Blessed Odoric of Pordenone

Also known as

• Odoric Mattiussi

Memorial

• 3 February

Profile

Joined the Franciscans in 1300. Hermit. Preacher in northern Italy, drawing large crowds to his services. Missionary through the Near and Far East, preaching in Persia, China, Java, Ceylon, and Tibet from 1316 to 1330. First European to reach the capital of the Dalai-Lama. Known as a miracle worker in China. Died en route to Avignon, France to report his findings to the Pope. The written description of his travels were used as a manual for geographers of his day.

Born

• 1285 at Villanova, Friuli, Italy as Odoric Mattiussi

Died

• 1331 at Udine, Italy of natural causes

Beatified

• 1775 by Pope Pius VI (cultus confirmed)

Additional Information

• Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
• Catholic Encyclopedia
• Discoverer’s Web
• For All The Saints, by Katherine Rabenstein
• New Catholic Dictionary
• Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints, by Matthew Bunson, Margaret Bunson, and Stephen Bunson
• Saints Alive, by Father Robert F McNamara
• Wikipedia

MLA Citation

• “Blessed Odoric of Pordenone”. Saints.SQPN.com. 2 February 2010. Web. {today’s date}. <http://saints.sqpn.com/blessed-odoric-of-pordenone/>