Blessed Bonavita
Blessed Bonavita (died c. 1375 AD in Lugo di Romagna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy; feast March 1) was an Italian Franciscan Tertiary from Lugo di Romagna in Emilia-Romagna who lived as a barber by trade and is venerated as a blessed for his heroic charity to lepers, his tireless service to the sick and poor, and his deep prayer life. He spent his entire life in Lugo caring for the most marginalized — especially lepers, who were among the most stigmatized and socially excluded members of medieval society — in imitation of Saint Francis of Assisi, who had himself embraced a leper at the beginning of his conversion. He was beatified by Pope Innocent VIII in 1485 (or by papal confirmation of cult). His feast day is March 1.
Stored in Cargo: Blessed Bonavita
| Blessed Bonavita | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | March 01 |
| Profession | Barber and Franciscan Tertiary; servant of lepers and the poor; contemplative layman; charitable apostle of Lugo di Romagna; man of prayer and manual work |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Third Order of Saint Francis (Franciscan Tertiaries); Emilian-Romagnol Catholic tradition; Lugo Catholic tradition; 14th-century Italian Franciscan lay apostolate; leper ministry in the tradition of Saint Francis |
| Patronage | Lugo di Romagna; barbers; those who care for lepers; those suffering from skin diseases; the sick; Emilia-Romagna; Franciscan Tertiaries |
| Attributes | Medieval barber's apron; cross; a leper (his charity); lily (purity); Franciscan cord or tau cross; Romagna plain landscape; the Basilica of San Francesco, Lugo |
| Birthplace | Lugo di Romagna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy |
| Death Place | Lugo di Romagna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy |
| Cause of Death | Natural death; died c. 1375 in Lugo di Romagna; he was a barber by trade who lived as a Franciscan Tertiary; he devoted his life to the care of lepers, the sick, and the poor of Lugo; his heroic charity and prayerful life led to his veneration as a blessed; feast March 1; beatification confirmed by papal authority |
| Primary Shrine | Basilica of San Francesco (or the church housing his relics), Lugo di Romagna, Ravenna, Italy — March 1 feast; local Lugo veneration; Franciscan tradition |
| Liturgical Class | Not in universal Roman calendar; March 1 feast in Lugo di Romagna and in the Franciscan Order |
| Historic Class | Not in 1962 calendar |
Biography
Bonavita was born in Lugo di Romagna in the Emilia-Romagna region of northeastern Italy. He worked as a barber — one of the most important healthcare providers of the medieval period — and lived as a Franciscan Tertiary, following the spirit of Saint Francis of Assisi while remaining in the world.
He devoted his life to the care of lepers, the sick, and the poor of Lugo — following the Franciscan charism of leper ministry that Saint Francis had inaugurated with his famous embrace of a leper at the beginning of his own conversion.
He died around 1375 in Lugo, leaving behind a reputation for heroic charity and holiness. His cult was confirmed by papal authority. His feast day is March 1.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Lugo di Romagna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Death location: Lugo di Romagna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
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Parishes
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Shrines
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Known shrines
- Basilica of San Francesco, Lugo di Romagna, Ravenna, Italy — site of his veneration; March 1 feast.
Feast day
March 1
Veneration
Blessed Bonavita (d. c. 1375) was a barber and Franciscan Tertiary from Lugo di Romagna who devoted his life to caring for lepers in the spirit of Saint Francis — a heroic apostle of charity to the most stigmatized of medieval society. Feast March 1.
Prayers
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