international renown. The victory held profound religious significance for Christians who understood their struggle as a defense of their countries and faith. Pope Innocent XI had supported the alliance through diplomacy, financial assistance, and appeals for prayer.

The triumph became associated with the words Venimus, vidimus, Deus vicit, meaning “We came, we saw, God conquered.” Traditionally attributed to Sobieski’s message to the pope, they expressed thanksgiving to God for the deliverance of Vienna.

Beyond warfare, Sobieski supported scholarship, art, and agriculture. His palace at Wilanów reflected these interests and his family life with Queen Maria Kazimiera. His later years brought political opposition, military disappointments, and declining health. He died at Wilanów on June 17, 1696, leaving an enduring place in European history as the king who helped deliver Vienna.

For a devotional image of Jan Sokieski, click here: Maryvale Catholic Press

Saint Louis Bertrand, O.P., Preacher and Missionary

Saint Louis Bertrand, OP

Louis Bertrand was born in Valencia, Spain, on January 1, 1526. As a young man, he wanted to become a Dominican friar, although his parents initially opposed his decision. His determination endured, and in 1544 he received the Dominican habit. Prayer, study, and penance became the foundations of his life. Ordained a priest in 1547, he was later entrusted with forming young men entering the Order.

As master of novices, Louis sought to prepare friars whose lives would support the Gospel they preached. He called them to discipline and holiness, reminding them that the fruit of preaching belonged to God. His own ministry extended beyond the convent. During the plague in Valencia in 1557, he cared for the sick and dying, prepared the dead for burial, and buried them with his own hands.

In 1562, Louis sailed to the Americas to serve as a missionary in New Granada, in what is now Colombia. For seven years, he preached and instructed people in the Catholic faith, working despite fragile health and difficult conditions. His mission brought him into conflict with Spanish colonists whose treatment of Indigenous people contradicted the Gospel he proclaimed. He defended those people’s rights against their oppressors.

Louis returned to Spain in 1569. Once again, he served as a superior and master of novices, bringing his missionary experience back into the work of forming Dominican friars. He also maintained correspondence with Saint Teresa of Ávila and Saint John de Ribera. Those who knew him remembered a man of austere habits whose seriousness was accompanied by gentleness. After a long and painful illness, he died in Valencia on October 9, 1581, aged fifty-five.

Pope Clement X canonized Louis in 1671. Honored as a patron of Colombia and of Dominican novices and formation personnel, he is celebrated on October 9. His life united the quiet work of forming souls in the convent with the demanding work of carrying the Gospel overseas.

For your own devotion, purchase an image here: Maryvale Catholic press