Saint Peter Damian

Cardinal Bishop (988-1072)

Feast – February 23

“You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” (Matt 5:13)

The words of a holy priest, supported with a good example, has the power to change hearts. The words of a hypocrite have no force, this is why earthly powers work hard to influence and corrupt the Church. It is a constant struggle.

To combat evil influences causing corruption from within, the Church has gradually made a series of adjustments. One of the largest were the eleventh century (1050–80) Gregorian Reforms, which are also known as the Hildebrand Reforms. To pave the way for these reforms, God sent St. Peter Damian.

Born around 1007 in Ravenna, the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy, St. Peter was the youngest of a large noble family. He lost both his parents at an early age. Left in the hands of his eldest brother, he was mistreated and used as a swineherd. When his other brother, Damian, who was archpriest (pastor of the principal parish among several local parishes) at Ravenna, learned about this he took St. Peter away to be educated. Having found a father in this brother he adopted from him the surname of Damian. He made rapid progress in his studies, first at Ravenna, then at Faenza, and finally at the University of Parma. At the age of 25, he became highly regarded for his knowledge and piety among the professor at Parma. He had already begun to inure himself to fasting, watching and prayer, and wore a hairshirt under his clothes to arm himself against the allurements of pleasure and the wiles of the devil. Not only did he give away much in alms, but he was seldom without some poor persons at his table and took pleasure in serving them. Tired of the distractions at a busy university, he decided to retire from the world and give himself completely to prayer. While meditating on his resolution he encountered two hermits. Charmed with their spirituality and detachment, he joined them on a forty-day retreat in a small cell. After the experience St. Peter Damian left his friends secretly and made his way to the Benedictines of the reform of Saint Romuald hermitage of Fonte Avellana (The Venerable Hermitage of the Holy Cross) in the Marche region of Italy.

The monks lived two to a hermitage and occupied themselves chiefly in prayer and reading. Both as a novice and as a monk, St. Peter’s fervor was remarkable but led him to such extremes of self-mortification in penance that he developed severe insomnia, which was cured with difficulty and taught him to use more moderation. Acting upon this experience, he now devoted considerable time to Sacred studies, and became so proficient in the Holy Scriptures that was appointed to lecture to his fellow monks and often requested to talk in the neighboring monasteries. About 1042 he wrote a biography on the life of St. Romuald.

By the unanimous consent of the hermits, he was ordered to take upon himself the government of the Community in the event of the superior’s death. St. Peter’s extreme reluctance obliged the abbot to make it a matter of obedience. Accordingly, after the abbot’s death about the year 1043, he assumed the direction of that holy family, and remained in charge until his death in February 1072. His chief care was to foster in his disciples the spirit of solitude, charity, and humility. A zealot for monastic and clerical improvements, leading by his own example he introduced a more-severe discipline, including the regular practice of flagellation (used in moderation) into the house. This custom quickly became a model for other foundations, among them the great abbey of Monte Cassino. The daily siesta, to make up for the fatigue of the night office was added to monks’ daily routine.

During his tenure, a cloister was built, silver chalices and a silver processional cross were purchased, and many books were added to the library. He also founded hermitages at San Severino, Gamogna, Acerreta, Murciana, San Salvatore, Sitria and Ocri, in which he placed Priors under his own general direction.

Although living in the seclusion of the cloister, St. Peter was aware of the problems and challenges the Church was facing, so he wrote over 170 letters addressing corruption (simony), lack of discipline, doctrinal ignorance of the clergy as well as intrusion of local civil authorities into Church matters. In letters he preferred examples and stories rather than pure theory, which make them persuasive. One of his first letters was written in 1045 to the new pope, Gregory VI, in which he hailed the change with joy and urged him to deal with the scandals of the church in Italy, singling out the wicked bishops of Pesaro, Città di Castello and Fano. About 1051, he wrote Liber Gomorrhianus, a book addressed to Pope Leo IX, containing a scathing indictment of the practice of sodomy, which was threatening the integrity of the clergy.

The Holy See began to view St. Peter Damian as a peacemaker. He would be called to settle disputes between two abbeys or clerics, as well as disagreements with government officials. Soon, the most delicate and difficult missions were placed in his hands. Seven Popes in succession made him their constant adviser.

In 1057, Cardinal Frederick of Lorraine, abbot of Monte Cassino, was elected Pope as Stephen IX. He determined to make St Peter a cardinal. St Peter resisted the offer but eventually was forced to accept, being consecrated Cardinal Bishop of Ostia on the 30th of November, 1057. This came with the charge of administrating the Diocese of Gubbio. He would later solicity Nicholas II to grant him leave to resign his bishopric and return to solitude, but the Pope had always refused.

