St. Peter Damian, Bishop & Doctor of the Church, Feast Feb 21

Feast day, February 21

Born at Ravenna and educated by his archpriest brother

St. Peter Damian was born of poor parents at Ravenna, Italy, in 1007 A.D. Orphaned when very young, one of his brothers took him in but put him to work with heavy chores like tending a herd of swine. Another brother, who happened to be the archpriest of Ravenna, took pity on Peter. He recognized Peter's intelligence and arranged for his education by sending him to good schools. In recognition for his brother's kindness and goodness, Peter adopted his brother's name, Damian, as his surname. After his education at Faenza, and then at Parma, Peter became a professor of great ability.

Joined the Benedictines at Fonte Avellana

In 1035 A.D., St. Peter Damian entered the Benedictines of Fonte Avellana, living as a hermit and devoting himself to the intensive study of Scripture. St. Peter adapted to this life eagerly, and slept so little that he developed severe insomnia. Despite this suffering, he was able to study the Bible so well that he became well-versed in the Scriptures. Peter was well admired by his fellow monks who unanimously recommended that he become abbot upon the superior's death. Though St. Peter was reluctant to assume the position, when it became a matter of obedience, he indeed succeeded the abbot when the abbot died in 1043 A.D.

Abbot and cardinal-bishop of Ostia

St. Peter Damian proved to be a well-loved superior. He founded five other monasteries, and appointed priors, who led monastic communities under St. Peter's general direction. In his leadership abilities, St. Peter Damian was known to be uncompromising toward worldliness and denounced the practice of simony. In 1057 A.D., he was named cardinal-bishop of Ostia by Pope Stephen IX. However, when he attempted to resign his diocese, his request was refused at first during the papacy of Nicholas II. He finally was able to persuade the next pope, Pope Alexander II, so that he may return to a simple monastic way of life. But, Pope Alexander II permitted St. Peter Damian to resign with the condition that he shall make himself available if his help was needed.

Ecclesiastical involvement even upon retiring to monastic life

After Peter Damian retired to the life of a monk, Pope Alexander II did indeed call upon Peter from time to time. St. Peter Damian still had to return to his work of ecclesiastical reform. He opposed the antipopes, especially Honorius II, and engaged in several papal diplomatic missions to France and Germany. He went to King Henry IV of Germany to persuade the King to abandon his plan to divorce his wife, Bertha. At another diplomatic mission, the Pope also sent Peter to Ravenna to settle troubles after the archbishop had been excommunicated. When St. Peter arrived at Ravenna, he found the archbishop had already passed away, but he imposed suitable penances on the accomplices for the archbishop's crimes.

Written works of St. Peter Damian

St. Peter Damian had many written works. In 1051 A.D., he wrote the book Liber Gomorrhianus. This book attacked the many vices of the clergy, especially clerical marriage. Two years later, St. Peter also wrote Liber Gratissimus - a defense of the legitimacy of ordinations even when money was paid to obtain the office of priesthood. Of the many letters that he wrote, some one hundred seventy are still existing today. Also extant are his fifty-three sermons, seven biographies (including one of St. Romuald), and other writings on purgatory, the Eucharist, and clerical celibacy.

Death and elevation to the title Doctor of the Church

After his mission to the diocese of Ravenna, St. Peter Damian got ill while travelling back to his monastery. He made it to a monastery outside Faenza, where he died on the eighth day of his illness, with the monks gathered around him saying the Divine Office. It was February 22, 1072 A.D. For many years, devotions to St. Peter Damian were celebrated where he lived and worked. Though he was never formally canonized, in 1828 A.D., Pope Leo XII extended his feast to the Universal Church and declared him a Doctor of the Church. The Church celebrates his feast every February 21.

Edited from the following sources

• Dictionary of Saints, by John J. Delaney
• The Doctors of the Church vol 2, by John F. Fink
• A Year With the Saints, by Don Bosco Press, Inc.
• Saints for Our Times, by Ransom

Memorial of Saints on February 20

St. Ulric was an English hermit. He entered this state of life upon meeting a beggar he conversed with. But before he became a hermit, he worked as a parish priest. In his conversion to the eremitical (hermit's) life, Ulric led a penitential and holy life. It was the example of Ulric's life which led kings Henry I and Stephen (successor to Henry) to make a pilgrimage to Ulric's hermit cell. Various miracles were reported at Ulric's tomb (died ca. 1154 A.D.).

