St. Fidelis.
St. Fidelis. [1]
properly Marcus Roy was born at Sigmaringen in 1577. He studied law, and in 1604-10 visited the principal cities of Europe, but on his return he quitted his profession, and entered the order of the Capuchins under the name of Fidelis. After studying theology in the convents of Constance and Frauenfeld, he was ordained, and in 1621 obtained charge of Feldkirch, in Vorarlberg, Tyrol. Here he labored with great success, trying to reestablish the sway. of the Roman Church among the Grisons. When Austria afterwards attempted to put down Protestantism by force of arms, Fidelis was sent by the pope as a member of the Propaganda, and the ruffian general Baldiron, with his dragoons, travelled from town to town exterminating those who refused to obey. But the peasants rose, defeated Baldiron, and only spared his life upon his taking the oath not to bear arms against them any more. The promise was soon broken; but the peasants rose again, and during the insurrection, Fidelis, having fallen into the hands of a party of peasants, was put to death, April 24, 1622. He was canonized by Clement XIII.-Herzog, Real-Encyklop. 4:403.
