St. Peregrine OSM

A Short Biography of Saint Peregrine Laziosi O.S.M.

Saint Peregrine was born in 1265 in the town of Forli, about fifty miles north east of Florence. Some of the cities of northern Italy were at that time involved in a conflict between the Pope and the Emperor, Forli taking the side of the Emperor against the Pope. The Pope of that time, Martin IV sent an army to the town to try and reassert his authority over the people but the city resisted this Papal pressure.

A Servite Friar by the name of Philip Benizi, who was Prior General of the Order, who was visiting Forli during the time of conflict, agreed to try and act as mediator between the conflicting sides. Philip addressed the crowds and asked them to return to obedience to the Pope but was shouted down by the crowd and driven out of the city with insults and violence. While Saint Philip was praying for his persecutors, one of the crowd, an eighteen year old by the name of Peregrine Laziosi, repented of his part in the violence and humbly asked Philip for forgiveness. Philip received him with love and forgave him immediately. From that moment, the young mans life changed as he put aside his former way of living and became a man of peace and prayer. It was quite a while before Peregrine entered the Servite Order as a lay-brother; he was about thirty years of age when he went to Siena to do his noviciate. We do not know why he delayed his entry into the Order but it is thought that the delay might have to do with the difficulties associated with the official recognition of what was a fairly new Order in the Church.

After some years he returned to Forli where he lived for fifty years a life of prayer, penance and outstanding service to the poor and the sick. It seems strange that the Servite saint whose name is associated with healing should be that of a lay-brother, with no medical training, whilst St Philip Benizi, who was a doctor, should go unmentioned in this regard! The medicines and treatments of that time were, by modern standards somewhat primitive but through the care and compassion of Peregrine the afflicted saw the love of God made incarnate in this simple friar.

At that time physical penances were very much a part of contemporary spirituality and one of the penances favoured by Peregrine was that of standing for long hours of prayer. He developed varicose veins when he was sixty years of age and, on his right leg, these became malignant. So dreadful was his condition that amputation was thought to be necessary if his life was to be saved. We must remember that at that time there would have been no anaesthetic and the shock or resultant infection of such an operation would have killed most people. On the night before the operation Peregrine dragged himself before the crucifix in the Chapter room of the Forli priory. There he became drowsy and seemed to see Jesus descend from the cross to heal his leg. The following day, the doctor came to perform the amputation but could find no sign of the wound. He was shocked to see this and very soon the whole of Forli was talking about the great miracle that had taken place.

Peregrine died of a fever in 1345 when he was almost eighty years of age. An extraordinary number of people from the town and surrounding countryside came to pay their respects and many claimed that they were healed through his intercession. His feast is celebrated by the Church on the 4th of May.

Peregrine Laziosi was canonised by Pope Benedict XIII in 1726 and he is known as a powerful patron of those who suffer from cancer. The Servite Friars hold masses of healing at each of their priories and commend their Servite brother to all who are in search of support and healing. Masses for the sick and devotion to Saint Peregrine are held at the venues below.

IRELAND

Servite Oratory,
St. Peregrine Centre,
Rathfarnham Shopping Centre,
Dublin 14 (01-4936 300)

Saint Mary of the Servants,
Blakestown,
Dublin 15 (01-8210 874)

Servite Priory,
Benburb,
Co. Tyrone (028 3754 8241)

St. Mary's Church,
Greencastle,
Shore Road,
Belfast

Divine Word Parish,
Marley Grange,
Rathfarnham,
Dublin 16 (01-4944 295)

ENGLAND & SCOTLAND

St. Mary's Priory,
264, Fulham Road,
London SW10 9EL (020 7352 6965)

Servite Priory,
500, Bury New Road,
Salford M7 OWP (0161 792 2152)

Servite Priory,
Kingsway East,
Dundee DD4 8AA (01382 500446)

Saint Peregrine Cancer Centre Review