Raymond Nonnatus

Infobox Saint
name=Saint Raymond Nonnatus
birth_date=1204
death_date=death date|1240|8|31|mf=y
feast_day=August 31
venerated_in=Roman Catholic Church


imagesize=250px
caption=
birth_place=La Portella, Comarca of Segrià, Catalonia, Kingdom of Aragon
death_place=Cardona, Province of Barcelona, Catalonia, Kingdom of Aragon
titles=Confessor
beatified_date=
beatified_place=
beatified_by=
canonized_date=1657
canonized_place=Rome
canonized_by= Pope Alexander VII
attributes=
patronage=Baitoa, Dominican Republic; childbirth; children; expectant mothers; falsely accused people; fever; infants; midwives; newborn babies; obstetricians; pregnant women
major_shrine=
suppressed_date=
issues=

Saint Raymond Nonnatus ( _ca. Sant Ramon Nonat, _es. San Ramón Nonato, _fr. Saint Raymond Nonnat, _mt. San Rajmondo Nonnato) (1204—1240) was a saint from Catalonia in Spain. His surname ( _la. Nonnatus, "not born") is derived from the fact that he was born by Caesarean section (his mother died during childbirth). He is the Patron Saint of childbirth, midwives, children, and pregnant women.

Life

Born at La Portella, in the Diocese of Urgell, he became a member of the Mercedarian Order, founded to ransom Christian captives of the Moors of North Africa, he was ordained priest in 1222 and later became master-general of the order. He traveled to North Africa and is said to have surrendered himself as a hostage when his money ran out.

He suffered in captivity. A legend states that the Moors bored a hole through his lips with a hot iron, and padlocked his mouth to prevent him from preaching. He was ransomed by his order and in 1239 returned to Spain.

Upon his return to Spain, Pope Gregory IX nominated him Cardinal; but his new dignity effected no difference in his humble manner of living. ["Lives of the Saints, For Every Day of the Year, edited by Rev. Hugo Hoever, S.O.Cist., Ph.D., New York: Catholic Book Publishing Co., June 1, 1955, p. 344] The Pope, desirous of having him near his person, summoned him to Rome. St Raymond set out on his journey, but arriving at Cardona, six miles from Barcelona, he was seized with a violent fever and began to prepare himself for death, which occurred on August 31, 1240. ["Lives of the Saints, For Every Day of the Year," p. 344] Many miracles were attributed to him before and after his death.

Places named in honor of St Raymond

Saint-Raymond, Quebec, in Canada, San Ramón de la Nueva Orán, in Argentina, and São Raimundo Nonato and the Roman Catholic Diocese of São Raimundo Nonato (Raymundianus), in Brazil, are named after him.

Veneration

His feast day is on August 31. ["Martyrologium Romanum" (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2001 ISBN 88-209-7210-7)] Because of his limited importance worldwide, his liturgical celebration is no longer included among those to be "necessarily" commemorated wherever the Roman Rite is celebrated, ["Calendarium Romanum" (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1969), p. 137] but, since he is included in the Roman Martyrology for August 31, Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours "may" be recited in his honor on that day as before. Traditional Roman Catholics continue to celebrate the feast day of "St Raymond Nonnatus, Confessor" on August 31.

References

ources

*Elizabeth Hallam (ed.), "Saints: Who They Are and How They Help You" (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1994), p. 33.
*"Lives of the Saints, For Every Day of the Year, edited by Rev. Hugo Hoever, S.O.Cist., Ph.D., New York: Catholic Book Publishing Co., June 1, 1955, p. 344

External links

* [http://saints.sqpn.com/saintr09.htm Patron Saints Index: "Saint Raymond Nonnatus"]
* [http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/68300 Santi e beati: "San Raimondo Nonnato"] It icon
* [http://www.traditioninaction.org/SOD/j144sd_RaymondNonnatus_8-31.shtml The Saint of the Day: "St Raymond Nonnatus," August 31]
* [http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=314 Catholic Online - Saints & Angels: "St Raymond Nonnatus"]
*CathEncy|wstitle=St. Raymond Nonnatus