Blessed Elizabeth of Mantua was an Italian of noble and wealthy ancestry. Elizabeth and one of her sisters entered the Third Order of the Servites after their mother's death. Elizabeth was known to have the gift of making predictions - with one prediction accurately made about her death, before it happened a year after. Many miracles were reported to have happened at her tomb (died ca. 1468 A.D.).

St. Eleutherius of Tournai became bishop of Tournai in Gaul in the year 486 A.D. At that time, the Arian heresy was influencing many Christians to believe in its teaching. But St. Eleutherius was able to win back his people from the Arians' influence. Because of his success, a group of Arians attacked him and beat him up as he left his church (died ca. 532 A.D.).

Sts. Tyrannio, Zenobius and Companions were martyrs of the early 4th century A.D. Tyrannio was bishop of Tyre, while Zenobius was a priest and physician of Sidon. Together with other Christians, they were martyred for their faith in Christ. St. Tyrannio was tortured, and then drowned. St. Zenobius was put on a rack, and died later on from the torture (died ca. 310 A.D.).

St. Sadoth was a deacon who represented his bishop in the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. When Sadoth's bishop was martyred, Sadoth succeeded him to the episcopate. But because of the intense persecutions of Christians at the time by Persian King Sapor II, Sadoth went into hiding. King Sapor II eventually reached the area where Sadoth was, and had him and the faithful of his diocese imprisoned. All of them were tortured. St. Sadoth was beheaded (died ca. 342 A.D.).

St. Eucherius of Orleans became a Benedictine monk. Despite his vehement objections, he was elected bishop of Orleans in 721 A.D. When Eucherius opposed Charles Martel in the use of Church revenues to finance his wars, Martel exiled Eucherius to Cologne in Germany. In Cologne, Eucherius became popular, so Charles had him arrested but allowed Eucherius to retire to a monastery near Maastricht in the Netherlands (died ca. 743 A.D.).

Memorial of Saints on February 13

Blessed Jordan of Saxony entered the Dominicans, the Order of Preachers. He succeeded St. Dominic de Guzman (founder of the Dominicans) as master general of their religious Order in 1222 A.D. He died in ca. 1237 A.D.

St. Catherine de' Ricci was a Dominican nun known for her wisdom and concern for the sick. Over a 12-year period, she had deep spiritual experiences that led to her reception of the stigmata - the physical wounds of Christ crucified manifested in the body (died ca. 1590 A.D.).

St. Ermengild was of English nobility in 7th-8th century Kent, England. By her holy life, she converted her pagan husband and influenced him to lead their people to Christianity. After her husband's death, Ermengild entered a convent founded by her mother. After her mother's death, she became the third abbess of that convent (died ca. 703 A.D.).

St. Polyeuctus was a pagan Roman officer at first. Converted to Christianity by his friend Nearchus, he was imprisoned and tortured when ordered to renounce his faith in Christ. Zealous of his faith, he was eventually beheaded and died as a martyr for Christ (died ca. 259 A.D.).

St. Stephen of Rieti was abbot of a monastery near Rieti, Italy. There are not many sources about his life except for a mention of him by St. Gregory the Great. Gregory, who died in 604 A.D., and was an Italian who became pope in 590 A.D., praised St. Stephen of Rieti in one of his homilies (died ca. 560 A.D.).

St. Modomnoc became a monk and went to Wales to study under St. David. Catholic tradition tells the story how Modomnoc introduced bees to his native Ireland. When Modomnoc returned to Ireland from Wales, the bees accompanied him. Back home in Ireland, Modomnoc settled at Kilkenney and became bishop of Ossory (died ca. 6th century).

St. Licinius became a courtier at the court of his cousin King Clotaire I. He was then named count of Anjou by King Chilperic. After his intended marriage was discontinued because his bride-to-be got sick with leprosy, he decided rather to enter religious life. He entered a monastery and was elected as bishop of Anjou in 586 A.D. (died ca. 616 A.D.).

St. Martinian became a hermit when he was eighteen years old. He lived a solitary life for about twenty-five years. Catholic tradition tells many stories about Martinian: his resistance to the flattery of Zoe, a wealthy woman; his rescue of a girl from drowning because of a shipwreck; and his final years at Athens (died ca. 4th century A.D.).