St Raphael Kalinowski was also referred to as Raphael of St Joseph Kalinowski.
He was a Discalced Carmelite friar (The Order of the Discalced Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel).
He was born on September 1 1835 in Vilnius, Lithuania, and died on November 15 1907 in Wadowice, Poland.
We celebrate his feast day on November 15 every year in the Catholic Church.
| St Raphael Kalinowski Biography | |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | September 1 1835 |
| Place of Birth | Vilnius, Lithuania |
| Profession | Discalced Carmelite friar |
| Date of Death | November 15 1907 |
| Place of Death | Wadowice, Poland |
| Feast Day | November 15 |
| Beatification | By Pope John Paul II on June 22 1983 in Kraków Poland |
| Canonization | By Pope John Paul II on November 17 1991 at St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome, Italy |
| Patron Saint of | |
St Raphael Kalinowski Life History
St Raphael Kalinowski was born on September 1, 1835, in Vilna, which was part of Russian Poland (now known as Vilnius, Lithuania).
He was the son of Andrew Kalinowski, a respected mathematics professor at the College of Nobility, and Josepha Poionska Kalinowski. Joseph, as he was originally named, received his early education at his father’s school.
Although he felt a calling to the priesthood, Joseph decided to pursue his education first. He studied subjects such as zoology, chemistry, agriculture, and apiculture at the Institute of Agronomy in Hory Horki, Russia, and later at the Academy of Military Engineering in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
In 1857, Joseph became a lieutenant in the Russian Military Engineering Corps. He played a pivotal role in planning and supervising the construction of the railway connecting Kursk and Odessa.
His dedication and commitment led to his promotion to the rank of captain in 1862. During his stationing in Brest-Litovsk, Joseph initiated, taught, and financially supported a Sunday school, welcoming anyone who wished to participate.
In 1863, he supported the Polish insurrection. Joseph made the courageous decision to resign from the Russian army and became the minister of war for the Vilna region as part of the rebellion.
He accepted this position with the understanding that he would never administer a death sentence or execute a prisoner.
However, on March 25, 1864, Russian authorities arrested him. In June 1864, he was sentenced to death for his role in the uprising, but the authorities were concerned that making him a political martyr would not be in their interest.
Consequently, they commuted his sentence to ten years of forced labor in the Siberian salt mines, and a portion of this sentence was served in Irkutsk, where his relics have recently sanctified a new cathedral.
In 1873, Joseph was released from captivity but was exiled from his home region in Lithuania. He relocated to Paris, France, where he worked as a tutor for three years.
In 1877, he finally heeded the longstanding call to religious life and joined the Carmelite Order in Graz, Austria, adopting the name Raphael.
He pursued theological studies in Hungary and then joined the Carmelite community at Czama, Poland, where he was ordained a priest on January 15, 1882.
Saint Raphael was dedicated to the restoration of the Discalced Carmelites in Poland and worked for church unity.
He founded a convent in Wadowice, Poland, around 1889, and collaborated with Blessed Alphonsus Mary Marurek.
He was recognized as an outstanding spiritual director, providing guidance to both Catholics and Orthodox Christians. As a passionate parish priest, he spent countless hours in the confessional, attending to the needs of his parishioners.
Saint Raphael Kalinowski died on November 15, 1907, in Wadowice, Poland. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II on November 17, 1991.
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