Peter Damian

Who they were

Peter was born at Ravenna in 1007, the youngest of seven; his mother at first refused to feed him, until a neighbour shamed her. Orphaned, he was ill-treated by one brother until his eldest brother Damian, an archpriest near Ravenna, took him in and educated him; in gratitude Peter added his name to his own.

He became a monk of Fonte Avellana and a tireless reformer of the Church, working for the freedom of the Church from lay control in the struggle that ended, after his death, with the emperor kneeling as a penitent before the Pope at Canossa in 1077. Returning from a peace mission to Ravenna, he died at the Benedictine monastery of Santa Maria fuori Porta in Faenza.

The miracles

There was never a formal cause: the people acclaimed him a saint at his funeral. Pope Leo XII declared him a Doctor of the Church in 1828.

Why that counted as sanctity

Peter Damian, rescued from a loveless childhood, gave himself to God as a monk and spent his strength calling the Church, from clergy to emperor, back to holiness and freedom.

Connected on this site

• John of Lodi Saint Pupil
  “He became a disciple and the personal secretary of Peter Damian, who was the prior of Fonte Avellana.” — Wikipedia
• Anno II, Archbishop of Cologne Saint
  “After Henry's death the Empress Agnes made him regent of the Empire and tutor of the young Henry IV; he worked with Hildebrand and St Peter Damian for reform and backed the rightful Pope Alexander II against the antipope.” — this site's research
• Francis of Assisi Saint
  “Dante placed him in one of the highest circles of Paradiso as a great predecessor of Francis of Assisi and he was declared a Doctor of the Church on 27 September 1828.” — Wikipedia
• Guido da Velate Saint
  “After the death of Henry III in 1056, Hildebrand, Anselm of Baggio, and Peter Damian were sent to settle matters in Milan, but to little avail.” — Wikipedia
• Odilo of Cluny Saint
  “He died on visitation at Souvigny on 31 December 1048 and was soon venerated as a saint; St Peter Damian took up his canonisation in 1063.” — this site's research
• Rufinus of Assisi Saint
  “Sources concerning the life of Saint Rufino are a sermon of eleventh century Peter Damian, (Miracula Sancti Rufini Martyris), and a Passio Sancti Rufini of the 14th century.” — Wikipedia