Sep 052009
Profile
Priest. Bishop of Blera, Italy in the mid-5th century. Noted for his vocal opposition to the pagan and corrupt local nobility. Some of them bribed Vivenzio’s servants to put women‘s clothing in his chambers in order to accuse him of illicit relations. Vivenzio denied any wrong-doing, then moved to a nearby cave in order to do penance for the sins of his accusers. He lived there for seven years in prayer and fasting, eventually going blind; when he needed to see again in order to implement an instruction he received from God in a dream, his sight was restored.
Additional Information
- Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
- Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
MLA Citation