St. Peregrine Laziosi
Feast Day: May 1
A famous preacher stands in the town square of Forlì, Italy.
The crowd is hostile.
A teenager pushes his way to the front.
And he slaps the preacher across the face.
The preacher does not strike back.
Tradition holds that he simply turns the other cheek.
The young man is stunned.
That moment will change his life.
His name is Peregrine Laziosi, and today people with cancer around the world ask for his prayers.
St. Peregrine, pray for us.
Who Was St. Peregrine?
Peregrine was born around 1260 in Forlì, in northern Italy.
His family was wealthy and belonged to the party that opposed the pope.
Forlì was in open rebellion against the Papal States, and the city had been placed under interdict.
That means the public celebration of the sacraments was suspended there.
The pope sent St. Philip Benizi, the leader of the Servite friars, to call the city back to peace.
That is the preacher Peregrine struck.
From Anger to Conversion
Philip’s gentleness cut Peregrine to the heart.
He repented.
He began to pray, especially before an image of Our Lady.
Tradition holds that the Blessed Mother led him to join the Servites, the Order of the Servants of Mary.
He went to Siena, entered the order, and later returned to Forlì.
He spent the rest of his long life there, preaching, hearing confessions, and caring for the poor and the sick.
The angry young man became known for his patience.
A Life of Penance
Peregrine took on hard penances out of love for God.
Tradition holds that for about thirty years he avoided sitting down whenever he could.
He stood.
He prayed.
He served.
He did not ask for an easy life.
The Cancer
When Peregrine was around sixty years old, a painful sore opened on his leg.
It grew worse and worse.
It is usually described as cancer.
The doctor decided the leg had to be amputated.
The night before the surgery, Peregrine dragged himself to the chapter room and prayed before the crucifix.
Tradition holds that he fell into a deep sleep and saw Christ come down from the cross and touch his leg.
In the morning, the doctor came to operate.
He found the leg healed.
Peregrine lived about twenty more years.
His Death
Peregrine died on May 1, 1345, at around 85 years old.
He was canonized by Pope Benedict XIII in 1726.
His body rests in the Servite church in Forlì.
What St. Peregrine Teaches Us
Peregrine teaches us that nobody is too far gone.
He started as a young man who struck a priest in public.
He ended as a holy priest himself.
He also shows us how to bring suffering to Jesus.
He did not pretend the pain was not real.
He went to the cross with it.
Bring your fear to the crucifix. That is where St. Peregrine brought his.
Asking a saint’s prayers never replaces good medical care.
Keep working with your doctors.
And keep praying.
God works through both.
When Is the Feast of St. Peregrine?
St. Peregrine’s feast is kept on May 1, the day he died.
He is not on the General Roman Calendar, and May 1 is also the optional memorial of St. Joseph the Worker.
But the Servites and many parishes, hospitals, and cancer support groups honor St. Peregrine on this day.
Patron Saint Of
St. Peregrine is the patron saint of people with cancer and others suffering from serious illness.
Many parishes hold St. Peregrine novenas or healing Masses for the sick.
Looking for a saint for another need? See Patron Saints for Every Need.
A Prayer to St. Peregrine
O great St. Peregrine, you have been called “The Mighty,” “The Wonder-Worker,” because of the numerous miracles which you have obtained from God for those who have had recourse to you.
For so many years you bore in your own flesh this cancerous disease that destroys the very fiber of our being, and you had recourse to the source of all grace when the power of man could do no more.
You were favored with the vision of Jesus coming down from His Cross to heal your affliction.
Ask of God and Our Lady the cure of the sick whom we entrust to you.
(Pause here and silently recall the names of the sick for whom you are praying.)
Aided in this way by your powerful intercession, we shall sing to God, now and for all eternity, a song of gratitude for His great goodness and mercy. Amen.
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St. Peregrine, pray for us.