The new Cardinal wished to restore primitive discipline among religious and priests, warning against needless travel, violations of poverty, and living too comfortably. He encouraged his priests to observe celibacy, urged them to live together and maintain scheduled prayer and religious observance. He also wrote a letter to his brother-cardinals, exhorting them to shine by their example before all. When four months later Pope Stephen died in Florence, St. Peter Damian, as a vigorous opponent to the antipope Benedict X, had to temporarily retire to Fonte Avellana. After Benedict’s surrendering the papacy in the autumn of 1059, Pope Nicholas II sent St Peter Damian with Bishop Anselm of Lucca as legates to Milan where benefices were openly bought and sold, and clergy being publicly married became normal. The party of the irregular clerics denied Rome’s authority over Milan. St. Peter boldly confronted them in the cathedral and proved to them the authority of the Holy See with such effect that all parties submitted to his decision.

In 1061 He withstood Henry IV of Germany and labored in defense of the newly elected Pope Alexander II against the antipope Cadalous. His long argument by was read at council in Augsburg and greatly contributed to the decision in favor of Alexander II.

In 1063 he was appointed legate to settle the dispute between the Abbey of Cluny and the Bishop of Mâcon. He proceeded to France, summoned a council at Chalon-sur-Saône, resolved the issues and returned in the autumn to Fonte Avellana. In 1067, he was sent to Florence to settle the dispute between the bishop and the monks of Vallombrosa. Having served the papacy as legate to France and to Florence, he was finally was allowed to resign his bishopric in 1067, but Pope Alexander II reserved the power to employ him in Church matters of importance, as he might hereafter have need of his help.

In 1069 he proceeded as papal legate to Germany and persuaded emperor Henry IV to give up his intention of divorcing his wife, Bertha. Then in early in 1072 he was sent to adjust the affairs of the Church at Ravenna. After completing these tasks, upon his return he was seized with fever and lay ill for a week in a monastery outside Faenza. On the night of the feast of the Chair of St. Peter on February 22, 1072, with the monks gathered around him saying the Divine Office, he died.

St. Peter is one of those stern figures who seem specially raised up, like St. John Baptist, to remind men in a lax age of the error of their ways and to bring them back to the narrow path of virtue.

He often condemned philosophy. He argued that monks should not have to study philosophy, because Jesus did not choose philosophers (theoreticians) as disciples, and so philosophy concerned with the validity of argument, rather than the full nature of reality is unnecessary and may become an obstacle for salvation. He was a man of great vehemence in all he said and did; it has been said of him that “his genius was to exhort and impel to the heroic, to praise striking achievements and to record edifying examples…an extraordinary force burns in all that he wrote.”

In 1828, Pope Leo XII declared St Peter Damian as a Doctor of the Church.

Pope Benedict XVI described him as “one of the most significant figures of the 11th century, … a lover of solitude and at the same time a fearless man of the Church, committed personally to the task of reform.”

References and Excerpts:

[1]          F. Media, “Saint Peter Damian,” Franciscan Media, Feb. 21, 2020. https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-peter-damian/ (accessed Feb. 10, 2023).

[2]          C. Online, “St. Peter Damian – Saints & Angels,” Catholic Online. https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=780 (accessed Feb. 10, 2023).

[3]          “Saint Peter Damian, Cardinal Bishop.” https://sanctoral.com/en/saints/saint_peter_damian.html (accessed Feb. 10, 2023).

[4]          “Optional Memorial of St. Peter Damian, bishop and doctor – February 21, 2015 – Liturgical Calendar.” https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2015-02-21 (accessed Feb. 10, 2023).

[5]          “CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Peter Damian.” https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11764a.htm (accessed Feb. 10, 2023).

[6]          “Peter Damian,” Wikipedia. Nov. 26, 2022. Accessed: Feb. 10, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Peter_Damian&oldid=1123860394

 

Saint John Bosco

Founder (1815-1888)

Feast- January 31

One day St. Francis of Assisi went to city of Arezzo. He beheld the demons dancing with joy on the walls of the city, and exciting in the hearts of its people the fire of hatred against each other. Calling to him Brother Sylvester, a man of dove-like simplicity, he said, “Go to the gate of the city, and in the name of Almighty God command the devils, in virtue of holy obedience, to depart immediately.” The Brother hastened to fulfil his orders, and cried out in a loud voice, “All you evil spirits who are gathered together in this place, I command you, in the name of Almighty God and of His servant Francis, depart hence.” No sooner had he uttered these words than the discordant voices were hushed, the people’s angry passions were calmed, the fratricidal feud ceased, and peace was restored to Arezzo. The wisdom of the humble St. Francis saved the city from destruction. The wisdom of the humble St. John Bosco saved the city kids.

