Catholic Saints

St. Angelo is also known as St. Angelus, he was born in Jerusalem to a Jewish family.  His mother converted to Christianity, and Angelo, along with his twin brother John, was baptized and converted.  He was born in 1185.  He is venerated as a Saint of the Church, martyred for the faith, and was from the Holy Land.  

St. Angelo’s parents died while he was young, and he and his twin brother entered the Carmelite Order at the age of eighteen.  They were well learned, and already spoke Greek, Latin, and Hebrew.  When he was twenty-six, Angelo was ordained in Jerusalem, and traveled throughout Palestine.  Various miraculous cures were attributed to him as he traveled.  His biography tells us that he sought to avoid fame, and when he was becoming known for his miracles, he withdrew from society to a hermitage to avoid the crowds.  He remained a hermit on Mount Carmel until he was asked to leave for Italy to preach against Albigensians, Bulgars, and Patarini.  

Angelo went to Sicily, and his fame as a miracle worker caused crowds to come to him in large amounts.  He wanted to convert a Knight named Berenger.  Catholic tradition states that Berenger was living in incest and that Angelo convinced the knight’s companion to leave Berenger.  Berenger became enraged and had him killed in front of the Church of Saints Filippo and Giacomo in Licata.  He didn’t die from his attacks until four days after the attack, and according to Catholic tradition, he asked for his assassin to be pardoned.  He showed the ultimate in forgiveness, setting an example for all those that he preached to.  He was buried at Saints Filippo and Giacomo Church.  His sepulcher at Licata quickly became a site of Pilgrimage.  The Carmelites venerated him as a saint from 1456, and Pope Pius II canonized him.  His relics were translated to a new Church in Licata, Saint Maria del Carmine.  It was through St. Angelo’s interecession that the plague in the Kingdom of Naples was attributed to.  He is often pictured in art with a sword through his chest, holding a book or palm, with three crowns, or lilies or roses.  

Practical Take Away

St. Angelo is also known as St. Angelus, he was born in Jerusalem to a Jewish family.  His mother converted to Christianity, and Angelo, along with his twin brother John, was baptized and converted.  He was born in 1185.  He is venerated as a Saint of the Church, martyred for the faith, being from the Holy Land.  He spoke with a Knight named Berenger, about his incest relationship, and the immoral life he was living.  Berenger had him killed in front of a Church, and he didn’t die until four days after the attack.  He was well known for drawing large crowds for his preaching and miracle working.  The ending of the Plague in Naples was attributed to his intercession.