Giulio Cesare Russo was born in
Brindisi,
Kingdom of Naples, to a family of
Venetian merchants. The Conventuals of Brindisi were entrusted with his education. Showing an early gift for oratory, he was always the one chosen to address, in accordance with the Italian custom, a short sermon to his compatriots on the Infant Jesus during the Christmas festivities. He was twelve when his father died, and continued his education at Saint Mark's College in Venice under the supervision of one of his uncles. Cesare joined the Capuchins in
Verona as Brother Lawrence. He received further instruction from the
University of Padua. An accomplished linguist, in addition to his native Italian, Lawrence could read and speak Latin, Hebrew, Greek, German, Bohemian, Spanish, and French fluently. While still a deacon he preached the Lenten sermons in Venice. Lawrence was ordained a priest at the age of 23. At the age of thirty-one, Lawrence was elected superior of the Capuchin Franciscan province of Tuscany. He also founded friaries in Vienna, Prague, and Graz. It was on the occasion of the foundation of the convent of Prague in 1601 that he was named the
imperial chaplain for the army of
Rudolph II, Holy Roman Emperor, and successfully recruited
Philippe Emmanuel, Duke of Mercœur, to help fight against the
Ottoman Turks. He then led the army during the
siege of Székesfehérvár in
Hungary from the
Ottoman Empire, armed only with a
crucifix. ==Favourite blessing==