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THE LITTLETON SAINTS
St Peter Damian (1007 - 1072)
Out of all the paintings of the
Littleton saints, Peter Damian stands out for his impressive
attire. He is dressed in his robes and mitre as the
Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia. He rose to be a man of great authority
within the Church, respected for his insight and integrity.
However, Peter’s beginnings had been humble. He was born in Ravenna in north-east Italy, to poor parents who died soon after. As a boy, he was put to work tending pigs. But people came to realise that he might have academic talents, and one of his elder brothers, Damian, managed to arrange an education for him. Out of gratitude, he adopted the title “Peter Damian”.
He felt the call to become a monk, and entered the Camaldolese monastery at Fonte Avellana. This was the same religious order as Bruno Boniface, who was martyred two years after Peter was born. Bruno had been a missionary to the pagans, but Peter’s life was to take a different path, as he became called to writing and giving a lead to the Church from within.
He rose to become a Prior within the Camaldolese order, and he spent many years founding new monasteries and keeping the existing ones in good order. He would gladly have continued on this path, but word got around that he was the sort of conscientious soul that the Church needed in high office – so, despite his misgivings, he was persuaded to become a Cardinal!
In office, he had the difficult task of trying to stamp out some of the worldly practices that had crept into the Church. One of the worst of these was “simony”, the practice of selling posts in the Church to people who had money and power, even though they had little religious background. Sadly, simony was widespread in the medieval Church, and Peter spoke out strongly against it.
Peter was also a great writer and teacher on religious doctrines, teaching about the Eucharist and the afterlife – the education that his brother had started was put to good use. The continued respect for his writings over the centuries led him finally to be declared a “Doctor of the Church” in 1828.
Many, one might say, are the parts of the Body of Christ – Peter was not a missionary or martyr like Bruno Boniface, or a hermit like Anthony, but he performed the vital tasks of keeping the Church going and trying to keep it on a godly path. Despite his lofty position of authority, it is said that he was kind to the penitent, and found time to write some beautiful hymns.
(For more details about the Camaldolese order and its founder Saint Romuald, click here.)
However, Peter’s beginnings had been humble. He was born in Ravenna in north-east Italy, to poor parents who died soon after. As a boy, he was put to work tending pigs. But people came to realise that he might have academic talents, and one of his elder brothers, Damian, managed to arrange an education for him. Out of gratitude, he adopted the title “Peter Damian”.
He felt the call to become a monk, and entered the Camaldolese monastery at Fonte Avellana. This was the same religious order as Bruno Boniface, who was martyred two years after Peter was born. Bruno had been a missionary to the pagans, but Peter’s life was to take a different path, as he became called to writing and giving a lead to the Church from within.
He rose to become a Prior within the Camaldolese order, and he spent many years founding new monasteries and keeping the existing ones in good order. He would gladly have continued on this path, but word got around that he was the sort of conscientious soul that the Church needed in high office – so, despite his misgivings, he was persuaded to become a Cardinal!
In office, he had the difficult task of trying to stamp out some of the worldly practices that had crept into the Church. One of the worst of these was “simony”, the practice of selling posts in the Church to people who had money and power, even though they had little religious background. Sadly, simony was widespread in the medieval Church, and Peter spoke out strongly against it.
Peter was also a great writer and teacher on religious doctrines, teaching about the Eucharist and the afterlife – the education that his brother had started was put to good use. The continued respect for his writings over the centuries led him finally to be declared a “Doctor of the Church” in 1828.
Many, one might say, are the parts of the Body of Christ – Peter was not a missionary or martyr like Bruno Boniface, or a hermit like Anthony, but he performed the vital tasks of keeping the Church going and trying to keep it on a godly path. Despite his lofty position of authority, it is said that he was kind to the penitent, and found time to write some beautiful hymns.
(For more details about the Camaldolese order and its founder Saint Romuald, click here.)
Article by Will Hardy
