Catholic Saints

St. Nonossus was born in 500, in what is believed to be, Mt. Soracte, near Rome.  He had a remarkable life and his works of faith were recorded by Pope St. Gregory I the Great.  Nonossus was a prior at the San Silvestre Monastery on Monte Soratte, north of Rome.  He later was a Monk at Suppenntonia, near Civitah.  He was a contemporary of St. Benedictine of Nursia.  Very little information survived the centuries.  

The sole source of Nonnsus’ life is Pope Gregory I, who wrote about St. Nonossus after being asked by some friends to create a compendium of miracle stories associated with Italian Saints.  Maximian was the Bishop of Syracuse, and provided Pope Gregory I with some information about Nonnosus.  Another source that Pope Gregory drew from was Laurio, an old monk of the Monastery Suppentonia.  Laurio had been a great friend of Nonossus, while the two lived the monastic life there, under the Abbot St. Anastasius.  According to Gregory, Nonossus was a particularly good-natured man and was buried at Monte Soratte.  A tablet at his burial site reads “Here rests the servant of Christ, Nonossus, Deacon”.  

Miracles told of Nonossus, as recorded by St. Gregory, state that Nonossus removed an enormous rock that had occupied land on which he wanted to grow cabbage.  Fifty pairs of oxen had not been able to move it, after many attempts.  He miraculously restored a glass lamp that had been shattered against the floor.  He also completely filled many receptacles with olive oil, after a particularly bad harvest for the olive crop, so the people would not go without.  He also had the ability to calm his Abbot, who was sometimes easily upset and frustrated.  

Practical Take Away 

St. Nonossus’s life shows us that one can be in tune with God, and remain in His peace.  He by the best information known, was a Monk at the Abbey in Suppentonia, Italy.  He was said to have the ability to perform many miracles, and in fact, so many, that they caught the attention of Pope St. Gregory I – the Great, who wrote the stories of Nonossus’s life and many miracles he performed.  These records from Pope St. Gregory I, are the only records known to exist of this saints life, outside of legend.  His life shows us that many before us were willing to serve the Church with all they had, so as to preserve the faith for us.  The question that comes to mind, what are we willing to do to learn, live, and pass the faith on in our generation, for the generations to come?  St. Nonossus can be invoked to help in this regard.