St. Benedict the Moor

 I wasn't sure what Saint that I wanted to feature today, so I just started searching for someone who had an interesting background. I look for people who come from all walks of life and all different backgrounds to illustrate that a Saint can come from anywhere. I want you to know that you are not disqualified because of who you are or where you come from. 

Benedetto da San Fratello is known as Benedict the Moor because of his African heritage and dark skin color. His parents, Cristoforo and Diana Manasseri, were African slaves that were taken to San Fratello in Sicily in the early 16th century. They were given Italian names and later converted to Christianity. They were granted freedom for their son before his birth because of their "loyal service." 

Like most peasants, Benedict did not go to school. During his youth, he worked as a shepherd and gave away most of his earnings to the poor. At the age of 21, he was publicly insulted for the color of his skin. His forbearance of the incident caught the notice of a local group of hermits. This independent group followed the rule for hermit life written by St. Francis of Assisi. They quickly invited Benedict to join them and soon after he gave up all of his earthly possessions and took them up on their invitation. He worked as the hermit for the group until at the age of 28 he succeeded to the position as leader of the group.

In 1564, Pope Pius IV disbanded independent groups of hermits, ordering them to attach themselves to established religious orders. Benedict's group joined the Order of Friars Minor. Once a friar of the Order, he was assigned to a friary in Palermo, where he again started out as a cook. However, he showed a degree of advancement in his spiritual advancement and was soon appointed Master of Novices. He was later promoted to Guardian of the community, even though he was a lay brother and not a priest and was illiterate. When he accepted the promotion, he helped the Order adopt a stricter version of the Franciscan Rule. He was widely respected for his intuitive understanding of Scripture and Theology; he was often sought for counseling and was reputed to be a healer. Because he enjoyed cooking, he returned to the kitchen in his later years. He died at the age of 65, and it is said that he predicted the date of his death.

St. Benedict the Moor is patron of black and African missions, African Americans, Palermo and San Fratello. His feast day is April 4. St. Benedict, pray for us.