Saint Leopold was born Bogdan Mandic in Castelnuovo in 1866, which is a part of modern day Montenegro. Despite his weakness of the body and speech impediment, he was strong in spirit. At the age of 16, he joined the Capuchin order in Udine and eventually became BrotherLeopold. Years later he moved to Padua, Italy where he taught and heard confessions. During World War I, Leopold was arrested for refusing to deny his Croat heritage. When he returned from prison, Leopold continued to hear confessions and became known as the Apostle of Confession. He died of cancer in 1942. His feast day is May 12th.
Young Adult Ministry Program Idea: Discuss the importance of your personal heritage and what role it plays in your faith.