Background
He was born Cesare de Rossi in Brindisi in 1559.
He was born Cesare de Rossi in Brindisi in 1559.
He was educated at Saint Mark's College in Venice, and joined the Capuchins in Verona as Brother Lawrence. In 1576 he went to Padua to study philosophy and theology in the university.
In 1575 he became a Capuchin in Brindisi, taking the name by which he is now known. In 1576 he went to Padua to study philosophy and theology in the university. While studying he set himself to meet the challenge of the Protestant Reformation by devoting himself to a study of the Bible in its original languages.
In 1582 he was ordained a priest and in 1584 was commissioned to be the apostolic preacher to the Jews in Italy. Among his extant works there exists a lengthy commentary on Genesis composed especially for a Jewish audience. From 1590 to 1598 Lawrence served at administrative posts within the Capuchin order. He was sent to Prague in 1599 to assist in the Counter Reformation there and as part of this work composed a three-volume treatise on Lutheranism.
In 1601 he became head of the Capuchins and thereupon began a visitation of all the houses of the order in Europe, seeking to emphasize the observance of the poverty and austerity characteristic of the Capuchin way of life. From 1606 to 1613 he was again chiefly occupied by work concerning the Counter Reformation. Lawrence was beatified in 1783 and canonized in 1881.
An accomplished linguist, Lawrence spoke most European and Semitic languages fluently.