March 29

John Lightfoot, born in 1602, was an English churchman and academic celebrated for his mastery of Hebrew and Rabbinic literature. He became the inaugural Master of St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, and later served as Vice-Chancellor of the University. Lightfoot’s works include detailed biblical chronologies and commentary that influenced Protestant scholarship. He was a founding member of the Westminster Assembly and contributed to the King James Bible revision. His erudition and clerical service left a lasting mark on 17th-century theological studies.

József Mindszenty served as Archbishop of Esztergom and Primate of Hungary, becoming a leading figure of the Catholic Church during a turbulent era. He was a vocal opponent of both Nazi and Soviet regimes, speaking out against totalitarianism and human rights abuses. In 1948, he was arrested, tried, and sentenced to life imprisonment by Hungary's communist government, enduring severe mistreatment. Released during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, he sought refuge in the U.S. embassy in Budapest, where he lived in exile for 15 years. Elevated to Cardinal by Pope Pius XII, he remained a symbol of resistance and religious freedom until his death in 1975.