Josaphat Kuntsevych

St. Josaphat Kuncewicz (c. 1580-1623) was a Catholic bishop and martyr from the Ruthenian (Ukrainian) lands. He was born in Volodymyr, Volhynia, and became a monk in the Basilian Order. Josaphat worked tirelessly to promote unity between the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic churches, leading to his election as Archbishop of Polotsk. However, his efforts were met with strong resistance, and he was murdered by an angry mob in Vitebsk. Josaphat is venerated as a martyr for Christian unity and is the patron saint of Belarus and Ukraine.