St. James of the Marches (1391-1476)

Feast Day: November 28
Canonized: 1726
Patron of Monteprandone, Italy and Naples, Italy
Created low-interest lender to poor

St. James of the Marches was born Domenico Gangala in Monteprandone, on the central eastern coast of Italy. He left home at an early age to escape his abusive father, and was taken in by a priest-uncle who arranged for his education. He earned degrees in canon and civil law and joined the Franciscan Order, where he took the religious name James, after the Apostle James the Greater. He was ordained a priest in 1420.

He joined St. John of Capistrano as a missionary preaching throughout Europe, including in the marches or border regions between political realms. Like John, he was an inquisitor, battling the heresies of his day, and also urged Christians to join the military efforts to repel the invading Ottoman Turks.

Known for devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus and his severe penances, James won many converts. To combat high interest rates crushing the poor, James established montes pietatis (mountains of charity), a nonprofit that lent money on pawned objects at very low rates.

When James died, he was buried in the Franciscan church of Santa Maria la Nova in Naples. In 2001, his remains were transferred to Monteprandone, where his body is still incorrupt.