Farming has always been physically demanding work. All year long, from sunrise to sunset, in the scorching sun, rain or snow there is always something to do on farm. In 1764 James Watt made a critical improvement to the fuel efficiency of Thomas Newcomen’s steam engine. With this change, factories were no longer limited by the availability of waterpower and could spring up in more convenient locations. These factories offered job opportunities with the promise of a better life, leading many to move to urban areas. Two new classes of citizens, wealthy businesses owners – the Bourgeoisie – and working class – the Proletariat – grew rapidly. In the countryside people knew each other and knew what to expect from their neighbors; in the city it was easy to stay anonymous, and this anonymity attracted many questionable characters. This anonymity coupled with high population density created opportunities for sinful activities leading to a decline in morality among the general public. Then came the French Revolution of 1789, followed by the Napoleonic Wars in 1803–1815, and finally the Communist Revolutions of 1848 (the Springtime of Nations) further entrenching this degradation. Cities were flooded with homeless, fatherless kids raised by the streets. Many youths, especially boys, would be incarcerated with adults and the resulting abuse would further strip them of morality. but good God didn’t give them life and Jesus didn’t suffer and die on the cross to let them waste such a great gift, so He sent St. John Bosco to the rescue.

Giovanni Melchior Bosco was born as the youngest of three sons of a poor farmer in a little cabin at Becchi, a hill-side hamlet near Castelnuovo in the Piedmont district of Italy on 16 August 1815 and was raised on his parents’ small farm. St. John’s knowledge of poverty was firsthand. He was little more than two years old when his father died; Margaret Bosco and her three sons found it harder than ever to support themselves, and while John was still a small boy he had to join his brothers working the farm. His early years were spent as a shepherd. Although his life was hard, he was a happy, imaginative child.

He received his first instruction at the hands of the parish priest who taught him to read and write. He possessed a ready wit, a retentive memory, and as years passed his appetite for study grew stronger.

A dream that little Giovanni had at the age of nine revealed to him his vocation. He seemed to be surrounded by a mob of fighting and swearing children whom he tried in vain to pacify, at first by arguments and then by hitting them.

Suddenly there appeared a mysterious woman who said: “Softly, softly . . . if you wish to win them! Take your shepherd’s staff and lead them to pasture.” Even as she spoke, the children were transformed first into wild beasts and then into gentle lambs. From that time on, Giovanni concluded his duty was to lead and help other boys.

St. John found innocent fun compatible with religion. He would grab the attention of the local kids with acrobatic and conjuring tricks and then teaching them the Catechism and bringing them to church.

As he grew older, he considered becoming a priest, but poverty and the lack of a formal education made this seem impossible. By taking odd jobs in the village and with the combined help of the local priest, his mother, and some neighbors, St. John managed to get through school. In 1835 he entered the diocesan seminary at Chieri nearby Turin. When, he entered the seminary he was so poor that the village mayor contributed a hat; one friendly person gave him a cloak; another a pair of shoes and money for his maintenance; and his remaining clothes were supplied by charity.

As a seminarian he devoted his spare time to looking after the ragamuffins who roamed the slums of the city. Every Sunday, he taught them catechism, supervised their games and entertained them with stories and tricks. Before long his kindness had won their confidence, and his Sunday School became a ritual with them. In 1841 after six years of study St. John was ordained a priest on the eve of Trinity Sunday by Archbishop Luigi Franzoni of Turin.

After taking Holy Orders, his first appointment was as an assistant chaplain for a home for girls, founded by the Venerable Marchesa (marquis) Juliette Colbert Falletti de Barolo, a wealthy and philanthropic woman.

This post left St. John free on Sundays to devote himself to his group of boys. He set up for them a sort of combined Sunday School and recreation center on grounds belonging to the orphanage which he called “the festive Oratory.” In 1842, the Oratory numbered twenty boys, in March of the same year, thirty, but this position was short-lived. St. John resigned his post after permission to use the orphanage grounds by the boys was annulled.

One of St. John’s duties was to accompany his spiritual director St. Joseph Cafasso upon his visits to the prisons of the city. After witnessing the condition of the children confined in these places, abandoned to the most evil influences, he redoubled his effort to save their souls and began looking for a permanent home for them. Unfortunately, no decent neighborhood would accept the noisy crowd. For more than a year the group was regarded as a nuisance and sent from pillar to post. No property owner would put up with them for long.

Eventually, in a rather tumbledown section of the city where no one was likely to protest, upon the site of an old shed St. John established an oratory named after Saint Francis de Sales. St. John went to live in some poor rooms adjoining the new Oratory. At the new place he was joined by his mother known as “Mama Margaret.” She gave the last ten years of her life in devoted service to the little inmates of this first Salesian home, which quickly reached seven hundred members.

