⛪ Saint Peregrine Laziosi - Confessor

Saint Peregrine Laziosi,
Pray for us!

⛪ Saint of the Day: May 1

⛪ Other Names:

• Peregrinus Laziosi • Pellegrino Laziosi • Peregrinus Latiosi • Pellegrino Latiosi • Peregrine Latiosi

⛪ Born:

• 1260 at Forli, Italy

⛪ Died:

• 1 May 1345 at Forli, Italy of natural causes • Body incorrupt

⛪ Patronage:

• Against cancer • Against breast cancer • Against open sores • Against skin diseases • AIDS patients • Cancer patients • Sick people

Saint Peregrine Laziosi (Pellegrino Latiosi) (c. 1260 – May 1, 1345) is an Italian saint of the Servite Order (Friar Order Servants of Mary). He is the patron saint for persons suffering from cancer, AIDS, or other illnesses.

Peregrine Laziosi was born around 1260, the only son of an affluent family in Forlì, in northern Italy, which was part of the Papal States at the time. Peregrine's family supported the anti-papal faction. In 1283, the residents of Forlì were under interdict. St. Philip Benizi, Prior General of the Friar Servants of Saint Mary, was sent to try to reconcile the divided community. While trying to preach in Forlì, Philip was heckled and struck by Peregrine, then eighteen years old. Philip was driven from the city with insults and violence. Peregrine repented and asked Philip for forgiveness. St. Philip received him with kindness, which had a profound effect on Peregrine. Filled with remorse, he began to pray more and to channel his energies into good works. A few years later, he joined the Servites in Siena and went on to be ordained a priest.

After some years, he was sent back to Forlì, where he founded a new Servite house and became well known for his preaching, holiness, and devotion to the sick and poor. It is said that he miraculously multiplied grain and wine during a severe shortage in his area. People took to calling him the "Angel of Good Counsel" for his wise advice.

One of the special penances he imposed on himself was to stand whenever it was not necessary to sit. When tired, he would support himself on a choir stall. At the age of sixty, he developed an infection in his right leg, which deteriorated to the point that the physician decided to amputate his leg.

The night before the operation, Peregrine spent time praying before a fresco of the Crucifixion in the chapter room. He fell into a deep trance-like sleep and seemed to see Jesus descend from the cross to touch his leg.

The following day, the doctor arrived to perform the amputation but found no sign of the cancer. The news of the miraculous cure spread throughout the town, increasing the people’s regard for Peregrine. He died of a fever on May 1, 1345, at the age of eighty-five. An extraordinary number of people from the town and countryside honored him in death, and some of the sick who came were healed through his intercession.

His body rests in the Servite church of Forlì, the Basilica of Saint Pellegrino Laziosi. Pope Paul V declared him blessed in 1609, and Pope Benedict XIII canonized him in 1726. The liturgical feast of Saint Pellegrino/Peregrine is on May 1.

Peregrine is considered the patron saint of those suffering from cancer. The National Shrine of Saint Peregrine is located at Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica in Chicago, Illinois, as a ministry of the Friar Servants of Mary. There is also a St. Peregrine Shrine at The Grotto, at The National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother, in Portland, Oregon. A St. Peregrine Mass is celebrated at The Grotto on the first Saturday of each month at 12 noon in the Chapel of Mary. Additionally, there is a St. Peregrine Shrine in Muntinlupa City, Philippines, housing a relic taken from St. Peregrine himself, a rib, which is on display in the church's Relic Chapel. There is a Saint Peregrine Cancer Shrine with Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration at Christ the King Catholic Church in Mesa, Arizona, whose mission is to promote perpetual adoration of Jesus Christ and to pray for those affected by cancer, offering a sanctuary for spiritual healing and emotional peace. Finally, there is a statue of St. Peregrine in the Mission church of San Juan Capistrano in southern California.

According to some, the lesson of Peregrine’s life is not that God worked a miracle, but that a faithful servant placed himself unconditionally in the hands of God. Peregrine’s trust in God therefore serves as a model for those dealing with sickness. However, his recovery has been cited as an example of the potency of the immune system in fighting cancer.

1. Saint Peregrine Laziosi, a patron saint for those suffering from cancer and other illnesses, was born around 1260 in Forlì, Italy.
2. He joined the Servite Order after a transformative encounter with St. Philip Benizi, Prior General of the Friar Servants of Saint Mary.
3. Peregrine dedicated himself to preaching, founding a Servite house in Forlì, and caring for the sick and poor.
4. He was known for performing miracles, including multiplying grain and wine during a shortage.
5. Peregrine practiced severe penances and developed an infection in his leg, which was cured miraculously after a vision of Jesus.
6. He died in 1345 at the age of eighty-five, and his body rests in the Basilica of Saint Pellegrino Laziosi in Forlì.
7. Peregrine is revered as a model of faith and trust in God, particularly for those facing sickness.
8. Numerous shrines and devotions are dedicated to Saint Peregrine around the world, including in Chicago, Portland, and the Philippines.
9. While his recovery is seen as a miraculous intervention by many, it has also been cited as an example of the body's natural healing capabilities.

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