Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen, Priest and Martyr

Mark Roy was born at Sigmaringen in Swabia in 1578, studied law and philosophy at Freiburg, and travelled Europe as a tutor. As a lawyer he took the cases of the poor without fee and was called “the poor man’s lawyer,” but disgusted with the dishonesty of the courts, he joined the Capuchins in 1612 and took the name Fidelis.

In 1622 he was sent to preach in the Prättigau valley in the Grisons, in Switzerland, which was Protestant and in revolt against Austrian rule. On 24 April 1622 he preached at Seewis; he was set upon by armed men and killed. He was the first martyr of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, founded that year, and was canonized in 1746.