JANUARY 23D, ST. RAYMUND OF PEÑAFORT, CONFESSOR

Month in honor of the Most Holy Name of OLJC.

The blessed Raymond was born at Barcelona, in the year of our Lord 1175, and was of the noble family of the De Penafuerte. He was early instructed in the Christian religion, and even while he was still a little child, he showed such excellence of mind and body, as filled his friends with strong hopes of his future greatness. As a young man he taught letters in his native place. He afterwards went to Bologna, where he applied himself to works of godliness, and to the study of the Ecclesiastical and Civil Law. He took the degree of Doctor, and lectured with great applause upon the Canon Law. He attained so much celebrity that Berengar, Bishop of Barcelona, on his way from Rome to his own See, turned aside to visit the Saint at Bologna, and at length persuaded him after many entreaties to return with him to Spain. He was appointed to a Canonry and the Archdeaconry in the Church of Barcelona, in which offices he set both clergy and people a brilliant example of uprightness, modesty, learning, and meekness, and more especially strove, as far as in him lay, to increase the honour and reverence paid to the Virgin Mother of God, whom he venerated with an affection singularly devoted. When he was about forty-five years of age he solemnly professed in the Order of Friars Preachers, and strove, as a new recruit, to perfect himself in all the duties of his calling, particularly in charity to the poor, and above all to those unhappy Christians who were slaves to the unbelievers. He was the Confessor of St. Peter Nolasco and of James I., King of Aragon, and by his advice St Peter Nolasco gave up his whole worldly possessions to ransom as many as possible of the wretched captives. At this moment the Most Blessed Virgin appeared simultaneously to St. Raymond, St. Peter Nolasco, and King James, and revealed to them the pleasure of her Only-begotten Son and herself, that they should establish in her honour an order of Religious persons whose work should be the redemption of Christian slaves from bondage among unbelievers. The three took counsel together, and then founded the Order of the Blessed Mary of Ransom, for the Redemption of Captives. The blessed Raymond himself composed a most appropriate code of rules for the new institution, for which he after some years obtained the express sanction of Pope Gregory IX., and himself on the ioth day of August, in the year 1223, with his own hands clothed St. Peter Nolasco in the habit, and constituted him the first Master General of the Order. He was summoned to Rome by Gregory IX., in the year 1230, and appointed by him his Chaplain, Penitentiary, and Confessor, and by his orders collected into one volume of the Decretals the ordinances of the Roman Pontiffs, which up to that time were only to be found scattered among the records of diverse Councils and Churches. He firmly refused the Archbishopric of Tarascon, which was offered him by the Pope himself, and, having been chosen Master General of the whole order of Friars Preachers, he discharged the duties of that office in holiness for two years, and then resigned it. It was by his advice that James, King of Aragon, established the Office of the Holy Inquisition in his dominions. He was distinguished by many miracles, of which the chief which is narrated of him is that on one occasion being in the island of Majorca and wishing to go to Barcelona, he spread his cloak upon the sea, and passed over the waters on it, accomplishing the whole distance of sixty leagues in six hours, and finally entering his convent through the closed doors. He attained the age of nearly an hundred years, and fell asleep in the Lord (on the 6th day of January,) in the year of salvation 1275. His name was enrolled by Clement VIII. among those of the Saints.