St. Lawrence of Brindisi was a Capuchin Franciscan, a noted preacher, and is declared a Doctor of the Church. He was born in Brindisi, in the kingdom of Naples, Italy on July 22, 1559. He was named Caesare de Rossi, he later took the name Lawrence when he became a Franciscan at the age of sixteen.

Well-educated at the University of Padua, he began preaching soon after ordination. In 1596, he became a high-ranking superior in the Capuchin order, and five years later was sent to Germany with Blessed Benedict of Urbino. They founded priories in Prague, Vienna, Austria, and Gorizia, in Italy.

Lawrence also helped to raise an army to combat the Turks in Hungary and is credited with winning a battle in Hungary against them in 1601 by leading the troops into battle with only a crucifix to protect himself.

Elected vicar-general of the order in 1602, he refused reelection in 1605, going instead of Madrid, Spain, to persuade King Philip III of Spain to join the Catholic League. He served as papal nuncio to the royal court of Bavaria, Germany, until 1618, when he retired to a monastery at Caserta, Italy. He was soon recalled to settle a problem with the duke of Osuna, Spain. The journey to Lisbon to meet with the king brought about his death on July 22.

Among his writings were sermons, commentaries on Genesis and Ezekiel, and three volumes of religious polemics. His nine volumes of sermons display his holiness and brilliance. He was canonized in 1881 and declared a Doctor of the Church.

A Doctor of the Church are certain men and women who are revered by the Church for the special value of their writings and preaching and the sanctity of their lives. They each made important and lasting contributions to the faith and are to be recognized for their great merits.

To be declared a Doctor of the Church, you have to meet three basic requirements:

1. First, you must have lived a life of exemplary holiness, or insignis vitae sanctitas (outstanding sanctity). In short, you have to be a saint.

   
   

2. Second, to be a Doctor of the Church you must have deepened the whole Church's understanding of the Catholic Faith with emins doctrina (eminent teaching). Which is to say, sanctity isn't enough. There are thousands of saints, but only 37 Doctors of the Church. To be a Doctor one must do more than just live the Faith. Rather, one must significantly and profoundly contribute to our understanding of Divine Revelation, helping us to know more deeply some truth about God and His actions in the World.

   
   

3. And third, a pope must officially declare you a Doctor. That being said, as the Church understands it, when a pope declares someone a Doctor of the Church, he's not so much making someone a Doctor as he is recognizing what the Holy Spirit has already done - that He has conferred the charism of Doctor upon them.