The Sunday gathering would start with Mass at the local church with a short instruction on the Gospel; breakfast would then be eaten, followed by games. In the afternoon Vespers would he chanted, a lesson in Catechism given, and the Rosary recited. It was a familiar sight to see St. John in the field surrounded by kneeling boys preparing for confession. His next step was to build for his flock a small church which he placed under the patronage of his favorite saint, Francis de Sales. Once completed, he started to build a home for his steadily growing family. No one knew just how he managed to raise the money for these various projects. Enrollment grew so rapidly that by 1849 he had to opened two more youth centers in other parts of Turin.

Some teachers volunteered their time and a night school took shape. St. John knew that pure academic learning was insufficient, so he planned programs that combined prayer, play, song, study, and manual work. In this way, he could manage them without any formal punishment.

The evening classes swelled and gradually dormitories were provided for many who desired to live at the Oratory. Those enrolled as boarders in the school were of two sorts: young apprentices and craftsmen, and other youths in whom St. John discerned future helpers, with, possibly, vocations to the priesthood. At first, they attended classes outside, but, as more teachers were enlisted, academic and technical courses were given at the house. By 1856 a hundred and fifty boys were in residence; there were four workshops, including a printing shop, and four Latin classes, with ten young priests as instructors. Urbano Rattazzi, a local liberal, anti-clerical politician and the future Prime Minister of Italy saw an opportunity to accelerate his career by advocating for St. John’s work; and although an Italian law forbade the founding of religious communities at that time, he promised government support.

For a long time, St. John Bosco had considered founding an Order to carry on his work. On the night of January 26th, 1854, in his room he met with small group of coworkers, among them were Bl. Michael Rua and future Cardinal Giovanni Cagliero. From that evening, the name of Salesian was given to all who embarked on that form of apostolate of practical works of charity to help neighbors.

In 1858 St. John, in assistance to Bl. Michael Rua, went to Rome and received preliminary approbation from Pope Pius IX. Four years later he founded an Order for women, The Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians, to care for abandoned girls. Then to supplement the work of both congregations, he organized an association of lay people interested in aiding their work. Sixteen years later in 1874 he obtained full sanction, together with permission to present candidates for Holy Orders. The new society grew rapidly. Within five years there were thirty-nine Salesians; at the time of the founder’s death there were eight hundred, and by 1929 the number had increased to about eight thousand priests.

In 1868, to meet the needs of the Valdocco quarter of Turin, St. John resolved to build a church. Accordingly, a plan was drawn in the form of a cross covering an area of 1,500 sq. yards. The church was consecrated on the 9th of June, 1868, and placed under the patronage of Our Lady, Help of Christians.

Later he found means to put up another spacious and much-needed church in a poor quarter of Turin, and placing it under the patronage of St. John the Evangelist.

During the last years of Pope Pius IX, plans were drawn up to build a church in Rome in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and Pius himself had donated money to buy the site. His successor, Leo XIII, was eager for the work to be carried forward, but there was difficulty in raising funds. It was suggested to the Pope that this was something that St. John Bosco did better than anyone else, and when he was asked to undertake it, he accepted the challenge. After obtaining a considerable sum in Italy, he went to France, where devotion to the cult of the Sacred Heart was particularly intense at this time. He was successful in his appeals, money came flowing in, and the early completion of the church was assured.

St. John Bosco accomplished what many people considered an impossibility; he walked through the streets of Turin, Italy, looking for the dirtiest, roughest urchins he could find, then made good men of them. His understanding of young people and their needs and dreams gave him great influence. He lived to see twenty-six houses started in the New World and thirty-eight in the Old. His outgoing personality made him popular as a preacher, and there were many requests of his time to speak to various congregations. In the few hours that remained to him, he wrote useful and popular books for boys, stories based on history, and sometimes popular treatises on the faith. In that day there were few attractive reading materials written specifically for young people.

Exhausted from touring Europe to raise funds for a new church in Rome, Don Bosco died on January 31st, 1888, but his work continues today in over a thousand Salesian oratories throughout the world. No modern Saint has captured the heart of the world more rapidly than this smiling peasant-priest from Turin, who believed that to give complete trust and love is the most effective way to nourish virtue in others.

References and Excerpts:

[1]          “Saint John Bosco, Founder.” https://sanctoral.com/en/saints/saint_john_bosco.html (accessed Jan. 23, 2023).

[2]          “Saint Charles Borromeo Catholic Church of Picayune, MS – Devotion – Patron Saints – St. John Bosco.” http://www.scborromeo.org/saints/bosco.htm (accessed Jan. 23, 2023).

[3]          “St. John Bosco | EWTN,” EWTN Global Catholic Television Network. https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/saints/john-bosco-631 (accessed Jan. 23, 2023).

[4]          “St. Francis of Assisi and his confrontations with the Devil.” http://catholicharboroffaithandmorals.com/St.%20Francis%20of%20Assisi%20and%20the%20Devil.html (accessed Jan. 23, 2023).