Saint Bernard of Corleone
Saint Bernard of Corleone (born February 6, 1605 AD in Corleone, Sicily, Italy; died January 12, 1667 AD in Palermo, Sicily, Italy) was a Sicilian Capuchin lay brother who was a former swordsman and brawler who underwent a dramatic conversion and became one of the great penitential mystics of 17th-century Sicily. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2001. His feast day is January 19.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Bernard of Corleone
| Saint Bernard of Corleone | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | January 19 |
| Profession | Shoemaker (before conversion); Capuchin lay brother; penitent; mystic; swordsman (before conversion) |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Capuchin Order (Friars Minor Capuchin); 17th-century Sicilian Christianity; Baroque penitential mysticism; Southern Italian Capuchin tradition |
| Patronage | Sicily; Corleone; those who have left lives of violence; converts from sin; penitents; Capuchin lay brothers; those who seek radical conversion |
| Attributes | Capuchin brown habit; sword (his former life as a swordsman); a scourge or instruments of penance; a lily or cross; Corleone hillside or Palermo friary in background; ecstatic or levitation imagery (his mystical gifts); wounds (his penitential mortifications) |
| Birthplace | Corleone, Sicily, Italy |
| Death Place | Palermo, Sicily, Italy |
| Cause of Death | Natural death; died January 12, 1667 AD, at the Capuchin friary in Palermo; he was 61 years old; he had been a Capuchin lay brother for approximately 30 years (entered c. 1637); he died peacefully after a life of extreme penitential practice and mystical prayer; his death was surrounded by great veneration; he was beatified 1768, canonized 2001 |
| Primary Shrine | Capuchin Church, Palermo — his tomb; January 19 feast; Capuchin pilgrimage in Sicily |
| Liturgical Class | Optional Memorial (Roman Rite); January 19; Feast in Sicily and Capuchin Order |
| Historic Class | Not in pre-2001 calendar; January 19 since canonization |
Biography
Filippo Latini was born February 6, 1605, in Corleone, Sicily, to a shoemaker's family. He became a shoemaker himself and acquired great fame as a swordsman. He fought many duels. Around 1630, after badly wounding an opponent in a duel, he was struck with remorse.
After a period of reflection and conversion, he entered the Capuchin Order as a lay brother in Palermo c. 1637, taking the name Bernard. He applied the same intensity he had shown in fighting to penitential prayer — fasting to extremes, sleeping little, and mortifying his body.
He became known throughout Sicily as a mystic to whom visions, levitation, and healing were attributed. He spent approximately 30 years as a Capuchin in Palermo, revered as a living saint.
He died January 12, 1667, in Palermo. He was beatified 1768 and canonized by Pope John Paul II on June 10, 2001 — the same day as Saint Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio).
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Corleone, Sicily, Italy
Death location: Palermo, Sicily, Italy
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Parishes
No parishes dedicated to Bernard of Corleone have been added to the database yet.
Media
| Media | Length | AuthorCreator |
|---|---|---|
| St. Bernard of Corleone | 5–15 minutes | Daily Lives of Franciscan Saints |
| St. Bernard of Corleone | 5–15 minutes | Radio Immaculata |
Shrines
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Known shrines
- Capuchin Church, Palermo — his tomb; January 19 feast.
Feast day
January 19
Veneration
Saint Bernard of Corleone was a Sicilian swordsman who became a Capuchin lay brother and mystic after a dramatic conversion. Revered throughout Sicily for penitential austerity and mystical gifts, he was canonized on the same day as Padre Pio (June 10, 2001). Feast January 19.
Prayers
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