Saturday, April 14, Octave of Easter
BLESSED PEDRO GONZALEZ (popularly, SAN TELMO) (Spain, born ca 1190, died 1246), Dominican, Preacher, Patron saint of sailors
One day in the early 13th century, Pedro Gonzalez rode his horse into the Spanish city of Astorga in the 13th century to take up an important post secured him by a bishop-uncle at the cathedral. The animal stumbled and fell, leaving him in the mud and onlookers amused. Humbled, he re-examined his life and started down a new path. He became a Dominican priest and proved to be a most effective preacher. He spent much of his time as court chaplain and confessor to the King of Leon, attempting to exert positive influence on the behavior of members of the court. After King Ferdinand III and his troops defeated the Moors at Cordoba, Peter was successful in restraining the soldiers from pillaging and persuaded the king to treat the defeated Moors with compassion. After leaving the court, Peter devoted the remainder of his life to preaching in Galicia and the coastal areas of northwest Spain and northern Portugal, where he developed a special mission for Spanish and Portuguese seamen. He died in 1246 and was beatified in 1741, He is buried in the cathedral of Tui, Galicia. While he was never formally canonized, he has been venerated in the Hispanic world as San Telmo (a contraction of of Santo Elmo, Spanish for Erasmus), after a 3rd-century martyr-bishop who was known as the patron saint of sailors). Today, ‘San Telmo’ is commonly associated with the district of Buenos Aires named after him, where the tango was born.
Readings for today’s Mass:
usccb.org/bible/readings/041412.cfm
AT THE VATICAN TODAY
The Vatican released the text of a letter written by the Holy Father to teh Bishop of Trier, Germany, for
the 500th anniversary of the initial exposition in Trier of a relic believed to have been the Sacred Tunic
of Christ that the Roman centurions had tossed coins for.
Vatican Press Director Fr. Federico Lombardi issued a statement on recent allegations in the Italian media
regarding Vatican involvement in the disappearance of a teenage girl in 1983. He details all the cooperation
that the Vatican has given Italian authorities investigating the event, and says they are welcome to ask
again, but there is no further information to be given. He also pointed out that the late John Paul II
had followed the investigation closely and had communicated with the family of the abducted teenager.
The Vatican also announced that the Holy Father has named a new Apostolic Nuncio to Azerbaijan, and has
named five clerics to be members of the Congregation for the Causes of Sainthood.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 14/04/2012 21:03]