St. Bernardine of Siena

Feast Day: May 20

“The name of Jesus is the glory of preachers, because the shining splendor of that name causes His word to be proclaimed and heard.” – St. Bernardine of Siena

Bernardine knew how to hold a crowd.

He preached in public squares.

He spoke about sin.

He spoke about greed.

He spoke about gambling.

He spoke about division.

And he kept bringing people back to one name:

Jesus.

Bernardine became famous for promoting devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus.

He often displayed the letters IHS, an abbreviation connected with the name of Jesus, surrounded by rays like the sun.

He wanted people to remember that reform did not begin with slogans.

It began with Christ.

Cities invited him to preach because his sermons could move crowds toward confession, reconciliation, and a different way of living.

He also spoke directly against social sins that damaged communities.

The Franciscan friar who once nearly died while serving plague victims became one of the most influential preachers of fifteenth-century Italy.

St. Bernardine of Siena, pray for us.

Who Was St. Bernardine of Siena?

St. Bernardine was born in 1380 in Massa Marittima, in what is now Italy.

He lost both of his parents while still young and was raised by relatives.

As a young man, he received a good education and became known for his intelligence and strong character.

Then a crisis changed his life.

Serving During the Plague

When plague struck Siena in 1400, many people were terrified.

Hospitals were overwhelmed.

Bernardine volunteered to help.

He organized other young men to care for the sick and dying.

The work was dangerous.

Bernardine himself became seriously ill.

He recovered, but the experience left a deep mark on him.

Soon afterward, he entered the Franciscan Order.

Becoming a Franciscan

Bernardine joined the Observant branch of the Franciscans, which emphasized a stricter return to the poverty and simplicity associated with St. Francis of Assisi.

He was ordained a priest.

At first, he was not considered an extraordinary preacher.

Over time, however, his gifts became obvious.

Preaching in the Public Squares

Bernardine traveled throughout Italy.

Large crowds came to hear him.

Churches were sometimes too small, so he preached outdoors.

His sermons were practical.

He talked about the sins people actually struggled with.

Dishonest business.

Gambling.

Luxury.

Hatred.

Feuds.

Sexual immorality.

Pride.

He wanted repentance to affect daily life.

Devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus

Bernardine became especially famous for promoting devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus.

He encouraged people to honor the name of Christ with reverence.

At the end of sermons, he sometimes displayed a tablet bearing the letters IHS surrounded by rays.

The symbol became strongly associated with his preaching.

IHS comes from an abbreviation of the Greek name of Jesus and later became one of the most familiar Christograms in Western Christianity.

Why the Name of Jesus?

For Bernardine, the name of Jesus was not a lucky symbol.

It pointed to the Person of Christ.

Scripture itself teaches that:

“At the name of Jesus every knee should bend.”

The name recalls who Jesus is and what He has done.

Bernardine wanted people to replace sinful loyalties, superstitions, and rivalries with devotion to Christ.

Burning the Vanities

After some of Bernardine’s sermons, people publicly gave up objects connected with gambling, superstition, luxury, or sinful habits.

Cards and gaming equipment could be destroyed.

The point was not simply to make a dramatic scene.

Bernardine wanted conversion to become concrete.

If something repeatedly pulled a person toward sin, remove it.

Calling Cities to Peace

Italian cities in Bernardine’s time were often divided by political factions and family feuds.

Violence could continue across generations.

Bernardine repeatedly preached reconciliation.

He urged enemies to forgive.

He wanted cities that claimed to be Christian to stop tearing themselves apart through hatred.

Sometimes his preaching helped rival groups make peace.

Speaking About Economic Injustice

Bernardine also preached about business and money.

He criticized fraud, greed, and exploitation.

At the same time, his economic thought could be more nuanced than simply condemning all commerce.

He recognized that merchants could perform useful services when business was conducted honestly.

The problem was not work or trade.

It was injustice.

Difficult Aspects of His Era

Bernardine lived in the fifteenth century, and some of his language about religious and social groups reflects the polemical atmosphere of his time.

Certain sermons, including remarks about Jews and other marginalized groups, can sound harsh and troubling today.

His canonization does not mean every judgment, expression, or social attitude found in every sermon is presented by the Church as a timeless model.

He should be understood within his historical setting while distinguishing his holiness from every prudential or cultural assumption of that age.

Accused of Promoting Superstition

Bernardine’s devotion to the Holy Name became so popular that some critics accused him of encouraging superstition.

He was called to defend his preaching.

Bernardine explained that the symbol itself was not being worshiped.

Honor was directed to Jesus Christ.

His devotion was eventually accepted and continued spreading.

Reforming the Franciscan Order

Bernardine was not only a public preacher.

He also worked to reform Franciscan life.

The Observant movement grew significantly through his influence.

He helped strengthen communities committed to poverty, discipline, and the original Franciscan spirit.

Among the friars influenced by this movement was St. John of Capistrano.

Refusing High Office

Bernardine was reportedly offered several bishoprics.

He refused them.

He believed his vocation was preaching and Franciscan reform.

Rather than settling into an important ecclesiastical office, he continued traveling.

His pulpit was often a town square.

His Final Journey

Bernardine continued preaching even as his health weakened.

In 1444, while traveling on another mission, he became seriously ill near L’Aquila.

He died there on May 20.

His reputation for holiness spread quickly.

Pope Nicholas V canonized him only six years later, in 1450.

What St. Bernardine Teaches Us

St. Bernardine teaches us that devotion should change behavior.

It is easy to say the name of Jesus.

It is harder to let Jesus change the way we spend money, treat enemies, conduct business, or use our time.

Bernardine also teaches us that evangelization can be direct without being abstract.

He preached about real habits.

Real sins.

Real communities.

And real repentance.

Most of all, he reminds us that Christian reform always comes back to Christ.

Not a personality.

Not a movement.

Not a political faction.

Jesus.

When Is the Feast of St. Bernardine of Siena?

The Catholic Church celebrates the Optional Memorial of St. Bernardine of Siena, Priest, on May 20.

He is remembered as a Franciscan preacher, reformer, and great promoter of devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus.

Prayer Inspired by St. Bernardine of Siena

Lord Jesus Christ,

through the intercession of St. Bernardine of Siena, teach us to honor Your Holy Name.

Give us courage to remove from our lives whatever leads us away from You.

Heal divisions in families, communities, and nations.

Help us act honestly in work and business.

And may Your name never be only on our lips, but written into the way we live.

St. Bernardine of Siena, pray for us. Amen.