Saint Raymond Nonnatus

Sep 272010

[Saint Raymond Nonnatus]
Also known as

Raymund Nonnatus
Raimundo Nonato

31 August

Profile

Born to the Spanish nobility. Well educated, his father planned a career for Raymond in the royal court in Aragon (part of modern Spain). When Raymond felt drawn to religious life, his father ordered him to manage one of the family farms. However, Raymond spent his time with the shepherds and workers, studying and praying until his father gave up the idea of making his son a wordly success.

Mercedarian priest, receiving the habit from Saint Peter Nolasco, the order’s founder. Master-general of Mercedarian Order. Spent his entire estate ransoming Christians from Muslim captors, then surrendered himself as a hostage to free another. Sentenced to death by impalement, he was spared because of his large ransom value. Imprisoned and tortured, he still managed to convert some of his guards. To keep him from preaching the faith, his captors bored a hole through his lips with a hot iron, and attached padlock. Raymund was eventually ransomed, returning to Barcelona, Spain in 1239.

Created cardinal by Pope Gregory IX, Raymond continued to live as a mendicant monk. He died while en route to Rome to answer a papal summons.