Blessed Odoric of Pordenone
Blessed Odoric of Pordenone (born about 1286 AD in Villanova, near Pordenone, Italy; died January 14, 1331 AD in Udine, Italy) was an Italian Franciscan friar and one of the greatest missionary travelers of the Middle Ages, who journeyed across Asia to India, the East Indies, and China, and left a famous account of his travels. He is venerated as a Blessed of the Church. His feast day is January 14.
Impelled by zeal for the spread of the Gospel, Odoric spent many years among the peoples of the East, preaching the faith and recording what he saw, and he is honored both as an apostle and as a great explorer. He was beatified in 1755.
Stored in Cargo: Blessed Odoric of Pordenone
| Blessed Odoric of Pordenone | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | January 14 |
| Profession | Franciscan friar; missionary; traveler |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans) |
| Patronage | Missionaries; travelers; the region of Pordenone |
| Attributes | Franciscan habit; a pilgrim's staff |
| Birthplace | Villanova, near Pordenone, Italy |
| Death Place | Udine, Italy |
| Cause of Death | Natural death; Franciscan missionary; died at Udine |
| Primary Shrine | Udine, Italy |
Biography
Odoric was born about 1286 at Villanova near Pordenone, in the Friuli region of northeastern Italy. As a young man he entered the Order of Friars Minor, the Franciscans, and lived for a time as a hermit and penitent, esteemed for his austerity and prayer.
Around 1318 he set out on a great missionary journey to the East, which occupied more than a decade. Traveling by way of Constantinople, Persia, and the Indian Ocean, he reached India, where he gathered the relics of Franciscan martyrs, and continued through the islands of the East Indies to China. He spent several years in the Mongol empire, notably at the great city then called Cambaluc (Beijing), where Franciscan missionaries labored, and he preached the Gospel and ministered to Christians in those distant lands. He returned overland across central Asia, passing, it is said, near Tibet.
Back in Italy, he dictated a celebrated account of his travels, describing the lands, peoples, and marvels of the East; this narrative was widely copied and became one of the most important European sources on Asia of its time. Worn out by his labors, he died at Udine on January 14, 1331, while preparing to journey to the papal court to seek missionaries for the East. He was at once venerated by the people, and he was beatified on July 2, 1755, by Pope Benedict XIV. His feast is kept on January 14.
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Media
| Media | Length | AuthorCreator |
|---|---|---|
| January 14 Blessed Odoric of Pordenone | Under 5 minutes | Breski1 |
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Feast day
January 14
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