St. Peter Damian (1007–1072) was an Italian orphan who rose from tending pigs to become a brilliant teacher, then left the world to become a hermit-monk at Fonte Avellana, and was drawn out of his solitude by the popes to become a cardinal and one of the leading reformers of the eleventh-century Church. He fought simony, the buying and selling of Church offices, and the corruption of the clergy with blunt words and personal holiness, and he wrote on prayer, the hermit life and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Pope Leo XII declared him a Doctor of the Church in 1828. His feast day is February 21. Below are his story, Scripture and a prayer to St. Peter Damian.
A short prayer to St. Peter Damian, written for this page:
St. Peter Damian, you loved solitude and prayer, yet served the Church when she needed you.
Pray for the reform and holiness of the Church and her clergy,
and help me to find God in silence and to serve Him with courage. Amen.
Who was St. Peter Damian?
Peter was born in Ravenna in 1007, the youngest of a large and poor family. Orphaned as a child, he was mistreated by a brother who sent him to herd pigs, until another brother, Damian, a priest, took him in and paid for his education; Peter took his name in gratitude. He became a successful teacher at Parma and Ravenna, but around 1035 he gave it up to join the hermits of Fonte Avellana, in the Apennines, a community following the reform of St. Romuald, where he later became prior.
His holiness and learning drew the attention of the popes, who sent him on missions throughout Italy, France and Germany to settle disputes and restore discipline. In 1057 he was made cardinal-bishop of Ostia, much against his will. He wrote fiercely against simony and the immorality of some clergy, worked for the freedom of the Church, and supported the reforming popes. Whenever he could, he returned to his hermitage. He died at Faenza on February 22, 1072, returning from a mission to Ravenna. Dante places him among the contemplatives in the heaven of Saturn in his Paradiso.
Scripture
The desire of his life (Psalm 26:4, Douay-Rheims; Psalm 27 in other numberings):
One thing I have asked of the Lord, this will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. That I may see the delight of the Lord, and may visit his temple.
Feast day
The optional memorial of St. Peter Damian, bishop and Doctor of the Church, is February 21.
Frequently asked questions
What is St. Peter Damian known for?
His life as a hermit at Fonte Avellana and his work as a cardinal to reform the Church against simony and corruption.
Why did he take the name Damian?
In gratitude to his older brother Damian, who rescued him from poverty and paid for his education.
When is his feast day?
February 21.
More saints
- Doctors of the Church
- St. Benedict prayer
- St. Bernard of Clairvaux
- Prayer for priests
- Prayer for the Church
- Saint of the day
Texts and sources
- Psalm 26:4 (Douay-Rheims).