Saint Raymond Nonnatus

(In Spanish SAN RAMON).

                     Born 1200 or 1204 at Portello in the Diocese of Urgel in Catalonia; died at
                     Cardona, 31 August, 1240. His feast is celebrated on 31 August. He is pictured
                     in the habit of his order surrounded by ransomed slaves, with a padlock on his
                     lips. He was taken from the womb of his mother after her death, hence his name.
                     Of noble but poor family, he showed early traits of piety and great talent. His
                     father ordered him to tend a farm, but later gave him permission to take the habit
                     with the Mercedarians at Barcelona, at the hands of the founder, St. Peter
                     Nolasco. Raymond made such progress in the religious life that he was soon
                     considered worthy to succeed his master in the office of ransomer. He was sent
                     to Algiers and liberated many captives. When money failed he gave himself as a
                     hostage. He was zealous in teaching the Christian religion and made many
                     converts, which embittered the Mohammedan authorities. Raymond was
                     subjected to all kinds of indignities and cruelty, was made to run the gauntlet,
                     and was at last sentenced to impalement. The hope of a greater sum of money
                     as ransom caused the governor to commute the sentence into imprisonment. To
                     prevent him from preaching for Christ, his lips were pierced with a red-hot iron
                     and closed with a padlock. After his arrival in Spain, in 1239, he was made a
                     cardinal by Gregory IX. In the next year he was called to Rome by the pope, but
                     came only as far as Cardona, about six miles from Barcelona, where he died. His
                     body was brought to the chapel of St. Nicholas near his old farm. In 1657 his
                     name was placed in the Roman martyrology by Alexander VII. He is invoked by
                     women in labour and by persons falsely accused. The appendix to the Roman
                     ritual gives a formula for the blessing of water, in his honour, to be used by the
                     sick, and another of candles.

                     BUTLER, Lives of the Saints; STADLER, Heiligenlexicon; GAMS, Kirchengesch. von Spanien, III;
                     Acta SS., VI, 729.

                     FRANCIS MERSHMAN

                                       The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XII
                                    Copyright © 1911 by Robert Appleton Company
                                    Online Edition Copyright © 1999 by Kevin Knight
                                  Nihil Obstat, June 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor
                                 Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York

The Catholic Encyclopedia:  NewAdvent.org